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

$2,800.00

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

“Whispered Petals in Grey” is a quintessential example of Dan Gabriel’s light-infused botanical abstraction—a serene, mist-like composition where soft mauves, pale greys, rose-beiges, and muted blues dissolve into one another. Feathered petal forms float across the surface, drifting through translucent layers that evoke movement and breath. The artwork radiates Gabriel’s signature calm: an atmospheric stillness punctuated by weightless organic motion.

Executed in oil on heavy archival paper, the painting displays Gabriel’s hallmark of diffused tonal transitions, soft-edged gradients, and feather-like gestures. The composition is anchored by two central floating forms—petals or leaves—gently curving upward as if caught in a quiet current of air.

This work comes from the period in which Gabriel was represented and distributed by Mitch Morse Gallery / Art Spectrum, New York, renowned for championing contemporary abstract artists in the 1970s and 80s.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY — DAN GABRIEL

Dan Gabriel (American, b. 1940s– )
Abstract Botanical Painter | Color-Theory Modernist | Active 1970s–1990s

Dan Gabriel is an American painter recognized for his serene pastel abstractions and feathered botanical forms that float between design and nature. Born in the 1940s in the United States, Gabriel studied fine art with emphasis on color theory, composition, and organic structure. By the 1970s he developed the style that defines his oeuvre—soft, translucent layers of oil paint forming petal-like shapes that hover in atmospheric space.

Working from New York City, Gabriel was notably represented by Mitch Morse Gallery Inc. / Art Spectrum, a key distributor of modernist works favored by architects and interior designers. His paintings were widely acquired for contemporary homes, corporate interiors, and curated gallery shows throughout the Northeast.

Influenced by mid-century biomorphic abstraction, Color Field painters, and natural forms, Gabriel’s creative process centered on building thin oil washes, diffused edges, and overlapping planes to achieve an ethereal luminosity. His works remain appreciated for their elegance, calmness, and timeless modernity.

Dan Gabriel (American, 20th Century)
Whispered Petals in Grey
Oil on paper, 25 x 36 in.
Signed lower right.
Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery Inc., NY; Private Collection, NYC; Artfind Gallery, Washington DC.
Soft pastel botanical abstraction with layered translucent forms. Excellent condition.

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

ARTFIND GALLERY — WASHINGTON, DC

Artist: Dan Gabriel (American, Active 1970s–1990s)
Title: Whispered Petals in Grey
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 verifies the authenticity and value of the painting Whispered Petals in Grey by Dan Gabriel. The work exemplifies Gabriel’s signature botanical abstraction, created during his association with Mitch Morse’s Art Spectrum gallery in New York.

PROVENANCE CHAIN

  1. Mitch Morse Gallery Inc., New York, NY

  2. Private Collection, New York City

  3. Artfind Gallery, Washington DC — Current Owner

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

“Whispered Petals in Grey” is a quintessential example of Dan Gabriel’s light-infused botanical abstraction—a serene, mist-like composition where soft mauves, pale greys, rose-beiges, and muted blues dissolve into one another. Feathered petal forms float across the surface, drifting through translucent layers that evoke movement and breath. The artwork radiates Gabriel’s signature calm: an atmospheric stillness punctuated by weightless organic motion.

Executed in oil on heavy archival paper, the painting displays Gabriel’s hallmark of diffused tonal transitions, soft-edged gradients, and feather-like gestures. The composition is anchored by two central floating forms—petals or leaves—gently curving upward as if caught in a quiet current of air.

This work comes from the period in which Gabriel was represented and distributed by Mitch Morse Gallery / Art Spectrum, New York, renowned for championing contemporary abstract artists in the 1970s and 80s.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY — DAN GABRIEL

Dan Gabriel (American, b. 1940s– )
Abstract Botanical Painter | Color-Theory Modernist | Active 1970s–1990s

Dan Gabriel is an American painter recognized for his serene pastel abstractions and feathered botanical forms that float between design and nature. Born in the 1940s in the United States, Gabriel studied fine art with emphasis on color theory, composition, and organic structure. By the 1970s he developed the style that defines his oeuvre—soft, translucent layers of oil paint forming petal-like shapes that hover in atmospheric space.

Working from New York City, Gabriel was notably represented by Mitch Morse Gallery Inc. / Art Spectrum, a key distributor of modernist works favored by architects and interior designers. His paintings were widely acquired for contemporary homes, corporate interiors, and curated gallery shows throughout the Northeast.

Influenced by mid-century biomorphic abstraction, Color Field painters, and natural forms, Gabriel’s creative process centered on building thin oil washes, diffused edges, and overlapping planes to achieve an ethereal luminosity. His works remain appreciated for their elegance, calmness, and timeless modernity.

Dan Gabriel (American, 20th Century)
Whispered Petals in Grey
Oil on paper, 25 x 36 in.
Signed lower right.
Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery Inc., NY; Private Collection, NYC; Artfind Gallery, Washington DC.
Soft pastel botanical abstraction with layered translucent forms. Excellent condition.

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

ARTFIND GALLERY — WASHINGTON, DC

Artist: Dan Gabriel (American, Active 1970s–1990s)
Title: Whispered Petals in Grey
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 verifies the authenticity and value of the painting Whispered Petals in Grey by Dan Gabriel. The work exemplifies Gabriel’s signature botanical abstraction, created during his association with Mitch Morse’s Art Spectrum gallery in New York.

PROVENANCE CHAIN

  1. Mitch Morse Gallery Inc., New York, NY

  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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