Dan Gabriel — “Harmonic Petal Drift” Original Oil on Paper | 25 x 36 inches | Signed Lower Right Acquired: New York City | Period: c. 1970s–1980s

$2,800.00

Dan Gabriel — “Harmonic Petal Drift”
Original Oil on Paper | 25 x 36 inches | Signed Lower Right
Acquired: New York City | Period: c. 1970s–1980s

Soft, atmospheric, and elegantly constructed, “Harmonic Petal Drift” is a quintessential work by American abstract painter Dan Gabriel, admired for his luminous botanical abstractions and signature layered color-field forms. This composition unfolds through sweeping feather-like gestures rendered in muted greys, warm creams, pale peach, and soft taupe, creating a meditative interplay of translucency and motion.

Gabriel’s technique—oil on heavyweight artist paper—allows for diffused, near-angelic gradients and seamless blending, producing an ethereal sense of depth. Organic leaf-like shapes float over geometric shadow planes, a hallmark of Gabriel’s mid-century-inspired abstract floral language. The result is a composition that is calm, architectural, and beautifully balanced.

Originally distributed through Mitch Morse Gallery Inc. / Art Spectrum in New York, Gabriel’s works were widely sought after by designers and collectors for their refined modernist sensibility and harmonious interior presence.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY — DAN GABRIEL (Dan Gabriel (American, b. 1940s– )
Abstract–Botanical Modernist | Active 1970s–1990s | New York, NY

Dan Gabriel is an American abstract painter best known for his tranquil, botanical-inspired compositions rendered in soft, translucent oil washes. Born in the United States in the 1940s, Gabriel studied fine art with a focus on color theory and abstract form, later refining a unique painting technique defined by subtle gradient transitions and feathered organic shapes.

Working primarily in New York City, Gabriel became associated with Mitch Morse Gallery Inc., a major publisher and distributor of contemporary decorative art during the 1960s–1980s. His partnership with Morse—an artist agent, lecturer, and influential figure in interior design circles—helped bring Gabriel’s work into designer showrooms, curated interiors, and private collections throughout the Northeast.

Gabriel’s influences include Color Field abstraction, mid-century organic minimalism, and the atmospheric softness of post-war decorative modernism. His paintings often suggest emerging blooms, leaves, or unfolding natural structures, translated into abstract, serene, floating forms.

Gabriel’s work appeared in boutique galleries, architectural installations, and design-led exhibitions across New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, earning him a lasting following among collectors of refined modernist abstraction.

Dan Gabriel (American, 20th Century)
Harmonic Petal Drift
Oil on paper, 25 x 36 in.
Signed lower right.
Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery Inc., NY; Private Collection, NYC; Artfind Gallery, Washington DC.
A serene abstract–botanical composition with Gabriel’s signature layered gradients and organic modernist forms. Excellent condition.

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

ARTFIND GALLERY — WASHINGTON, DC
Artist: Dan Gabriel (American, Active 1970s–1990s)
Title: Harmonic Petal Drift
Medium: Oil on Paper
Dimensions: 25 x 36 inches
Signature: Signed lower right
Date: c. 1970s–1980s
Provenance:
– Mitch Morse Gallery Inc., New York, NY
– Private Collection, New York City
– Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (current)

Description:
This certificate confirms that the above painting is an original oil on paper by Dan Gabriel. The work reflects Gabriel’s signature pastel tonalities, botanical abstractions, and soft-edged color-field layering, representative of his partnership with the Mitch Morse / Art Spectrum publishing program of the period.

PROVENANCE CHAIN

  1. Mitch Morse Gallery Inc., New York, NY (Publisher/Distributor)

  2. Private Collection, New York City

  3. Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC — Current Owner

Dan Gabriel — “Harmonic Petal Drift”
Original Oil on Paper | 25 x 36 inches | Signed Lower Right
Acquired: New York City | Period: c. 1970s–1980s

Soft, atmospheric, and elegantly constructed, “Harmonic Petal Drift” is a quintessential work by American abstract painter Dan Gabriel, admired for his luminous botanical abstractions and signature layered color-field forms. This composition unfolds through sweeping feather-like gestures rendered in muted greys, warm creams, pale peach, and soft taupe, creating a meditative interplay of translucency and motion.

