Lot 563: Still life of a plant, abstract

George Wettling (American, 1907-1968)
Still life of a plant, abstract
signed 'GEO. WETTLING' (lower left)
oil on canvas
12 x 9 1/8 in. (30.5 x 23.3 cm.)

George Wettling (1907-1968) was an American jazz drummer who played with many of the great big bands during that era, such as Artie Shaw, Bunny Berigan and Paul Whiteman.

Towards the end of his life, Wettling took up painting and was greatly influenced by the American cubist Stuart Davis (d.1964). Davis commented of Wettling that "jazz drumming and abstract painting seemed different from him only from the point of view of craftsmanship; in both fields he felt rhythm to be decisive". (Joachim E Berendt, 1976, The Jazz Book, p.286.)