Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5

Stephen Longstreet
Hells Angel on his Hog

1969

About the Item

Hells Angel on his Hog Pen and ink on paper, 1969 Signed 'Longstreet' lower right (see photo) Titled and dated upper right Condition: excellent Image/Sheet size: 11 x 8 1/2 inches Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist Joseph M. Erdelac, Cleveland, noted art collector and friend and patron of Longstreet. Stephen Longstreet (1907-2002) The artist’s own grandchildren attempt to fathom the real life and nature of Stephen Longstreet, prolific author, artist, screenplay writer, and jazz aficionado. Born Chauncy Weiner (sometimes spelled Wiener) in New York City in 1907, Longstreet reinvented himself on a regular basis. Changing his name first to “Henry,” then “Henri,” he started his career as a commercial artist for a department store. In various public biographies he claimed to have studied in New York, London, and Paris, and said he was a student of cartoonist Ralph Barton (1891-1931). Facts that can be documented are that he was art editor for Golfer and Sportsman magazines, and was a contributor to various other magazines including The New Yorker, Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, Life, and Hooey, among others. He wrote sketches for NBC radio and the Rudy Vallee Show. In the 1930s, Longstreet worked and wrote under the names Thomas Burton, David Ormsbee, and Paul Haggard before settling on the name Stephen Longstreet in 1939. He wrote 12 novels under this name as well as numerous screen plays, most notably The Jolson Story, The Greatest Show on Earth, and The Helen Morgan Story. Longstreet claimed to have been introduced to ragtime and jazz by no less a legend than singer Paul Robeson while Robeson was an All-American football player at Rutgers University. However it happened, the world of jazz was a constant theme throughout Longstreet’s life. He drew and painted such notables as Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Duke Ellington. His media included collage, watercolors, and ink drawings. In 1989 Longstreet published his 100th book, Jazz from A to Z: a Graphic Dictionary. One of the more curious aspects of Longstreet’s art is his method of dating his material. He dated his works by the year depicted, not by the date of actual execution. Art signed “Longstreet” and dated before 1939 was actually done much later, as Stephen Longstreet did not exist prior to that! Early works from the late 1920s and 1930s will be signed “Henri” or “He” since Longstreet was still Weiner in those days. Later he often signed his work SL inside a circle. His collages dated in the 1950s or earlier were most likely done in the 1970s or 1980s. Longstreet spent most of his life in the Los Angeles area with his wife and oft-times collaborator, Ethel Longstreet. The artist remained active and prolific into his 90s. He died in Los Angeles in 2002 at the age of 94. Courtesy: Stephen Longstreet
  • Creator:
  • Creation Year:
    1969
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 11 in (27.94 cm)Width: 8.5 in (21.59 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Fairlawn, OH
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: FA89571stDibs: LU14014457432

More From This Seller

View All
Lower East Side Crowd
By Abraham Walkowitz
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Lower East Side Crowd Ink and ink wash on paper, c. 1910 Signed in ink lower center edge (see photo) Signed with the initials lower right corner (see p...
Category

1910s American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink

New Orleans Sportin House
By Stephen Longstreet
Located in Fairlawn, OH
New Orleans Sportin House Pen and ink on paper, 1951 Signed in ink, titled and dated in pencil (see photos) Condition: Corners are pasted to support sheet, some staining in image. Im...
Category

1950s American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink

Bull Ring Brass - Mexico City
By Stephen Longstreet
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Bull Ring Brass - Mexico City Watercolor, pen and ink on paper, 1955 Signed in ink, dated and titled in pencil (see photos) Condition: 1'' repaired tear left edge, along with other minor tears. Tape stains from previous matting visible in the four corners Image/Sheet size: 19 3/8 x 15 5/8 inches Provenance: Acquired directly from the Artist Joseph M. Erdelac, Cleveland, friend and patron of Longstreet Stephen Longstreet (1907-2002) The artist’s own grandchildren attempt to fathom the real life and nature of Stephen Longstreet, prolific author, artist, screenplay writer, and jazz aficionado. Born Chauncy Weiner (sometimes spelled Wiener) in New York City in 1907, Longstreet reinvented himself on a regular basis. Changing his name first to “Henry,” then “Henri,” he started his career as a commercial artist for a department store. In various public biographies he claimed to have studied in New York, London, and Paris, and said he was a student of cartoonist Ralph Barton (1891-1931). Facts that can be documented are that he was art editor for Golfer and Sportsman magazines, and was a contributor to various other magazines including The New Yorker, Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, Life, and Hooey, among others. He wrote sketches for NBC radio and the Rudy Vallee Show. In the 1930s, Longstreet worked and wrote under the names Thomas Burton, David Ormsbee, and Paul Haggard...
Category