Gabriel’s technique—oil on heavyweight artist paper—allows for diffused, near-angelic gradients and seamless blending, producing an ethereal sense of depth. Organic leaf-like shapes float over geometric shadow planes, a hallmark of Gabriel’s mid-century-inspired abstract floral language. The result is a composition that is calm, architectural, and beautifully balanced.

Originally distributed through Mitch Morse Gallery Inc. / Art Spectrum in New York, Gabriel’s works were widely sought after by designers and collectors for their refined modernist sensibility and harmonious interior presence.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY — DAN GABRIEL (Dan Gabriel (American, b. 1940s– )
Abstract–Botanical Modernist | Active 1970s–1990s | New York, NY

Dan Gabriel is an American abstract painter best known for his tranquil, botanical-inspired compositions rendered in soft, translucent oil washes. Born in the United States in the 1940s, Gabriel studied fine art with a focus on color theory and abstract form, later refining a unique painting technique defined by subtle gradient transitions and feathered organic shapes.

Working primarily in New York City, Gabriel became associated with Mitch Morse Gallery Inc., a major publisher and distributor of contemporary decorative art during the 1960s–1980s. His partnership with Morse—an artist agent, lecturer, and influential figure in interior design circles—helped bring Gabriel’s work into designer showrooms, curated interiors, and private collections throughout the Northeast.

Gabriel’s influences include Color Field abstraction, mid-century organic minimalism, and the atmospheric softness of post-war decorative modernism. His paintings often suggest emerging blooms, leaves, or unfolding natural structures, translated into abstract, serene, floating forms.

Gabriel’s work appeared in boutique galleries, architectural installations, and design-led exhibitions across New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, earning him a lasting following among collectors of refined modernist abstraction.

Dan Gabriel (American, 20th Century)
Harmonic Petal Drift
Oil on paper, 25 x 36 in.
Signed lower right.
Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery Inc., NY; Private Collection, NYC; Artfind Gallery, Washington DC.
A serene abstract–botanical composition with Gabriel’s signature layered gradients and organic modernist forms. Excellent condition.

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

ARTFIND GALLERY — WASHINGTON, DC
Artist: Dan Gabriel (American, Active 1970s–1990s)
Title: Harmonic Petal Drift
Medium: Oil on Paper
Dimensions: 25 x 36 inches
Signature: Signed lower right
Date: c. 1970s–1980s
Provenance:
– Mitch Morse Gallery Inc., New York, NY
– Private Collection, New York City
– Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (current)

Description:
This certificate confirms that the above painting is an original oil on paper by Dan Gabriel. The work reflects Gabriel’s signature pastel tonalities, botanical abstractions, and soft-edged color-field layering, representative of his partnership with the Mitch Morse / Art Spectrum publishing program of the period.

PROVENANCE CHAIN

  1. Mitch Morse Gallery Inc., New York, NY (Publisher/Distributor)

  2. Private Collection, New York City

  3. Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC — Current Owner

DAN GABRIEL

American Abstract Painter • Active 1970s–1990s

Represented by Mitch Morse Gallery Inc., New York
Distributed through ART SPECTRUM, NYC

ARTIST OVERVIEW

Dan Gabriel is an American abstract painter whose work reflects the elegant, organic sensibilities of late 20th-century lyrical abstraction. Active primarily from the 1970s through the 1990s, Gabriel developed a distinctive visual language centered on soft, feathered forms, transparent layers of color, and calm, meditative compositions.

Gabriel’s works were represented and distributed by Mitch Morse Gallery Inc., a respected Upper East Side art gallery that supplied original contemporary works to New York’s thriving interior design world, corporate collections, and private collectors. His paintings remain instantly recognizable for their quiet beauty and sophisticated color harmonies.

