Mid-20th Century Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Pastel drawing on paper realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Very good condition. Hand signed in pencil lower right. Includes a contemporary wooden frame 108.5x84.5 cm. Sirio Pe...

Black marker drawing realized my Mino Maccari in 1950s. Hand signed lower right. Very good condition.

Original vintage gouache painting on poster board by Emma Heinzelmann (Hungarian, born 1930). Hungarian Peasant art, children fairytale themes, in psychedelic pop colors of the era. This framed painting depicts figures, a rooster and angels in flying above. Artist signature on farm gate. Housed in chrome mid century frame. Framed: 19.5 X 25.5 image is 15 X 21. Emma Heinzelmann ( Nyírbátor , March 14 , 1930 - ) Munkácsy Prize-winning Hungarian graphic designer and illustrator. Heinzelmann is a Hungarian children's book illustrator and graphic poster artist, who started her career during the 1950’s. She has a very unique drawing style that resembles children’s book illustrations. Working in psychedelic pop colors of the era. She Initially she studied to be a costume designer but she soon turned to graphic design. She graduated in 1950 from the clothing design department at the Junior High School in Török Pál Street which operated under the name Szépmíves Lyceum from 1946 to 1950. His master was György Farkas, a ceramicist, painter and sculptor. She creates her compositions using mainly watercolor and gouache paint. She often worked on illustrations for children’s books, since her style fits their themes. Her posters show the same playful Hungarian Folk Art style. She has produced artwork in almost all areas of applied graphics. posters, commemorative cards, designed album covers, postcards, advertising graphics, slide films, animation and cartoons. Her drawings were published in Dörmögő Dömötör and Kisdobos among others as well as in children's magazines. An entire generation of children grew up with her book illustrations, reading the fairy tales of Wilhelm Hauff or Hans Christian Andersen. Her story books and drawings are known well beyond our borders. She illustrated nearly 80 storybooks. She is a contemporary of Maurice Sendak and William Steig. Her work is of the same genre as the iconic Polish Cyrk poster artists. In her original fine art graphics grotesque and bitter elements often prevail, her figures are playfully ironic. Her drawings are made in a variety of ways, from pencil drawings to watercolor painting to collage techniques, from decorative spot effects to lace-like line drawings. She is no stranger to a kind of Art Nouveau influence, but it is always individual. It was never beautiful, but over the years its color scheme changed, thus confirming the lines of József Somogyi quoted earlier. She had several individual exhibitions, and for more than 10 years as a member of the Papp-Gábor group, her works could be seen in Dorottya Street. In 2009 , the book of art historian András Székely was published by Holnap Könyvkiadó under the title Emma Heinzelmann: fairy tales in the drawing. Awards and recognitions Lot Prize (International Poster Biennale, Warsaw) (1972) Ministry of Culture Award (1977, 1979) Brno Graphic Biennale (Bronze Award) (1980) Worker's Award (1984) Children's Book of the Year Award (1984) IBBY Andersen Diploma (1988) Hamburg Lifetime Achievement Award (1990) Albert Star Award (1992) Noémi Ferenczy Award (2005) Munkácsy Award (1984) Solo Exhibitions: Thought Bookstore, Budapest (1965) Cultural Center, Nyíregyháza (1974) Little Gallery, Komárom (1982) Art Gallery, Budapest. (1990) Vác (2010) Selected group exhibitions: International Children's Book Fair and Exhibition, Bologna (1971-1975) International Graphic Biennale, Brno (1966-1985) BIB (Children's book illustration biennial), Bratislava (1970-1985) XXXVI. Venice Biennale, Venice (1972) ARC. International Poster Biennale, Warsaw (1972) International Poster Triennale (B) (1972-1974) Weekdays, graphic exhibition, (1975) Calligraphy and typography, Institute of Cultural Relations, Budapest (1977) "Falrahányt pea", graphic exhibition, Institute of Cultural Relations, Budapest.(1978) International Poster Triennale (B) (1978) National Poster Exhibitions, Art Gallery, Budapest (1978)(1980) International Poster Exhibition (IR) (1979) Slide films: Fairy tales with Emma Heinzelmann's drawings: Under the Shore (1981) Goose Party (1981) Take a Little Trumpet (1982) The Bremen Town...