1950s American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

India Ink, Watercolor, Pen

Provincetown (Sunbathing)
By Peter Grippe
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Provincetown (Sunbathing) Sepia ink on tan paper, 1966 Signed in ink lower center (see photo) Exhibited: Art from Lexington Homes, Lincoln Massachusetts, May 14-22, 1966 (see label) ...
Category

1960s American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink

Two Women and a Child on the Beach at Provincetown
By Charles Demuth
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Two Women and a Child on the Beach at Provincetown Unsigned. Watercolor on paper, c. 1934 A beautiful Provincetown beach scene, included in the catalogue raisonne. Please see Babcoc...
Category

1930s American Modern Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Untitled (Study for The Aerialists)
By John Steuart Curry
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Untitled (Study for The Aerialists) Graphite on paper, 1932 Signed lower right in pencil: "John Steuart Curry" Dated: 1932 in pencil Exhibited: Schroeder Romero & Shredder, NYC (label), Master Drawings, Oct. 13, 2011-Nov. 12, 2011 (see photo of label) Arkansas Arts Center (label), 44th Collector Show & Sale, Nov. 30-December 30, 2012, Offered at $22,000. (see photo of label) This drawing is closely related to a painting by Curry entitled The Aerialists, 1932, once in the Erskine Collection, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It is part of a group of preliminary drawings and three finished paintings executed by Curry around 1932 which were based on The Flying Cadonas. The painting The Flying Cadonas is an icon of American art purchased by the Whitney Museum of Art and now on permanent exhibition. There are other know studies for these works, nos. 199 through 222 and in John Steuart Curry: Rural America, page 32 (Mongerson Wunderlich, Chicago, 1990. Provenance: Mrs. Kathleen Curry (artist’s widow), included in the estate schedule of works Treadway Toomey Auction, Oak Park, Illinois, 2009 Don Joint, New York An important American Regionalist drawing. Like Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton, John Steuart Curry was a major American scene painter of the 1930s. His subjects were taken from American history and his most famous mural, The Tragic Prelude...
Category

1930s American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Graphite

You May Also Like

"The Secretary" Minimalist Portrait in Ink on Paper by Geraldine Heib
Located in Soquel, CA
"The Secretary" Minimalist Illustrative Portrait in Ink on Paper This charming portrait by Jerry O'Day (American, 1912), depicts a tight-lipped woman with stern eyebrows in a fun and simplistic style. Her lips pop in red and the fine line detail of her hair gives texture and movement to the piece. Her rounded figure is created using basic shapes cleverly placed, dressed in a turtleneck with dangling earrings. She is looking sideways, drawing the viewer's eyes in that direction. Unsigned, but was acquired with a collection of the artist's work. Presented in a new blue mat. Mat size: 32"H x 26"W Paper size: 28.5"H x 22.5"W Image size: 15.5"H x 11.5"W Jerry O'Day is also known as Geraldine Heib. Born in Oakland, California, on June 17, 1912. Geraldine Heib assumed the name Jerry O'Day at an early age. She grew up in Washington and studied in Seattle at the Cornish School of Fine Arts. Upon moving to the San Francisco Bay area in 1938, she further studied with Bufano as a muralist for two years. O'Day wed sculptor David Lemon and had a gallery in a converted cod fishery in Belvedere from 1942 until 1963. At that time, the couple moved to a houseboat in Sausalito, where she remained until her demise on March 30, 1986. Post War California artist, Jerry O'Day studied at the Cornish School of Fine Arts in Seattle; studied with Beniamino Bufano for two years. She lived in the artist's colony at the Cod fishery with artist David Lemon on Belvedere Island in the San Francisco Bay Area from 1942 - 1963. Solo Exhibitions: City of Paris, Rotunda Gallery; Lucien Labaudt Gallery, 1963; Torrance Gallery, San Anselmo, 1955; Marin Art Gallery, Sausalito, 1956; Palace of The Legion of Honor, San Francisco, 1962; East & West Gallery, Fillmore Street, San Francisco; Landmarks Gallery, Marin County, 1991. Selected Group Exhibitions: 65th Annual Painting and Sculpture Exhibition of the San Francisco Art Association at the San Francisco Museum of Art, 1945; Fourth Winter Invitational, California Palace of The Legion of Honor, San Francisco, 1963. Source: David J Carlson...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

