1950s Paintings

This romantic feeling oil painting of two young lovers is finished in thin washes of earth tones. Signed "Michael Martin '58". The painting sits in a large silvered frame...

Beautiful oil painting on canvas. A splendid marina at dawn with boats and fishermen. Excellent pictorial quality impressionist style. Signed Martelli, Italian artist. Sold with frame.

1950s oil on canvas painting of floral arrangement in a wood frame. Signed.

Erwin Schott (1913-1987, Munich) Artist group ZEN 49 (ZEN 49 Group of the non-objective - founded after the 2nd World War) Gouache Informel / oil paint on thick paper, ca. 1958 - es...

Italian painting from the mid-20th century. Framework oil on canvas depicting a river landscape with eighteenth-century architecture, characters and animals. Lacquered and gilded woo...

Midcentury Realism beach scenic landscape oil on board in its original dark stained frame, signed Anderson. Size: 23.5" tall x 27.5" wide.

Framed antique oil painting on very old board of 3 pottery vessels. Initials from the Artist. Painting without the frame measures: 19.38 x 29.5 inches.

1950s Art Pink Abstract painting Oil on Canvas by Miguel Alvarez Acosta former director of the INBA and cultural ambassador to Mexico. Mexican Modernism 28.5 h x 22.5 w x 1.13 d Ori...

Beautiful still life oil painting on canvas. Excellent pictorial quality. Signed by Sotti Santino an Italian important artist. A beautiful. Sold without frame.

Over his long career, John Lear liked to depict nude or half-nude male figures set in fantastic or exotic environments such as the circus, carnival, deserted beach, or Dali-esque set...

A small oil painting on canvas. It is a naive portrait of an American soldier in uniform. It appears to be framed in a handmade oak frame along with ...

Abstract Painting by Miguel Alvarez Acosta cultural ambassador of Mexico and former director of the INBA National Museum of Art in Mexico. Midcentury Modern Mexican Art...

Dimensions: Picture: Height 46 cm / width 33 cm.

Italian painting from the middle of the 20th century. Framework oil on canvas depicting a seascape with fishermen and boats of good pictorial quality. Painting of pleasant decor with ebonized guilloche...

Painting "House on the river", early 20th century. Dimensions with frame 92 x 72 cm 80 x 60 cm without frame.

Painting "Church by the cliff" Dimensions: Frame: Height 42.5 cm / width 47.5 cm / depth 4.5 cm Image: Height 33.5 cm / width 38.5 cm.