ROBERT SARGENT AUSTIN, RA, PRWS, RE (1895-1973) Going to Mass, Spain Black, brown and white chalks on grey paper Framed 49 by 38 cm., 19 ¼ by 15 in. (frame size 73 by 60.5 cm., 2...

Maurice Freed (American, 1911-1981) Dog Walking Watercolor on board, 8 x 12 1/2 inches FRAMED: 14 1/2 x 18 1/2 inches (approx.) Signed at lower left: “MAURICE FREED” Maurice Freed...

If there ever were a perfect work in the canon of art history, this masterpiece study by Dean Cornwell would be it. Every line has meaning and not a line out of place, as Cornwell d...

Medium: Oil on Canvas Signature: Signed Lower Right Saturday Evening Post Cover, April 19, 1930

JOHN DRONSFIELD (1900-1951) Costume Design Watercolour and pen and ink Unframed, in mount only 34 by 24 cm., 13 1/2 by 9 ½ in. (mount size 47.5 by 37 cm., 18 3/4 by 14 1/2 in.) J...

Ink and watercolor on cardboard realized by Alcione Gubellini in the mid-20th century. Hand signed. Includes a wooden frame cm. 53x47. Very good condition.

Bridge Painter WPA American Modernism Mid 20th-Century Realism Industrial Worker. Sight size: 18 x 23 1/4 inches. Estate stamped verso. This drawing is the study for a large oil we ...

Mid Century French feutre drawing on paper of a Provençal stable with horses by Jean Arène. Signed and dated bottom left and presented in a wooden frame under glass. This evocative...

Late Mid Century French feutre drawing on paper of a Provençal lady sitting in her kitchen by Jean Arène. Signed and dated bottom left. This artwork is a striking pen-and-ink drawing that vividly captures a cluttered interior scene filled with an assortment of teapots and household objects. The central figure, an elderly lady with an expressive face, sits at a table surrounded by an overwhelming array of details. The artist uses bold, dynamic lines to convey a sense of chaos and charm, creating an atmosphere of cozy clutter. The composition’s intricacy draws the viewer's eye around the room, showcasing...

This is a panel painted with gouache on paper that was painted by Paul de Cayeux. He was a french painter and decorator. This suite comes from an old restaurant and ball room in Nice...

Story illustration for “End of the World,” the final installment of the serial “Secret Service Operator 13” by Robert William Chambers, published in Cosmopolitan, July 1933, illustra...

Jim’s of Lambertville Fine Art Gallery is proud to offer this piece by Milton Avery (1885 – 1965). Milton Avery was a prominent Modernist painter whose work combined abstraction and...

Nude is a drawing realized by Joseph Colin in the Mid-20th Century. Pencil on ivory-colored paper Good conditions with slight foxing. The artwork is realized through deft expressi...

