Michael Baxte

"Still Life with Apples" Fruit Modern Mid Century Oil Painting on Board Painting

Circa 1960

A strong modernist oil painting depicted in Circa 1960 by Russian painter Michael Baxte. Mostly known for his abstracted figures on canvas or street scenes, this piece is a wonderful representation of his bold still life paintings, with expressive use of color, shape, and form. Later in his career, Baxte explores Expressionism, infusing both European and North American stylistic trends. This piece is from later in his career, but we can feel this underlying style throughout. Art measures 21.75 x 18 inches Michael Posner Baxte was born in 1890 in the small town of Staroselje Belarus, Russia. For the first half of the 19th century it was a center of the Chabad movement of Hasidic Jews, but this group was gone by the middle of the 19th century. By the time the Baxte family immigrated to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish population numbered only on the hundreds. The native language of the Baxte family was Yiddish. It is likely that the death of Michael Baxte’s father triggered the family’s immigration. Three older brothers arrived in New York between 1903 and 1905. Michael and his mother, Rebecca, arrived in 1907. By 1910 Michael, his mother, and brother, Joseph, were living in New Orleans and may have spent some time on a Louisiana plantation. Around 1912, Michael Baxte returned to Europe to study the violin. In 1914 he, his mother, and Joseph moved to New York City. Meanwhile, in Algeria, a talented young woman painter, Violette Mege, was making history. Since for the first time, a woman won the prestigious Beaux Art competition in Algeria. At first, the awards committee denied her the prize but, with French government intervention, Mege eventually prevailed. She won again 3 years later and, in 1916, used the scholarship to visit the United States of America. When Violette came to New York, she met Baxte, who was, by then, an accomplished violinist, teacher, and composer. Baxte’s compositions were performed at the Tokyo Imperial Theater, and in 1922 he was listed in the American Jewish Yearbook as one of the prominent members of the American Jewish community. As a music teacher he encouraged individual expression. Baxte stated, “No pupil should ever be forced into imitation of the teacher. Art is a personal experience, and the teacher’s truest aim must be to awaken this light of personality through the patient light of science.” By 1920 Michael Baxte and Violette Mege were living together in Manhattan. Although they claimed to be living as husband and wife, it seems that their marriage did not become official until 1928. On their “unofficial” honeymoon around 1917, in Algiers, Baxte confided to her his ambition to paint. There and later in New Mexico where the wonderful steeped sunlight approximates the coloring of Algiers, she taught him his heart’s desire. He never had any other teacher. She never had any other pupil. For ten years she devoted all her time, energy, and ambition to teaching, encouraging, inspiring him. Then in 1928, their mutual strivings were rewarded, as his works were being chosen as one of the two winners in the Dudensing National Competition for American Painters. Out of 150 artists from across the country participated in the Dudensing, and Michael Posner Baxte and, Robert Fawcett...

A strong modernist oil painting depicted in the mid Century by American expressionist painter Harry Shoulberg. Mostly known for his abstracted figures on canvas or street scenes, thi...

A whimsical depiction by Martha Walter of an interior morning scene of white and pink roses arrangement in a glass vase on top of a table, and fruit on a decorated plate. In the background, the window overlooking the backyard, with the use of bold colors and strong contrasts makes Walter's work so striking and captivating. The flowers are executed with bold petals and exciting colors and this depiction is a wonderful scene done in her home. As an acclaimed American Impressionist painter and one of the premier female artists to be recognized within the fine arts community of the time, she was known for her bright plein-air beach scenes and domestic portraits. Martha Walter studied under William Merritt Chase and was greatly influenced by the then-established French Impressionists Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet, and Eugène Boudin. Walter's works took on a looser style; she also used black paint, a color often excluded by other Impressionists. The painting is on canvasboard with the Martha Walter Estate stamp on the reverse, and it comes housed in an antiqued champagne color...

A whimsical depiction by Martha Walter of an interior morning scene of white, pink, and red roses arrangement in glass and ceramic vases on top of a table with a red mantel, and a bo...

This piece is part of an exciting new collection depicting iconic "Chanel N°5" with the artists "Dripping Dots" style. Focused on a pointillistic technique, the paint is able to capt...

This piece is part of an exciting new collection depicting iconic "Chanel N°5" with the artists "Dripping Dots" style. Focused on a pointillistic technique, the paint is able to capt...

