Women stars of abstraction were rare in New York in the 1940s, but one of the few names to stand out among the many men who saw success was Esphyr Slobodkina. 

The Russian-born artist pioneered a language of dynamic abstraction in New York long before it was commonplace. Yet today, she is most widely remembered for her 1940 children's book Caps for Sale, which she wrote and illustrated. The book has sold millions of copies to date. While the wide-ranging impact of her wider artistic practice has largely been overlooked, today, Slobodkina seems to finally be making her comeback.