Eileen Lake Crayon on paper, early1930's Initialed in pencil lower right (see photo) Titled and annotated verso "Eileen Lake, early 1930s girlfriend" Note: Eileen Hall Lake was an American poet and Adolf Dehn's girlfriend in the early 1930s. Provenance: Estate of the artist By descent Adolf Dehn, American Watercolorist and Printmaker, 1895-1968 Adolf Dehn was an artist who achieved extraordinary artistic heights, but in a very particular artistic sphere—not so much in oil painting as in watercolor and lithography. Long recognized as a master by serious print collectors, he is gradually gaining recognition as a notable and influential figure in the overall history of American art. In the 19th century, with the invention of the rotary press, which made possible enormous print runs, and the development of the popular, mass-market magazines, newspaper and magazine illustration developed into an artistic realm of its own, often surprisingly divorced from the world of museums and art exhibitions, and today remains surprisingly overlooked by most art historians. Dehn in many regards was an outgrowth of this world, although in an unusual way, since as a young man he produced most of his illustrative work not for popular magazines, such as The Saturday Evening Post, but rather for radical journals, such as The Masses or The Liberator, or artistic “little magazines” such as The Dial. This background established the foundation of his outlook, and led later to his unique and distinctive contribution to American graphic art. If there’s a distinctive quality to his work, it was his skill in introducing unusual tonal and textural effects into his work, particularly in printmaking but also in watercolor. Jackson Pollock seems to have been one of many notable artists who were influenced by his techniques. Early Years, 1895-1922 For an artist largely remembered for scenes of Vienna and Paris, Adolf Dehn’s background was a surprising one. Born in Waterville, Minnesota, on November 22, 1895, Dehn was the descendent of farmers who had emigrated from Germany and homesteaded in the region, initially in a one-room log cabin with a dirt floor. Adolf’s father, Arthur Clark Dehn, was a hunter and trapper who took pride that he had no boss but himself, and who had little use for art. Indeed, during Adolf’s boyhood the walls of his bedroom and the space under his bed were filled with the pelts of mink, muskrats and skunks that his father had killed, skinned and stretched on drying boards. It was Adolf’s mother, Emilie Haas Dehn, a faithful member of the German Lutheran Evangelical Church, who encouraged his interest in art, which became apparent early in childhood. Both parents were ardent socialists, and supporters of Eugene Debs. In many ways Dehn’s later artistic achievement was clearly a reaction against the grinding rural poverty of his childhood. After graduating from high school in 1914 at the age of 19—an age not unusual in farming communities at the time, where school attendance was often irregular—Dehn attended the Minneapolis School of Art from 1914 to 1917, whose character followed strongly reflected that of its director, Munich-trained Robert Kohler, an artistic conservative but a social radical. There Dehn joined a group of students who went on to nationally significant careers, including Wanda Gag (later author of best-selling children’s books); John Flanagan (a sculptor notable for his use of direct carving) Harry Gottlieb (a notable social realist and member of the Woodstock Art Colony), Elizabeth Olds (a printmaker and administrator for the WPA), Arnold Blanch (landscape, still-life and figure painter, and member of the Woodstock group), Lucille Lunquist, later Lucille Blanch (also a gifted painter and founder of the Woodstock art colony), and Johan Egilrud (who stayed in Minneapolis and became a journalist and poet). Adolf became particularly close to Wanda Gag (1893-1946), with whom he established an intense but platonic relationship. Two years older than he, Gag was the daughter of a Bohemian artist and decorator, Anton Gag, who had died in 1908. After her husband died, Wanda’s mother, Lizzi Gag, became a helpless invalid, so Wanda was entrusted with the task of raising and financially supporting her six younger siblings. This endowed her with toughness and an independent streak, but nonetheless, when she met Dehn, Wanda was Victorian and conventional in her artistic taste and social values. Dehn was more socially radical, and introduced her to radical ideas about politics and free love, as well as to socialist publications such as The Masses and The Appeal to Reason. Never very interested in oil painting, in Minneapolis Dehn focused on caricature and illustration--often of a humorous or politically radical character. In 1917 both Dehn and Wanda won scholarships to attend the Art Students League, and consequently, in the fall of that year both moved to New York. Dehn’s art education, however, ended in the summer of 1918, shortly after the United States entered World War I, when he was drafted to serve in the U. S. Army. Unwilling to fight, he applied for status as a conscientious objector, but was first imprisoned, then segregated in semi-imprisonment with other Pacifists, until the war ended. The abuse he suffered at this time may well explain his later withdrawal from taking political stands or making art of an overtly political nature. After his release from the army, Dehn returned to New York where he fell under the spell of the radical cartoonist Boardman Robinson and produced his first lithographs. He also finally consummated his sexual relationship with Wanda Gag. The Years in Europe: 1922-1929 In September of 1921, however, he abruptly departed for Europe, arriving in Paris and then moving on to Vienna. There in the winter of 1922 he fell in love with a Russian dancer, Mura Zipperovitch, ending his seven-year relationship with Wanda Gag. He and Mura were married in 1926. It was also in Vienna that he produced his first notable artistic work. Influenced by European artists such as Jules Pascin and Georg Grosz, Dehn began producing drawings of people in cafes, streets, and parks, which while mostly executed in his studio, were based on spontaneous life studies and have an expressive, sometimes almost childishly wandering quality of line. The mixture of sophistication and naiveté in these drawings was new to American audiences, as was the raciness of their subject matter, which often featured pleasure-seekers, prostitutes or scenes of sexual dalliance, presented with a strong element of caricature. Some of these drawings contain an element of social criticism, reminiscent of that found in the work of George Grosz, although Dehn’s work tended to focus on humorous commentary rather than savagely attacking his subjects or making a partisan political statement. Many Americans, including some who had originally been supporters of Dehn such as Boardman Robinson, were shocked by these European drawings, although George Grocz (who became a friend of the artist in this period) admired them, and recognized that Dehn could also bring a new vision to America subject matter. As he told Dehn: “You will do things in America which haven’t been done, which need to be done, which only you can do—as far at least as I know America.” A key factor in Dehn’s artistic evolution at this time was his association with Scofield Thayer...

