Louis, Morris, 1912-1962

Morris Louis (1912-1962) was a painter in Washington, D.C.

Born Morris Louis Bernstein in Baltimore, Md. He participated in the WPA Easel Painting Project, and adopted the name Morris Louis.

Marcella Louis became administrator of his estate of paintings, as a result of an agreement with his family, the Bernsteins. In 1964 she married scientist Abner Brener.

From the description of Morris Louis and Morris Louis Estate papers, 1937-2001. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 495594996

Painter; Washington, D.C. Born 1912. Died 1962.

Born Morris Louis Bernstein in Baltimore, Md. Attended the Maryland Institute from 1929 to 1933. He lived in NYC from 1936 to 1945, where he participated in the WPA Easel Painting Project, and adopted the name Morris Louis. In 1947, two years after returning to Baltimore, he married Marcella Siegel, an educator, and they moved to Washington, D.C. in 1952.

Louis was influenced by the work of Helen Frankenthaler and he began creating his color-stained unprimed canvases categorized as Veils (1954- 1959), Florals (1959-1960), Unfurleds (1960), and Stripes (1961-1962). Through his colleague, Kenneth Noland, Louis met Clement Greenberg who was influential in popularizing Louis' work, which only began to gain notoriety at the time of his death from lung cancer in 1962.

Marcella Louis became administrator of his estate of paintings, as a result of an agreement with his family, the Bernsteins. In 1964 she married scientist Abner Brener.

From the description of Morris Louis and Morris Louis Estate papers, 1937-1988. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122454187