John Little Paintings
American, 1907-1984
Born in Alabama, John Little attended the Buffalo (NY) Fine Arts Academy as a teenager, until 1927. Soon after, he moved to New York where he began operatic vocal training and opened what would become a very successful textile business designing fabric and wallpaper.
In 1933, he enrolled at the Art Students League under the tutelage of George Grosz. Little’s early work consisted predominantly of landscapes, until 1937, when he began studying under Hans Hofmann and his work naturally shifted toward abstraction. During his time with Hofmann, he with artists such as Lee Krasner, George McNeil, Gerome Kamrowski, Giorgio Cavallon, and Perle Fine.
Little entered the the service in 1942 as an aerial photographer for the Navy. Returning to New York after the war and with nowhere to stay, he reconnected with Hofmann and moved into his 8th Street studio, alongside his friend Lee Krasner and her husband Jackson Pollock.
In 1946, Little earned his first solo exhibition at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, with a subsequent solo exhibition at Betty Parsons Gallery in New York two years later.
In the early 1950s, Little abandoned the flat, linear style in favor of a new aesthetic consisting of the thick, gestural buildup of paint. This stylistic change was concurrent with his move to East Hampton In 1951. This enabled him to continue a close friendship with Krasner and Pollock, who had already left the city in favor of the more rural area around East Hampton. Little and Pollock had a joint exhibition in 1955 at Guild Hall, one year before Pollock’s tragic death.
John Little exhibited extensively during his career, with solo shows at Betty Parsons Gallery (1948), Bertha Schaefer Gallery (1957, 1958), Worth Ryder Gallery (1963), A.M. Sachs Gallery (1971), and a retrospective at the Guild Hall Museum (1982). His work can be found in many private, institutional, and corporate collections around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guild Hall Museum, Ball State University Museum of Art, and Galerie Beyeler.(Biography provided by Waterline Fine Art)
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Artist: John Little
Space Odyssey
By John Little
Located in Newport Beach, CA
Oil on canvas signed by American artist, John Little (1907-1984) and dated 1970-71 in gilded trimmed, wood frame.
Little, who attended the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy and worked under ...
Category
1970s Abstract John Little Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
“Untitled”
By John Little
Located in Southampton, NY
Early, original oil on canvas painting by the well known American abstract expressionist artist, John Little. Signed and dated lower right, 1958.
Signed and dated verso. Rose Fried...
Category
1950s Abstract Expressionist John Little Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Rue des Seigneurs, Montreal
By John Little
Located in Westmount, QC
John Little, Canadian, b. 1928
Rue des Seigneurs, Montreal
Oil on canvas panel
12 x 16 in
Signed lower right ; signed and titled verso
framed
John Little RCA is a Canadian artist, ...
Category
1980s John Little Paintings
Materials
Oil
“Double Play”
By John Little
Located in Southampton, NY
Strong, vibrant original oil on canvas painting titled “Double Play” by the well known American artist, John Little. Signed and dated lower left, 1963. Signed, dated and titled vers...
Category
1960s Post-Modern John Little Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
“Untitled”
By John Little
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil on canvas painting by the well known abstract expressionist artist, John Little. Signed lower right. Signed and dated 1965 on top stretcher bar verso. Betty Parsons Ga...
Category
1960s Abstract Expressionist John Little Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Untitled
By John Little
Located in Austin, TX
Oil on canvas. Signed and dated lower left.
36.25 x 30.25 in.
38.5 x 32.5 in. (framed)
Custom hardwood frame with dark stain. FredEric’s Frame Studio, Chicago.
Provenance
McCormick Gallery, Chicago
Born in Alabama, John Little attended the Buffalo (NY) Fine Arts Academy as a teenager, until 1927. Soon after, he moved to New York where he began operatic vocal training and opened what would become a very successful textile business designing fabric and wallpaper.
In 1933, he enrolled at the Art Students League under the tutelage of George Grosz. Little’s early work consisted predominantly of landscapes, until 1937, when he began studying under Hans Hofmann and his work naturally shifted toward abstraction. During his time with Hofmann, he with artists such as Lee Krasner, George McNeil, Gerome Kamrowski, Giorgio Cavallon...