Medium: Watercolor on Board Signature: Signed Lower Left Original cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, Dec. 16, 1961 The Post described, “Put That Old Gang of Mine in ...

Sitting is a charcoal drawing realized by Mino Maccari  (1924-1989) in the Mid-20th Century. Hand-signed. Good conditions with slight foxing. Mino Maccari (Siena, 1924-Rome, June ...

Portrait is a charcoal drawing realized by Mino Maccari  (1924-1989) in the Mid-20th Century. Hand-signed. Good conditions with slight foxing. Mino Maccari (Siena, 1924-Rome, June...

WILLIAM S. TAYLOR (1920-2010) The Cello Signed and dated l.r.: W S Taylor ‘60 Watercolour and pen and ink over traces of pencil 29 by 32 cm., 11 ½ by 12 ½ in. (frame size 49.5 by ...

China ink drawing realized by Mino Maccari in the mid-20th Century. Hand signed lower left. Very good condition.

Watercolor on paper realized by Mino Maccari in the mid-20th Century. Hand signed lower right. Very good condition.

China ink realized by Mino Maccari in 1945. Hand signed and dated. Very good condition.

Image of a woman seated in front of the warm glow of a fire with a book beside her. Date: 1940 Medium: Pastel Dimensions: 30.00" x 24.00" Signature: Signed Lower Left

Watercolor on paper by Sirio Pellegrini in 1969. Hand signed and dated. Drawing made up of several fragments joined together. Includes a contemporary wooden frame 97x89 cm. Sirio ...

Watercolor on paper realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Hand signed lower left, it included a pink wooden frame realized by the artist. Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1...

Andy Warhol is arguably the most important American artist of the 20th century. In the 1950s, he was an in-demand and celebrated illustrator working for New York's toniest publications (like Harper's Bazaar) and elegant shops (such as Bonwit Teller), in addition to many smaller independent fashion companies. In the mid-1950s Warhol became synonymous with shoes after creating a successful campaign for shoe retailer Miller & Sons. Although Warhol had a parallel art practice, primarily focused on drawing, surpassing the designation of “commercial artist” proved difficult. Consider that this era was the height of popularity for the Abstract Expressionist painters. Despite the prevailing aesthetic, Warhol continued to be dedicated to making elegant or playful line drawings. This untitled illustration is an intimate example of Warhol at his best in the 1950's. It is ambiguous whether this was created for a client, or whether Warhol was inspired by an encounter in real life. With the lightest touch, the artist renders a glamorous woman's profile as she holds a young child in her arms. Unique to this drawing is the subtle presence of the child, who rests gently against the woman's chest in a tender embrace yet is almost entirely abstract. This maternal exchange represents an unexpected deviation from Warhol's typical subject matter, possibly serving as a tribute to his own mother, Julia Warhola, whom he admired deeply. This elegant drawing is a marvellous precursor to Warhol's Pop Art era when he became transfixed by images and representation of women. Questions about this piece? Contact us. Visit our Toronto gallery on Thursdays or by appointment. Untitled "Woman in Blue...

