By Helene Falkoff
Long before the Hamptons became a haven for creatives and collectors, the Pollock-Krasner House served as a place of solace and inspiration for two renowned artists, tucked away in a farmhouse in The Springs.
The Pollock-Krasner House, a National Historic Landmark on the tip of East Hampton, was once home to two of the most influential figures in modern art, Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner. In November 1945, tired of city life and seeking new inspiration, the couple moved east to The Springs. Becoming one of the first major artists of his time to find refuge and renewal outside the city, Pollock wrote, “The country is wonderful.” Today, the museum is preserved in time, holding the memories and stories from their life in the 1950s and beyond.
The property contains a 19th-century farmhouse and a barn that served as a studio for Pollock’s work and later for Krasner’s paintings after his death in 1956. Visitors touring the beautiful property and spaces today can still see the original paint splatters and snippets of their art on the walls and floors. The paint that went beyond the canvas is on full display in their studio, preserved by plexiglass, immersing visitors in Pollock’s and Krasner’s creative process.
Built in 1879, the house itself remains filled with personal items that offer insight into their daily lives, highlighting their library and jazz record collection, as well as the original furniture from the time of Krasner’s death in 1984. The site continues to thrive as an academic and cultural destination, hosting seasonal exhibitions by contemporary artists, in addition to archives, lectures, and programs dedicated to modern art history and conservation. The Pollock-Krasner home draws visitors from around the world each year from May through October to experience an integral part of modern art history.
TIMELINE
1879 The Pollock-Krasner House is built.
1945 Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner move into the property in November.
1947 Pollock starts using his “drip painting” technique, seen in his Full Fathom Five work.
1956 Pollock dies in August.
1957 Krasner creates her Earth Green and Umber series in the barn studio.
1984 Krasner dies in June.
1985 The Pollock-Krasner Foundation is established.
1994 The house is added to the National Register of Historic Places.
DID YOU KNOW…
- Outlines of Pollock’s Autumn Rhythm and Blue Poles can be seen in splatters on the floor of the art studio.
- The house was technically a wedding gift. Shortly after Pollock and Krasner tied the knot in October 1945, Peggy Guggenheim loaned Pollock the money for the house, which was bought for just $5,000 at the time.
- Most of the house has been kept intact since Krasner’s death in 1984, with even an ashtray still in the same spot.
- Pollock’s Number 31 was created in the studio here in 1950, one of the most iconic works of modern American art at the time.
