Red Grooms colored lithograph on wove paper, design for sculpture for the Fox Trot Carousel, depicting a caricature of Lula Naff atop two sets of female ballet legs, a male singer on her torso, holding a playbill in her hands, and with the Ryman Auditorium serving as her hat. This sculpture was part of the Fox Trot Carousel designed by Red Grooms in 1998 for installation at the Riverfront Park in Nashville, TN. Editioned in red lower left 18/40 and signed and dated "Red Grooms ''97" in red lower right. Float mounted on white paper and housed in a carved ebonized frame. Sheet: 11 3/4" H x 9 3/4" W. Frame: 20 3/4" H x 18 1/4" W. Note: Lula Naff (1875 – 1960) was the first female manager of the Ryman Auditorium, a position she held for 35 years. At its inception, the Ryman served as a mostly religious venue but Naff recognized the potential for the auditorium to be utilized as a major entertainment venue. The Ryman hosted a variety of well-known entertainers such as Harry Houdini, Katharine Hepburn, Ethel Barrymore, and Will Rogers and various entertainment including Opera, theater, boxing matches, political debates, and livestock auctions (Adapted from https://wanderwomenproject.com/women/lula-c-naff/).
PROVENANCE: The Estate of Richard J. Eskind, Nashville.

CONDITION: Very good condition, light fading.