Philip Guston (1913–1980) is one of the most important and influential American artists of the twentieth century, and his work is most notable for its expressive range and mutability. Unlike his paintings, Guston’s works on paper did not have a secondary function. For decades, the immediacy of drawing not only allowed Guston the chance to experiment with unsolved issues and technique, but also gave him the opportunity to reflect and critically reorient his work. Ultimately, his obsessive preoccupation with drawing also helped him overcome a profound artistic crisis in the late sixties.Despite their central position in his work, his drawings have not received the attention they so richly deserve. This catalogue, published in conjunction with the first European retrospective of Guston’s drawings, examines his development from the forties until the artist’s death in 1980. (English edition ISBN 978-3-7757-1909-4)  Exhibition schedule: Kunstmuseum Bonn, March 1–May 20, 2007 · Louisiana Museum for Modern Art, Humlebæk, May 31–August 26, 2007 · Albertina, Vienna, September 7–November 25, 2007 · Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, December 13, 2007–March 2, 2008 · The Pierpont Morgan Library & Museum, New York, May 2–August 31, 2008