"Spa Hair" Minimalist Illustrative Portrait in Ink on Paper by Geraldine Heib
Located in Soquel, CA
"Spa Hair" Minimalist Illustrative Portrait in Ink on Paper In this illustrative portrait by Jerry O'Day (American, 1912), a person is depicted in a continuous line contour style. The fine line detail of the hair gives texture and movement to the piece, with half-closed eyelids, giving the sense of calm and relaxation. Unsigned, but was acquired with a collection of the artist's work. Presented in a new black mat. Mat size: 36"H x 30"W Paper size: 28.5"H x 22.63"W Image size: 25.5"H x 20"W Jerry O'Day is also known as Geraldine Heib. Born in Oakland, California, on June 17, 1912. Geraldine Heib assumed the name Jerry O'Day at an early age. She grew up in Washington and studied in Seattle at the Cornish School of Fine Arts. Upon moving to the San Francisco Bay area in 1938, she further studied with Bufano as a muralist for two years. O'Day wed sculptor David Lemon and had a gallery in a converted cod fishery in Belvedere from 1942 until 1963. At that time, the couple moved to a houseboat in Sausalito, where she remained until her demise on March 30, 1986. Post War California artist, Jerry O'Day studied at the Cornish School of Fine Arts in Seattle; studied with Beniamino Bufano for two years. She lived in the artist's colony at the Cod fishery with artist David Lemon on Belvedere Island in the San Francisco Bay Area from 1942 - 1963. Solo Exhibitions: City of Paris, Rotunda Gallery; Lucien Labaudt Gallery, 1963; Torrance Gallery, San Anselmo, 1955; Marin Art Gallery, Sausalito, 1956; Palace of The Legion of Honor, San Francisco, 1962; East & West Gallery, Fillmore Street, San Francisco; Landmarks Gallery, Marin County, 1991. Selected Group Exhibitions: 65th Annual Painting and Sculpture Exhibition of the San Francisco Art Association at the San Francisco Museum of Art, 1945; Fourth Winter Invitational, California Palace of The Legion of Honor, San Francisco, 1963. Source: David J Carlson...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

Charming Watercolor of a Southern Home
Located in New York, NY
Unknown Artist Untitled (Country Home), 20th Century Watercolor and ink on paper 21 x 29 in. Framed: 28 1/4 x 36 1/16 x 3/4 in.
Category

20th Century American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Watercolor

Tyrannus, Early 20th Century painting of a dog, Cleveland School Artist
By William Sommer
Located in Beachwood, OH
William Sommer (American, 1867-1949) Tyrannus, c. 1935 Watercolor and pen and ink on paper Signed lower right 7.5 x 9.5 inches 16 x 18 inches, framed William Sommer is seen as a ke...
Category

1930s American Modern Animal Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pen, Watercolor, Ink

1930s Modernist Line Drawing: Native American on Horse, Pinto, Black Ink Artwork
By Hilaire Hiler
Located in Denver, CO
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...
Category

1930s American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink

Rare Charles Burchfield Drawing Book plate Rare Black and White Museum Framed
By Charles E. Burchfield
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original rare bookplate drawing by Charles Burchfield featuring his most famous motifs of sunflowers.
Category

1910s American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Archival Ink

Recently Viewed

View All