Lions on the Dreyfus Fund III

Trained as a jazz saxophonist, Larry Rivers discovered a parallel in and an innate talent for painting early on as well. Equally cerebral, sentimental, and provocative, he is considered a key proto-Pop artist—bridging the gap between the painterly gestures of Abstract Expressionism, dominant during the 1950s, and Pop Art’s pointed return to figuration during the 1960s. Rivers was at the height of his renown by 1964, having introduced found objects and imagery, including stencils and other forms of lettering, into his canvases. The composition of Lions on the Dreyfus Fund III is at once complex and diffuse: striding lions, jostling letters, floating tails, and muscular brushstrokes achieve a lateral push and pull. Through its title and its legible content this work refers to the Dreyfus Fund, a mutual fund broker that has featured lions prominently in its advertisements and corporate logo.