China ink drawing realized by Mino Maccari in the mid-20th Century. Hand signed lower right. Very good condition.

China ink drawing realized by Mino Maccari in the mid-20th Century. On recto and verso. Not signed. Very good condition.

Pencil and watercolor drawing realized by Karl Hanny (1879-1972) in 1935 ca. Not signed. Very good condition.

Experience the profound beauty of "Mother and Child," a mixed media on cardboard artwork created in 1988 by the acclaimed artist Raymond Debiève. This stunning piece, crafted in a Cu...

Signed lower right, 'Gallo Giovanni' for Giovanni Gallo (Italian, 20th century) and dated 1954. Titled lower left, 'Eseguito a Pompei, 'Trionfo di Bacco'' (Done in Pompeii, 'Triumph of Bacchus...

Per strada (On the Road)  is a drawing on paper, realized around the Seventies by the great Italian artist and journalist,  Mino Maccari  (Siena, 1898 - 1989). Black China ink (foun...

Seated nude women study in a naturalistic style. The work is signed and dated by the artist. The paper is not framed. Many others are available. Please inquire to buy the entire collection. Artist Biography: Emile Lejeune...

Industrial Man Working Mid 20th Century American Scene Social Realism Modern WPA Jo Cain (1904 - 2003) Hammering Nails 39 x 50 ½ inches Gouache on paper c. 19...

Tree is a  drawing in pencil realized by Marcel Guillard (1896-?) in the early 20th Century.

Marc Chagall's Drawing with Flowers (1969), signed and dedicated to Max Brun, is an intimate testament to their close friendship. This unique pen drawing, measuring 32 x 24 cm, holds...

René Gruau ( 1909 - 2004 ) " Elégante à la rose et l'éventail " Dessin original et unique .signé . Graphite et fusain sur papier . taille feuille : 83 x50 cm taille globale : ...

This original 1933 black-and-white line drawing titled "Pinto" by renowned New Mexico modernist artist Hilaire Hiler (1898-1966) captures a striking Native American figure wearing a feathered bonnet headdress, riding horseback. Rendered in fine ink on vellum, this drawing reflects Hiler’s signature style with clean, fluid lines that embody the modernist movement. The artwork is signed by the artist in the lower right corner, adding authenticity and value. Custom framing options are available to enhance this timeless piece. About the Artist: Hilaire Hiler was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, where he developed an early interest in art. He studied at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design as a child, before pursuing further education at several renowned institutions, including the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the University of Paris. Hiler lived in Paris from 1919 to 1934, supporting himself as a jazz musician while continuing his artistic endeavors. After relocating to San Francisco in 1934, Hiler became involved with the Works Progress Administration (WPA), where he painted murals in the Aquatic Park...

This is a panel painted with gouache on paper that was painted by Paul de Cayeux. He was a french painter and decorator. This suite comes from an old restaurant and ball room in Nice...

Jim's of Lambertville Fine Art Gallery is proud to present this piece by Albert Hirschfeld (1903 – 2003). At the age of 12, Albert Hirschfeld, the famed caricaturist who depicted figures in the New York theater...

Sterndale Bennett Honor 1886-1975 Watercolour artist, born in Watford, she married into the famous family noted for its composers and for its military members. As an army wife she s...

gouache on paper. Stamped and signed. Not framed. Last painter of the school of Nice. This is an important painter, the first school in nice to have exhibited in New York at the G...

Gouache on paper. Stamped. Frame dimensions: 63x78 cm Last painter of the school of Nice. This is an important painter, the first school in nice to have exhibited in New York at t...

