This work comes from the collection of the artist, Sewell Sillman (1924-1992). Sewell Sillman’s artistic career began after World War II. In 1948 he attended Black Mountain College with an interest in studying architecture. After courses with Albers and Jennerjahn, Sillman shifted gears enrolling in fine art at Yale University where Albers was the director of the department. Sillman was Albers’ teaching assistant before becoming a regular faculty member, a postion he held for more than a decade. 

In 1956, Sillman organized an exhibition of Albers’ work for the university’s art gallery collaborating with fellow faculty member, Norman Ives to create a companion catalog. Together, Sillman and Ives established the art publishing firm of Ives-Sillman, collaborating with artists such as Josef Albers, Romare Bearden, Roy Lichtenstein, and more, to produce portfolios and high quality prints.