Category
1960s Abstract Expressionist John Little Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
White Dawn
By John Little
Located in Austin, TX
Egg emulsion on fiberglass. Signed and dated upper left and verso; titled verso.
49 x 48 in.
49.75 x 49 in. (framed)
Custom framed in hickory.
Provenance
Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Born in Alabama, John Little attended the Buffalo (NY) Fine Arts Academy as a teenager, until 1927. Soon after, he moved to New York where he began operatic vocal training and opened what would become a very successful textile business designing fabric and wallpaper.
In 1933, he enrolled at the Art Students League under the tutelage of George Grosz. Little’s early work consisted predominantly of landscapes, until 1937, when he began studying under Hans Hofmann and his work naturally shifted toward abstraction. During his time with Hofmann, he with artists such as Lee Krasner, George McNeil, Gerome Kamrowski, Giorgio Cavallon...
Category
1960s Abstract Expressionist John Little Paintings
Materials
Fiberglass, Egg Tempera
Modern Orange, Brown, Yellow, and Black Geometric Abstract Pattern Painting
By John Little
Located in Houston, TX
Modern orange, brown, yellow, and black geometric abstract composition by textile designer John Little. The work was created as a proposed design for a wallpaper and features the original color codes in the front lower left corner. Currently hung in a solid black frame with a large white margin.
Dimensions Without Frame: H 35.5 in. x W 33.5 in.
Artist Biography: A painter and textile designer, John Little is best known for gestural works filled with boldly explosive color that reflect the influences of his teacher Hans Hofmann and for his involvement in the Abstract Expressionist movement in East Hampton, where he moved in the late 1940s. In East Hampton Little congregated with Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, and the other artists who were the leading innovators in the New York School.
John Little was born in Sanford, Alabama. He left home at the age of fourteen to become an artist, and moved to Buffalo, New York, in 1923. After spending a year working as a stevedore on the docks to save money, he enrolled at the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy and developed an interest in singing. In 1927 he moved to New York City where he continued his vocal work and studied operatic literature. He also became involved in textile design, opening his own store in 1920, called John Little Studios: Fabric and Wallpaper Design. He ran the store until 1950.
In 1933 John Little resumed his painting studies at the Art Students League in New York under the guidance of George Grosz (1893-1959). The following year he made his first visit to East Hampton, Long Island, which he would eventually call home. Later in the decade, he traveled to Paris where he became familiar with European modernism. On his return to America, he taught textile design at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He hired Josephine Watkins to work for him; she later became his wife. Little's textile store and teaching job gave him a financial security that was rare during the Depression, and he never found it necessary to find employment with the Works Progress Administration. At the end of the decade, John Little studied with Hans Hofmann (1880-1966) in New York and Provincetown. Little was greatly influenced by Hofmann, particularly by his views on color theory.
In 1942 John Little joined the Navy as an aerial photographer. In the late 1940s he purchased a rundown house on Three Mile Harbor...
Category
Early 20th Century Modern John Little Paintings
Materials
Paper, Gouache
Modern Light Blue, Brown, and Black Geometric Abstract Circle Pattern Painting
By John Little
Located in Houston, TX
Modern light blue, brown, and black geometric abstract circle pattern painting by textile designer John Little. The work was created as a proposed design for a wallpaper and features the original color codes in the front lower left corner. Currently hung in a solid black frame with a large white margin.
Dimensions Without Frame: H 32.75 in. x W 35.63 in.
Artist Biography: A painter and textile designer, John Little is best known for gestural works filled with boldly explosive color that reflect the influences of his teacher Hans Hofmann and for his involvement in the Abstract Expressionist movement in East Hampton, where he moved in the late 1940s. In East Hampton Little congregated with Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, and the other artists who were the leading innovators in the New York School.