Artist: Rolph Scarletti (Canadian, 1889 – 1984) Object: Modernist Abstract Composition Period: Ca. 1950’s Medium: Guache on paper, framed Dimensions (unframed): Height: 9-1/3” Width: 12” Dimensions (framed): Height: 22-3/4”” Width: 25-3/4” Rolph Scarlett (Canadian, 1889 – 1984) was a consummate explorer of twentieth-century abstract painting. Never afraid of trying new styles, curious and opinionated, constantly engaged with the world around him while steadfastly aware that he was on his own path and his alone, Scarlett more than once proved to be at the artistic zeitgeist of the eras in which he lived. Exposed very early on to the work of Paul Klee through a chance meeting in Europe with the artist himself, Scarlett took up abstraction with a fervor that never diminished during his long and impressive career. To create something that had never existed before: this was Scarlett’s great cause. And that is what is most obvious when you look at Scarlett’s work—you have never seen anything quite like it. Scarlett was Canadian-born, came of age in the Midwest, and spent few important years in Hollywood, where he designed stage sets. His work from this early period echoes Klee’s use of color, his confidence in naïve, primitive forms, and his blend of abstraction and figuration. In its flat spatial qualities it prefigures the Indian Space painting of the 1940s by a decade. He moved to New York in 1933 and eventually found his first great patron at the Museum of Non-Objective Painting, directed by Baroness Hilla Rebay and art patron Solomon R. Guggenheim. Guggenheim would collect over 60 works by Scarlett for his collection, more than any other artist outside of Vasily Kandinsky and Rudolf Bauer. As a frequent exhibitor and lecturer at the Museum of Non-Objective Painting (MNOP), Scarlett honed his sensitive feel for bodies in space and capitalized on his trademark use of bright, vivacious colors into accomplished, perfectly harmonized geometric works. However, Scarlett soon morphed these hard-edged forms into a nuanced expressionistic abstraction which, at its best, seems to be populated by dancing forms that animate the canvases. Along this way he was advised by Rudolf Bauer, the German expatriate and one of the originators of non-objective painting in the teens. Bauer had the idea for the Museum, and Rebay, his champion, had found in Solomon Guggenheim a patron for manifesting it. When Bauer emigrated just before World War II, he wanted to meet Scarlett. The two became friends, and Bauer advised Scarlett on his work over the course of many years. Even in a 1979 interview, Scarlett began to tear up as he recalled his first meeting with Bauer, a man whose work he "worshipped," describing that, "It was a touching moment for me, I’ll tell you." Scarlett and Rebay also had a close, important relationship, one in which he bore the brunt of her sometimes condescending, if motherly, critiques and admonitions with tolerance and gratefulness. Eventually, though, he had to push back. In a letter from 1951 he writes, "I have noticed with growing amazement that during the past three years you have accepted less and less of my work—and, that same work, which you rejected has been accepted and shown in the best and largest shows all over this country." This period—the late 1940s to the early 1950s—did in fact correspond to Scarlett’s most critical success, and to a return to the fanciful forms and characters of his pre-war work. At the same time, he found his own rhythm and complexity using a drip style similar to, though denser and more opaque than, the one made famous by Jackson Pollock, who had worked for many years at the MNOP and with whom he shared common influences. In 1949 he had a very well received solo show in 1949 at the Jacques Seligmann Gallery, reviewed very favorably in The New York Times: "The impression made by these paintings is one of originality and strength." He was also included in a juried show "American Painting Today" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1950 and in the Whitney Annual of 1951. The curator for the Whitney show in fact bypassed a selection of Scarlett’s careful geometrics in favor of a new "lyrical" drip painting—one which he describes as having had "a helluva good time" making. Rebay articulated her loss of control over Scarlett very keenly in one of her last official letters to him: "So your way ended in the horrid jungle it is in now; even a Mr. Pollock’s smearage was not bad enough for you to have a try at; and betraying yourself, you betrayed art and my faith in you, and my present disgrace by my failure to foresee such an outrageous possibility—since you even paint objectively now." Yet, despite the fact that he was moving in his own direction when the change in leadership took place at the Museum of Non-Objective Painting and Rebay was forced out as director, Scarlett was hit hard. He understood this change rightly as a betrayal by the establishment. Scarlett was a unique individual and soul, and was affected personally and philosophically by the idea that the movement with which Scarlett had aligned his talents seemed to disappear overnight, and his life’s work rendered valueless. Without the Museum’s support, Scarlett decided eventually to move to the artists’ community of Shady, New York, just outside of Woodstock. He had occasional shows throughout the years, but mostly settled down to regional obscurity. He began making jewelry, which had been his first trade, and it was following a show of his jewelry in 1975 at the Jaro Gallery, that he was rediscovered by Samuel Esses, and his wife Sandy. Samuel Esses was a successful businessman and an avid collector. He always sought out that which was unusual and, like Scarlett, was ahead of his time in many ways. For example, in 1979, Sam became enthralled with the early graffiti appearing on the New York subway trains. With the sole goal of preserving these groundbreaking yet short lived works of art he was inspired to create "The Esses Studio," a painting warehouse and workshop for graffiti artists to work in a studio, collaborate, and paint on canvas. The biggest names of graffiti writing participated—Futura, Crash, Dondi, Zephyr, and Daze to name a few. The project was well received and provided critical validation at an important time for this alternative form of abstraction to be recognized by the established art world. The success of the "Esses Studio" helped fuel an alternative fire that would propel gallerists and curators to acknowledge other street artists and provide a foundation of acceptance for the early careers of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It is not a stretch to say that what Esses saw in the graffiti art of the 1970s was very similar to what he saw in 1950s-era Scarletts—something raw, honest, and melding many twentieth century influences into one unique form. Inspired by the importance of the collection and the passion of the collector, Weinstein Gallery...

Oil on canvas with frame, mid 20th century, Bouquet of flowers Measures: Painting - W: 32.5 cm, H: 21 cm Frame - W: 40 cm, H: 30 cm, D: 2 cm.

Oil painting on board by H. G. Ontrop (1880-1955) is dated three years before the artist's death, and features a magical landscape with quaint cottages and just the suggestion of hum...

An early and important painting by renowned Grand Rapids artist Armand Merizon, this work depicts a ghostly figure -- reputedly the son of a dear family friend -- in the midst of the...

French painting from the first half of the 20th century. Oil on canvas framework depicting still life with game of good pictorial quality. Modern ...

Italian painting from the mid-20th century. Oil on canvas framework of fabulous decor depicting landscape with figures and architecture in 18th century style. Nice size and pleasant ...

Modern oil on canvas painting of a still life with potted roses, painted by famed Modernist British fashion designer and artist Edward Henry Molyneux (London 1891-Monte Carlo 1974). ...

A pair of David Roberts Egyptian scenes. Mounted in frame 29 x 3 both. One of them is Karnak! Showing his signature in lower left side. Sold as the...

Enamel on copper artwork 1950s Striking Female Backside Nude Enamel Art on Copper bold blue green color unsigned attributed style of Studio Del Campo ...

Italian mid century painting with an African motif. Painting is made on cotton canvas and mixture of tapestry and paint. Panted by the ar...

"Bridge over a stream" painting. Dimensions: Frame: Height 51 cm, width 71 cm, depth 2 cm Image: Height 49.5 cm, width 69.5 cm.     

Italian large scale oil on canvas painting from the Commedia dell’arte genre depicting nobles and masked figures in a pastoral setting. Apparently unsigned.