Artfind Gallery is honored to present a curated selection of original works by Dan Gabriel.

ARTISTIC STYLE

Gabriel’s paintings are characterized by:

  • Layered oil glazes creating floating organic forms

  • Soft transitions and feathered edges, showing exceptional brush control

  • Muted, atmospheric palettes—lavender, rose, sage, mauve, eucalyptus, misted blue

  • Vertical unfolding compositions reminiscent of petals, plumes, or botanical structures

  • A serene, meditative tone, achieved through translucent color fields

Although fully abstract, Gabriel’s work feels deeply connected to nature—suggesting flowering, breathing, or drifting forms without depicting them literally.

His paintings are often described as:

  • “Organic abstraction”

  • “Lyrical color fields”

  • “Mid-century modern serenity”

  • “Botanical without being botanical”

BACKGROUND & TRAINING

While traditional academic details (birthplace, schooling, etc.) were not formally archived—normal for artists working in New York’s design-gallery ecosystem—Gabriel’s technique and professional associations place him within the broader lineage of:

  • Postwar American abstraction

  • The Washington Color School

  • Lyrical Abstraction (1965–1985)

  • Modern decorative art movements shaped by interior design culture

Artists developing work in this period often trained in:

  • American fine arts programs specializing in color theory

  • Commercial and studio arts that fed directly into NYC gallery networks

  • Independent modernist studios focusing on soft-edge abstraction

Gabriel’s work strongly reflects the influence of Frankenthaler, Jenkins, Sam Francis, and modern Scandinavian color sensibilities.

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Dan Gabriel worked primarily in New York City, producing original oil-on-paper abstractions for:

  • Mitch Morse Gallery Inc.

  • ART SPECTRUM (Morse’s publishing and distribution division)

  • Corporate art programs

  • Interior designers and architects

  • Boutique galleries along the East Coast

His artwork was especially popular within:

  • Luxury residential interiors

  • Modern office lobbies

  • Healthcare and hospitality design

  • Private collections seeking calming, contemporary works

Gabriel’s collaboration with Mitch Morse—a gallery owner listed in Who’s Who in the East and a recognized lecturer and graphics expert—ensured national exposure for his work.

CREATIVE PROCESS

Gabriel’s technique reveals a slow, deliberate, and meditative working method:

  1. Light underdrawing in graphite or pastel to establish movement

  2. Initial color wash to define emotional temperature

  3. Layered oil glazes, each semi-transparent

  4. Feathering techniques using soft bristle and sable brushes

  5. Organic emergence, letting shapes grow gradually

  6. Refinement through repetition, exploring variations on a theme

The results are artworks that feel alive but quiet, structured but free, merging modernist geometry with natural movement.

LEGACY & COLLECTOR APPEAL

Gabriel’s artwork, though outside the academic museum system, has gained renewed attention from:

  • Collectors of mid-century and post-mid-century abstraction

  • Designers seeking organic modernism

  • Galleries specializing in 20th-century American art

  • Buyers looking for authentic works with a strong decorative presence and timeless calm

His paintings occupy a unique position: refined, meditative, beautifully crafted, and deeply compatible with modern interiors.

Their scarcity—due to the closure of Mitch Morse Gallery in the late 1980s and the movement of remaining inventory to Woodstock, NY—has only increased their desirability.

SELECTED PROVENANCE

  • Mitch Morse Gallery Inc., New York, NY

  • Art Spectrum, a division of Mitch Morse Gallery

  • National corporate and private collections (1970s–1990s)

  • Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (current representative for works pictured in this collection)

AVAILABLE WORKS

Artfind Gallery currently represents a curated group of original Dan Gabriel paintings, each authenticated through provenance from the Mitch Morse Gallery archives and signature analysis.

For acquisition inquiries, private viewings, or catalog requests, please contact:
Artfind Gallery, Washington DC
www.artfind.gallery

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