Benjamin G. Benno Figurative Paintings

"Spirit" a bold and thoughtful cubist oil on canvas was painted in December of 2001 by African American artist William (Bill) Cooper. William Y. Cooper was a writer, painter, muralist, illustrator, and art teacher. He moved to Western New York in 1954 from Birmingham, Alabama, to pursue work, and Buffalo has been his home ever since. In 1975, he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University at Buffalo; he was also a state certified art teacher. Cooper woked primarily in oils and acrylics, but also creates drawings on paper. He has painted several commissioned murals and has had more than fifteen one-man shows in Western New York and Ghana, West Africa, and has participated in more than twenty-five group exhibitions since he began his professional career in 1969. His paintings and drawings address both his African heritage and his experience as an American through symbolism and metaphor. He observes, “I am an Afrocentric artist. My worldview is rooted in an African frame of reference and a deep, abiding sense of the creator from whence I draw my inspiration, strength, and a sense of who I am. The use of symbols allows me to explore literal ideas.” Among Cooper’s published works are two children’s books, 77 Jackson Street, Rear and Nakai and the Red Shoes, and a novel for adults, The Mopane Tree. Cooper founded the Afrocentric Artists’ Collective and ran the organization from 1979 to 1981. In 2013 he was designated a “Living Legacy” artist by the Burchfield Penney Arts Center, the latest in a series of honors which has also included awards from the Arts Council of Buffalo & Erie County, the New York State Council on the Arts, and Alpha Kappa Alpha...

You don't have to be a Catholic, or a medievalist, or a Catholic medievalist (Tolkien?) to appreciate this striking image of St. George taking on the dragon. In style it falls somewhere between Cubism and Guernica, to my eye. The limited color palette, with the bold red, gives it the energy of early 20th-century Russian poster...

ALFRED MCNAMARA "INTERIOR " OIL ON PANEL, SIGNED TITLED AMERICAN, DATED 1978 30 X 36 INCHES Alfred McNamara (1911 - 1994) Alfred McNamara was born in Tompkinsville, Staten Island and lived most of his life in Staten Island. He was heavily influenced by John Sloane...

A modern Chinese watercolor painting depicting birds soaring under a red sun.

SEATED TRIO Size: 45 x 48 cm (including frame) Oil on Canvas A brilliantly executed semi-abstract figurative oil composition, painted in 1964 by the established Swedish artist Ivar ...

Predominantly recognized as a self-taught painter, he also worked in architectural murals, sculptures, ceramics, prints and drawings. Vigas is one...

The Southern City by Josine Vignon (French 1922-2022) oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 29 x 41 inches Very good condition. Provenance: from the artists estate, France Jo...

ENGIMA Size: 49 x 57 cm (including frame) Oil on canvas An emotive and skillfully executed mid-century abstract figurative composition, painted in oil onto canvas. The piece featur...

ALL TOGETHER Size: 55 x 64.5 cm (including frame) Oil on canvas A richly textured mid-century abstract figurative painting, executed in oil onto canvas. Simple yet effective in it...

Collections: Robert Isaacson; James Draper, New York, 2014. Exhibited: Cambridge, The Fitzwilliam Museum, Beggarstaffs: William Nicholson and James Pr...

Oil on canvas painting by Jean Calogero. Circa 1950. Signed lower right. Condition: Good. Overall in museum quality gold leaf frame 17.5 by 15.75 inches. Provenance: Manhattan Co...

IN THE SHADOWS Size: 39 x 30 cm (including frame) Oil on canvas An outstanding mid-century abstract figurative painting, executed in oil onto board. A figure standing in an interio...