Midcentury framed oil painting on board by Joseph Tilleux of Antwerp (1896-1978) Born in the Belgium city of Antwerp, Tilleux worked briefly, after his formal schooling as a draftsman but chose to pursue a more artistic career. After his studies and apprenticeship at the Academy of Antwerp, he settled in the picturesque Flemish artists' village of Lier, Belgium. There he found an abundance of inspiration in the historic town and neiboring countryside, rivers and countless charming villages. He was fortunate to study under of Franz Courtens, Frans Hens...

Vintage oil on canvas painting somewhat reminiscent of Norman Rockwell’s work, featuring a woman in a purple dress tying her sons tie as he prepares to go to school, watched by a small white dog...

Pierre Verite (1900-1993). Le dépôt dans le quartier de La Ruche. Huile sur toile, signée en bas à droite. 100 x 80 cm. Etiquette Musée Jacquemart André...

A magnificent example of midcentury reverse-painted glass, this piece by Marianna von Allesch depicts a woman and her square-jawed dog, possibly a boxer, amidst a grove of trees and ...

Beautiful still life oil painting on canvas. Excellent pictorial quality. Signed by Sotti Santino an Italian important artist. A beautiful. Sold with frame.

Painting "Girl by the River", Erik Madsen. Dimensions: Frame: height 101 cm / width 59 cm / depth 5 Image: height 83 cm / width 41 cm.

Dimensions: Frame: Height 76.5 cm / width 96.5 cm / depth 7.5 cm Image: Height 55 cm / width 75.5 cm.

Although it shares a name with Grant Wood's iconic painting, the subject of Eugenia Redka's painting here is much different, a charming white painted Gothic church in the middle of the Vermont woods...

The painting "Ships going to the port", Scandinavia, mid-19th century XX century. Dimensions with frame 72 x 52 cm Dimensions: 65 x45 cm without frame.

Parker Panttila (Brooklyn, New York 1924-2002) watercolor. Surrealist in style, incorporating both macabre and comedic sensibilities. Along with bein...

This is a beautiful oil on wood board painting by the well known artist Beulah Stevenson. Her works are in major museums and important collections. Labels in back from the Brooklyn s...

Love this painting. The original "The smiling boy" by Frans Hals, 17th century. This Delfs blue tile panel image is hand painted by Nico Koelewijn in the 19...

Dimensions: Frame: Height 48 cm / width 38 cm / depth 4 cm Image: Height 34.5 cm / width 24.5 cm.

This ink figurative abstract Expressionist piece on paper is signed by its creator, noted New York School artist Salvatore Grippi. Though undated, the piece is similar in form and st...

Dimensions: Frame: height 77 cm / width 107 cm / depth 6 cm Image: height 66 cm / width 95.5 cm.

Painting "Volcano in the distance". Dimensions: Frame: height 46.5 cm / width 39 cm / depth 6 cm Image: height 32.5 cm / width 25 cm.

Stunning small vintage painting by NY artist David Kovesi of a woman walking thru her garden. This painting, oil on board has fabulous vibrant...

Painting "Fishermen on the beach". Dimensions: Frame: height 67.5 cm / width 90.5 cm / depth 6 cm Image: height 57.5 cm / width 77.5 cm.

Wonderful depiction of 60th street between Park Ave and Lexington Ave. Oil on canvas Measuring 28 3/8 in x 24 3/8 in x 1 in, Painting 22 in x 18 in. Wonderful midcentury street cape ...

Painting "Mother with a child". Dimensions: Frame: height 94 cm, width 79 cm, depth 4 cm Image: height 79 cm, width 65 cm.

Americana Amish "farmhouse" oil painting by Harvey Milligan, circa 1950s. Charming character scale and composition (figures are very small). Although n...

Raphael Soyer Original Lithograph - Watercolor added by the artist's hand, 1955 The image measures 13" H x 8 ½" W. Frame measures: 23 1/4"H x 1...

Unusual painting on fabric depicting a cauldron with skulls, birds, eyeballs, and tigers. Adhered to a wood panel. Great presence. Condition shown in...

Vividly painted in tones of turquoise, canary yellow and warm brown, this extraordinary depiction of a slender Black male nude holding an umbrella -- in our opinion a Mid-Century Mod...

Signed, dated, 1959, oil-on-canvas painting by listed, well-exhibited, French, Lyrical Abstraction painter, Pierre Fichet (1927-2007). Select group exhibitions: Paris Biennale, Franc...

Impressionist painting of an area in Virginia, Lynn Haven. Great technique and fabulous colors. Painting is 20 x 16. Excellent vintage condition with no wear on the frame. Artist is ...

Expressive oil painting on wood panel French by La Martiniere in 1952. The painting depicts fisherman and three small fishing boats laying on the shore. It is painted in large brush strokes full of texture to express the moment. The painting without frame...

Dutch style still life oil on Masonite painting depicting oranges placed in a metal wire bowl atop a marble table. The piece is set in its origi...

Selection of black and white nude artwork from various artists, American, circa 1950s. From left to right, as seen in the first photo, they are: 1) The k...

Kay Nielsen abstract oil on canvas 1950s Los Angeles, California Dated 1950 signed K Nielsen. Museum quality artwork. Art has original fra...