Petting Nude by Sterling Strauser, Framed

A woman reclines with her eyes closed. Small white birds gather around her.

Petting Nude is a framed oil on Masonite by Sterling Strauser (1907-1995), about 1972. A large, pale green-grey nude lies across the full width of the panel, her head tipped back, her dark hair touched with violet. Her outline is loose, the features set down in a few thin lines. Flicks of white and yellow paint suggest birds in flight, and a mass of brown sits near her hip. The carved frame is dark and scrolled. It measures 48.5 inches wide and 39 high.

The handling is frank and unhurried. It leaves the rest to the viewer.