"Red, Orange, Green with Plant" is a still life painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon from 1970. The 30.5" x 39" oil on board features a table top still ...

"Red Still Life" is an interior still life by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 28.25" x 24.25" oil on board painting is framed in a new black wood frame. Bernard Harmon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1935. Harmon was primarily a portrait painter and a well loved teacher in the Philadelphia area. A graduate of the Philadelphia Museum School and Temples Tyler School of Art, Harmon traveled extensively in Europe and South America. Beloved by many, Harmon taught in the Philadelphia School District for 32 of his 54 years of life. Beginning his career as an art teacher at West Philadelphia High School, in the early 1960s he became one of the district's artists in residence, traveling from school to school to demonstrate for students how an artist works. Returning to the classroom, Harmon joined the art department at Central High School where he taught for 14 years and became an innovator in art curriculum, developing a program offering advanced placement art classes to gifted students. In his final years Harmon became a supervisor, mentoring teachers and overseeing programs in the Philadelphia school systems District #1. During his short life Harmon taught collage preparatory art classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, summer classes at the University of the Arts, and a Saturday program for gifted children at Drexel University. Among Harmon's portraits were commissioned by Philadelphia Jazz organist Jimmy Smith and Mayor Richardson Dilworth. Bernard Harmon was active in promoting African American Artist throughout his life time. He organized many early shows such as the "Afro American...

"Three O'clock" is an expressionist, tabletop still life painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon from 1970. The 28" x 32" oil on board features a still life of fruit and plants, painted in a vivid and lush color palette. The painting is framed in a new black wood frame and signed "B Harmon" on verso. Bernard Harmon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1935. Harmon was primarily a portrait painter and a well loved teacher in the Philadelphia area. A graduate of the Philadelphia Museum School and Temples Tyler School of Art, Harmon traveled extensively in Europe and South America. Beloved by many, Harmon taught in the Philadelphia School District for 32 of his 54 years of life. Beginning his career as an art teacher at West Philadelphia High School, in the early 1960s he became one of the district's artists in residence, traveling from school to school to demonstrate for students how an artist works. Returning to the classroom, Harmon joined the art department at Central High School where he taught for 14 years and became an innovator in art curriculum, developing a program offering advanced placement art classes to gifted students. In his final years Harmon became a supervisor, mentoring teachers and overseeing programs in the Philadelphia school systems District #1. During his short life Harmon taught collage preparatory art classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, summer classes at the University of the Arts, and a Saturday program for gifted children at Drexel University. Among Harmon's portraits were commissioned by Philadelphia Jazz organist Jimmy Smith and Mayor Richardson Dilworth. Bernard Harmon was active in promoting African American Artist throughout his life time. He organized many early shows such as the "Afro American Artists...

"Grey Still Life" is a tabletop still life by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 24.25" x 28.25" oil on board painting is framed in a new black wood frame. Bernard Harmon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1935. Harmon was primarily a portrait painter and a well loved teacher in the Philadelphia area. A graduate of the Philadelphia Museum School and Temples Tyler School of Art, Harmon traveled extensively in Europe and South America. Beloved by many, Harmon taught in the Philadelphia School District for 32 of his 54 years of life. Beginning his career as an art teacher at West Philadelphia High School, in the early 1960s he became one of the district's artists in residence, traveling from school to school to demonstrate for students how an artist works. Returning to the classroom, Harmon joined the art department at Central High School where he taught for 14 years and became an innovator in art curriculum, developing a program offering advanced placement art classes to gifted students. In his final years Harmon became a supervisor, mentoring teachers and overseeing programs in the Philadelphia school systems District #1. During his short life Harmon taught collage preparatory art classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, summer classes at the University of the Arts, and a Saturday program for gifted children at Drexel University. Among Harmon's portraits were commissioned by Philadelphia Jazz organist Jimmy Smith and Mayor Richardson Dilworth. Bernard Harmon was active in promoting African American Artist throughout his life time. He organized many early shows such as the "Afro American...

Still life with blue drapery and fruits. 1980, oil on cardboard, 100x81 cm Valdis Bush (1924-2014) studied at the Art academy of Latvia (1945 – 1950), h...

Lilies. 2004, oil on cardboard, 49,5x70 cm Valdis Bush (1924-2014) studied at the Art academy of Latvia (1945 – 1950), his favorite professors being A. S...