Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner’s former Greenwich Village studio lists for $8M
Photos courtesy of Zdravko Cota for Sotheby’s International Realty
A townhouse on a “secret” street in Greenwich Village where abstract expressionist painters Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner once worked is now available for $7,995,000. Located at 9 MacDougal Alley, the 19th-century home sits on a gated mews that dates to the 1830s and sits behind Washington Square Park. The property measures roughly 1,500 square feet across three floors and retains historic details, including hardwood floors, beamed ceilings, and a wood-burning fireplace. In 1949 and 1950, Pollock and Krasner used the space as an art studio, with a loft-like interior and massive skylight dating to an era when Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney maintained a studio nearby.
One of just 10 private homes on the street, the 25-foot-wide townhouse is on the Village’s historic gated mews, a private block of former carriage houses built in 1833 to serve the mansions that once lined Washington Square North.
Situated in a sunny, mid-block location, the home is being marketed as either a private residence or a live/work space for a designer, artist, or other creative professional.
Features include two full bathrooms, a garden with mature plantings, kitchens on both the ground and second floors, and a south-facing second-floor balcony.
Its standout feature helps explain why Pollock and Krasner used the home as a workspace. A massive, double-height space with a skylight lets in abundant natural light and provides ample room to work.
According to Brick Underground, Pollock and Krasner lived in the home in 1949 and 1950, borrowing it from Pollock’s friend and benefactor, painter Alfonso Ossorio.
As the New York Post reported, a sale would mark the property’s first change of ownership since December 1988.
An accessible roof terrace offers views of the mews below and the surrounding landmarked properties. According to the listing, the space could be decked and landscaped for outdoor entertaining or relaxation. A penthouse addition may also be possible, subject to approval.
The property also comes with a deeded parking space large enough to accommodate a full-size SUV and a Vespa.
October has been an eventful month for Greenwich Village properties with ties to Pollock. Earlier this month, the loft at 46 Carmine Street, where the artist lived with his brother in 1932 and which served as both their home and studio, returned to the market for the first time in a decade, asking $1.99 million.
The return of both homes to the market is especially timely, coinciding with the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Krasner and Pollock: Past Continuous” exhibition, which opened on October 4.
[Listing details: 9 MacDougal Alley at CityRealty]
[At Sotheby’s International Realty by Mae Bagai and Jonathan Hettinger]
RELATED:
