Grace Hartigan (1922 – 2008), a prominent figure in the New York School of artists during the 1940s and 1950s, gained recognition for her experiments in total abstraction, contributing to the Second Generation Abstract Expressionists. Her early career saw her participation in significant exhibitions, such as the New Talent exhibition in 1950 and her first solo exhibition in 1951. As Hartigan’s work evolved in the 1950s and 1960s, she shifted towards incorporating recognisable motifs and characters, receiving notable press coverage and museum acquisitions. In the 1970s, her artwork became autobiographically laden, influenced by Cubism and marked by crowded compositions.