This work is by the American painter William Baziotes. Baziotes graduated from the National Academy of Design in New York. His interest in the surrealism movement can be seen in the lyrical compositions that comprise a large portion of his work. Baziotes, along with David Hare, Robert Motherwell, and Mark Rothko, founded the Subjects of the Artist School. Baziotes was also one of the first New York artists to experiment with the surrealist technique, automatic drawing.This work was acquired from the famous Pennypacker auction of the Baziotes Estate, and is accompanied by a letter of authenticity and provenance from the artist's widow Ethel Baziotes.