John Little was born in Sanford, Alabama. He left home at the age of fourteen to become an artist, and moved to Buffalo, New York, in 1923. After spending a year working as a stevedore on the docks to save money, he enrolled at the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy and developed an interest in singing. In 1927 he moved to New York City where he continued his vocal work and studied operatic literature. He also became involved in textile design, opening his own store in 1920, called John Little Studios: Fabric and Wallpaper Design. He ran the store until 1950.
In 1933 John Little resumed his painting studies at the Art Students League in New York under the guidance of George Grosz (1893-1959). The following year he made his first visit to East Hampton, Long Island, which he would eventually call home. Later in the decade, he traveled to Paris where he became familiar with European modernism. On his return to America, he taught textile design at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He hired Josephine Watkins to work for him; she later became his wife. Little's textile store and teaching job gave him a financial security that was rare during the Depression, and he never found it necessary to find employment with the Works Progress Administration. At the end of the decade, John Little studied with Hans Hofmann (1880-1966) in New York and Provincetown. Little was greatly influenced by Hofmann, particularly by his views on color theory.
In 1942 John Little joined the Navy as an aerial photographer. In the late 1940s he purchased a rundown house on Three Mile Harbor...
Category
Early 20th Century Modern John Little Paintings
Materials
Paper, Gouache
Modern Grey and Orange Geometric Abstract Leaf Pattern Painting
By John Little
Located in Houston, TX
Modern grey and white geometric abstract leaf pattern composition with orange accents by textile designer John Little. The work was created as a proposed design for a wallpaper and features the original color codes in the front lower left corner. Currently hung in a solid black frame with a large white margin.
Dimensions Without Frame: H 27.13 in. x W 31.5 in.
Artist Biography: A painter and textile designer, John Little is best known for gestural works filled with boldly explosive color that reflect the influences of his teacher Hans Hofmann and for his involvement in the Abstract Expressionist movement in East Hampton, where he moved in the late 1940s. In East Hampton Little congregated with Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, and the other artists who were the leading innovators in the New York School.
John Little was born in Sanford, Alabama. He left home at the age of fourteen to become an artist, and moved to Buffalo, New York, in 1923. After spending a year working as a stevedore on the docks to save money, he enrolled at the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy and developed an interest in singing. In 1927 he moved to New York City where he continued his vocal work and studied operatic literature. He also became involved in textile design, opening his own store in 1920, called John Little Studios: Fabric and Wallpaper Design. He ran the store until 1950.
In 1933 John Little resumed his painting studies at the Art Students League in New York under the guidance of George Grosz (1893-1959). The following year he made his first visit to East Hampton, Long Island, which he would eventually call home. Later in the decade, he traveled to Paris where he became familiar with European modernism. On his return to America, he taught textile design at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He hired Josephine Watkins to work for him; she later became his wife. Little's textile store and teaching job gave him a financial security that was rare during the Depression, and he never found it necessary to find employment with the Works Progress Administration. At the end of the decade, John Little studied with Hans Hofmann (1880-1966) in New York and Provincetown. Little was greatly influenced by Hofmann, particularly by his views on color theory.
In 1942 John Little joined the Navy as an aerial photographer. In the late 1940s he purchased a rundown house on Three Mile Harbor...
Category
Early 20th Century Modern John Little Paintings
Materials
Paper, Gouache
John Little "Wallpaper Studies" Eagles, Flowers, Bunting, Color Code Bar
By John Little
Located in Detroit, MI
SALE ONE WEEK ONLY
"Wallpaper Studies" is just that, a watercolor of a proposed design for a wallpaper with its's color code on the lower left. The painting is of a Nationalistic de...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Modern John Little Paintings
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Imbrium
By John Little
Located in Lawrence, NY
In 1937, at the age of 20, Little started working with Hans Hofmann in both New York and
Provincetown. This pushed him towards abstraction and his first serious involvement as a
pain...
Category
1950s Abstract Expressionist John Little Paintings
Materials
Oil
John Little "Blue Nocturne" Abstract Oil Painting
By John Little
Located in Detroit, MI
SALE ONE WEEK ONLY
"Blue Nocturne" is full of rich deep blues contrasted by oranges, red, black and white. The abstract composition is bursting with energy that pours out of the pai...