A fantastic industrial drawing dated 1935, which depicts the former Plymouth Motor Company's Powerhouse in Buffalo, NY. Housed in a contemporary frame presentation this unique work ...

Jules Andre Smith (American, 1880-1959) In the Art Gallery, 1936 Watercolor and pen and ink Signed Andre Smith, 1936 lower right 10.75 x 8.5 inches 20.25 x 17.25 inches, framed Jule...

1942 Calendar illustration featuring the First Lady of Haiti (Madame Elie Lescot]) rendered in a precise stipple effect and celebrating African-American women which was titled "Twelve American Women." It was executed during the hight of World War II. Lois Mailou Jones...

Ricard Opisso - Bar - Colored pencils Measurements drawing 11x13cm. Frame measures 35x37 cm. Son of Alfredo Opisso y Viñas, journalist, historian and critic, and of Antonia Sala y Gil, his sister Regina Opisso, was also a writer. He comes from an enlightened family full of artists. His paternal grandfather was Josep Opisso y Roig, journalist and director of the Diari de Tarragona, father of the also writers Antonia Opisso y Viña and Antoni Opisso y Viña. His maternal great-grandfather was the painter Pere Pau Montaña, his maternal grandfather the fabulist Felipe Jacinto Sala and his maternal uncle, the painter Emilio Sala y Francés. His nephew was Arturo Llorens y Opisso, a writer better known under his pseudonym Arturo Llopis. Although he was born in Tarragona, his family moved to Barcelona when Opisso was only two years old. In modernist Barcelona at the end of the 19th century, Opisso worked as an assistant to Antonio Gaudí in the works of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona since 1892. He was linked to the group Els Quatre Gats, along with Ramón Casas, Manuel Hugué, Isidre Nonell...

Figurative study of a dancing woman. The work is signed by Thierry Andre thought to be a French who was influenced by Edgar Degas. The paper is not fr...

Flowers is a drawing realized by Albert Fernand-Renault in the early 20th Century. Pencil on paper. Stamped signed. Good Conditions with diffused foxing. The artwork is realized ...

The Kiss is a China ink Drawing realized by Mino Maccari (1924-1989) in the Mid-20th Century. Hand-signed on the lower. Good conditions. Mino Maccari (Siena, 1924-Rome, June 16, ...

Figures is a Charcoal Drawing realized by Mino Maccari (1924-1989) in the Mid-20th Century. Hand-signed on the lower. Good conditions. Mino Maccari (Siena, 1924-Rome, June 16, 19...

Bicycle is a marker realized by Mino Maccari (1924-1989) in the Mid-20th Century. Monogrammed. Good conditions. Mino Maccari (Siena, 1924-Rome, June 16, 1989) was an Italian writ...

The Visionary is a Black marker Drawing realized by Mino Maccari (1924-1989) in the Mid-20th Century. Hand-signed on the lower. Good conditions. Mino Maccari (Siena, 1924-Rome, J...

Chemists American Scene Mid 20th Century Modern Social Realism WPA Science Mural Jo Cain (1904 - 2003) Chemists 40 ½ x 31 ¾ inches Oil on paper, c. 1930s Signed lower right 49 x 40 ...

In the Bar is a China Ink Drawing realized by Mino Maccari (1924-1989) in the 1945 ca. Hand-signed on the lower margin. Good conditions with some folding. Mino Maccari (Siena, 19...

Born in 1918 in Budapest, Hungary, Engel began his professional career in animation as a color designer at the Walt Disney studio. Although his credits include work on such classics as Disney’s Bambi and Fantasia and UPA’s Gerald McBoing-Boing, he is best known as a mentor to literally hundreds of students. Engel was also one of the original members of United Productions of America (UPA), where, during the ’50s, he worked on classics such as Mr. Magoo, Gerald McBoing-Boing and Madeline. According to his biographer, Dr. Janeann Dill, Engel has created more than 33 personal films and received five Golden Eagle awards, an Annie Award, a Winsor McCay Award, the Fritz Award, a Jean Vigo Award, and the Norman McLaren...