Category
Late 20th Century Abstract Expressionist John Little Paintings
Materials
Oil
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“Abstract Collage”
By John Little
Located in Southampton, NY
Original mixed media painting composed of acrylic paint and paper collage on heavy card stock by the well known American artist, John Little. Signed lower right and dated 1969. Cond...
Category
1960s Abstract Expressionist John Little Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic, Cardboard
Montreal
By John Little
Located in Westmount, QC
John Little, Canadian, b.1928
Montreal
Oil on canvas
8 x 10 in
John Little
b. 1928
UNTITLED
1987
Oil on canvas
8 x 10 in
20.3 x 25.4 cm
signed lower right; signed, titled and dated ...
Category
1980s John Little Paintings
Materials
Oil
"New Yorker" Modern Minimal Blue & Tan Abstract Painting of Museum of Modern Art
By John Little
Located in Houston, TX
Modern minimal blue and tan line drawing inspired the Museum of Modern Art in New York City by textile designer John Little. The work features renderings of Constantin Brancusi's "Ml...
Category
Early 20th Century Modern John Little Paintings
Materials
Ink, Paper, Gouache
H 37.13 in W 55 in D 1.13 in
Modern Purple, Light Blue, and Gray Geometric Abstract Leaf Pattern Painting
By John Little
Located in Houston, TX
Modern purple, light blue, and gray geometric abstract painting of a leaf pattern by textile designer John Little. The work was created as a proposed design for a wallpaper. Currentl...
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Early 20th Century Modern John Little Paintings
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Paper, Gouache
H 33.13 in W 33.13 in D 1.13 in
"Idioms" Modern Orange, Brown, Gray, and Black Geometric Abstract Painting
By John Little
Located in Houston, TX
Modern orange, brown, gray, and black geometric abstract composition by textile designer John Little. The work was created as a proposed design for a wallpaper. Titled in pencil along front lower margin. Currently hung in a solid black frame with a large white margin.
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Artist Biography: A painter and textile designer, John Little is best known for gestural works filled with boldly explosive color that reflect the influences of his teacher Hans Hofmann and for his involvement in the Abstract Expressionist movement in East Hampton, where he moved in the late 1940s. In East Hampton Little congregated with Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, and the other artists who were the leading innovators in the New York School.
John Little was born in Sanford, Alabama. He left home at the age of fourteen to become an artist, and moved to Buffalo, New York, in 1923. After spending a year working as a stevedore on the docks to save money, he enrolled at the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy and developed an interest in singing. In 1927 he moved to New York City where he continued his vocal work and studied operatic literature. He also became involved in textile design, opening his own store in 1920, called John Little Studios: Fabric and Wallpaper Design. He ran the store until 1950.
In 1933 John Little resumed his painting studies at the Art Students League in New York under the guidance of George Grosz (1893-1959). The following year he made his first visit to East Hampton, Long Island, which he would eventually call home. Later in the decade, he traveled to Paris where he became familiar with European modernism. On his return to America, he taught textile design at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He hired Josephine Watkins to work for him; she later became his wife. Little's textile store and teaching job gave him a financial security that was rare during the Depression, and he never found it necessary to find employment with the Works Progress Administration. At the end of the decade, John Little studied with Hans Hofmann (1880-1966) in New York and Provincetown. Little was greatly influenced by Hofmann, particularly by his views on color theory.
In 1942 John Little joined the Navy as an aerial photographer. In the late 1940s he purchased a rundown house on Three Mile Harbor...
Category
Early 20th Century Modern John Little Paintings
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Paper, Gouache
H 33.13 in W 33.13 in D 1.13 in
John Little paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic John Little paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of paintings to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of purple and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by John Little in paint, oil paint, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large John Little paintings, so small editions measuring 10 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Richard Andres, Elwood Howell, and Edward Avedisian. John Little paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,200 and tops out at $40,000, while the average work can sell for $9,850.