American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

An ink drawing Judaic painting by modern artist Ben-Zion Weinman. It depicts a portrait of an old Jewish man. Coming over from Europe on a ship crossing. The work is signed "Ben-Zion". Born in 1897, Ben-Zion Weinman celebrated his European Jewish heritage in his visual works as a sculptor, painter, and printmaker. Influenced by Spinoza, Knut Hamsun, and Wladyslaw Reymont, as well as Hebrew literature, Ben-Zion wrote poetry and essays that, like his visual work, attempt to reveal the deep “connection between man and the divine, and between man and earth.” An emigrant from the Ukraine, he came to the US in 1920. He wrote fairy tales and poems in Hebrew under the name Benzion Weinman, but when he began painting he dropped his last name and hyphenated his first, saying an artist needed only one name. In 1920 he settled in America, where he found little interest in his writing. He began teaching Hebrew to support himself and then in the early 1930s returned to painting. He used his art to comment on the rise of fascism in Europe, events he felt could not be adequately explored with words. Largely self-taught, Ben-Zion visited the museums of New York City to learn his new trade. His first painting on a large scale, Friday Evening (1933, Jewish Museum, New York), depicts a Sabbath dinner table as recalled from his family home. Ben-Zion supported himself by working odd jobs until the establishment of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. Under the auspices of the wpa, Ben-Zion thrived and galleries began to show his work. In 1936, after his first one-man show at the Artists' Gallery in New York Ben-Zion was a founding member of “The Ten: An Independent Group” The Ten” a 1930’s...

An original watercolor illustration by Nicholas Riley, American (1900 - 1944) for the Saturday Evening Post 10/19/1940. The painting...

A Fine, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Academic Anatomical Figure Study of a Model's Hand & Feet by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A well executed composite figure...

A Striking, Dramatic 1950s Mid-Century Modern Figure Study Portrait of Woman by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A well executed, studio drawing in charcoal of...

A Striking, Dramatic 1950s Mid-Century Modern Figure Study Portrait of Woman by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A well executed, studio drawing in charcoal of...

A Fine, Mid-Century Modern 1950s Figure Study Portrait of Young Woman in Profile by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A well executed, studio drawing in charcoa...

Vintage 1930s watercolor and ink painting of Estes Park, Colorado, by American artist James Russell Sherman (1906-1989). This captivating work features a detailed view of storefronts...

Inspiration (Seated Couple) Graphite on paper, c. 1967 Signed twice in pencil by the artist on recto (see photos) Condition: Excellent Image size: 13 x 16 inches Note: Although not t...

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...

Monotype on paper Dramatic imagery from Tom Bennett’s series of black and white monotypes, blending surrealistic mindscapes with stark realism About Tom Bennett: With quick brushstr...

These recently discovered 1984 oversize pastels on archival papers were created with a live model, working quickly, in pastel. The series shows the l...

BYE BYE BIRDIE Original 1960 Broadway Musical Costume Drawing Tony Award Elvis Miles White (1915 – 2000) BYE BYE BIRDIE 11 x 8 inches Mixed Media on Paper Signed Lower Right Framed by Bark Affixed to the back are original gold lame fabric swatches. This drawing is available, along with two other original costume drawings from BIRDIE by Miles White, another of Conrad Birdie and one of Chita Rivera. Miles White, a leading Broadway and Hollywood costume designer for decades. created costumes for the original Broadway productions of OKLAHOMA CAROUSEL, BYE BYE BIRDIE and many others. In film he worked on "Around the World in 80 Days" and "The Greatest Show on Earth." He designed Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and the Ice Capades for many years. Miles was a close friend for the last 20 years of his life. We live with one of his two Tony Awards and a dozen drawings. BYE BYE BIRDIE is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart...

This work was intentionally torn and mended along the curve through the center of the work. It predates the artist's full immersion, years later into torn and re-pasted collages, us...

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Frank Kleinholz was a painter based in New York City whose work spanned several art movements including Expressionism and Social Realism. His early works ...

This is a 2 sided painting with a torn paper collage on the second side. Born in New York, Paul Shimon (1919 - 2011) was both an accomplished artist and composer. Considered by som...

These collages were created first in the presence of a model, working quickly, in charcoal and pastel, and again, later, alone, furiously tearing and pasting images from magazines, v...

Eugene Higgins In Foreign Parts, circa 1913 Signed lower right Watercolor on paper Sight 17 x 13 inches Born William Victor Higgins in 1884 to a Shelbyville, Indiana farm family where the only art Victor was aware of as a child was his father's love of flowers. "He loved their forms and their colors, and he tended his garden as a painter might work a canvas." At the age of nine, Victor met a young artist who traveled the Indiana countryside painting advertisements on the sides of barns. He purchased paints and brushes so the young Higgins could practice his own artwork on the inside of his father's barn. He also taught Victor about art museums and especially about the new Chicago Art Institute. This information never left the young artist, and he saved his allowance until his father allowed him at the age of fifteen to attend Chicago Art Institute. He worked a variety of jobs to finance his studies both there and at the Academy of Fine Arts. Victor Higgins traveled to New York in 1908, where he met Robert Henri, who became a significant influence by depicting every-day scenes and stressing the importance of the spirit and sense of place as important factors in painting. Higgins was also greatly affected by the New York Armory Modernism Show of Marsden Hartley in 1913. While Victor Higgins was in Chicago he met former mayor and avid collector Carter H. Harrison who was to prove instrumental in the growth of Higgins career for several years. Harrison agreed to support Higgins for four years to go to Paris and Munich and paint and study in the great museums in Europe. While at the Academie de la Grande Chaumier in Paris (1910-1914) he met Walter Ufer, who was another Chicago artist being sponsored by Carter Harrison. This meeting was not only a life-long friendship, but the beginning of a great change in the way Higgins looked at "American" art. He decided that America needed it's own authentic style rather than the 19th Century classic style he was taught in Europe. Very soon after returning to Chicago in 1914, Harrison sent him and Walter Ufer on a painting trip to Taos, New Mexico for a year in exchange for paintings. Higgins made other similar agreements and was able to support himself with his painting. This trip was a life-changing experience and introduced Higgins to the authentic America he had been looking for. In 1914 Taos was an isolated village about twelve hours from Santa Fe on an impossible dirt road. But the colorful life of the pueblo people and the natural beauty drew a collection of artists who became the Taos art colony, from which the Taos Society of Artists was founded in 1915. Victor Higgins became a permanent resident within a year of his arrival and a member of the society in 1917, exhibiting with Jane Peterson in 1925 and with Wayman Adams and Janet Scudder in 1927. The members would travel around the country introducing the Southwest scenes with great success. He remained a member until the Society's dissolution in 1927. Higgins was the youngest member of the group of seven. Other members were Joseph Henry Sharp, Bert Phillips...

This compelling graphite drawing on paper by Verona Burkhard (1910–2004) showcases a dynamic figure on horseback, rendered with expressive linework and a keen sense of movement. Likely created as a preliminary study for a larger mural, this untitled composition reveals Burkhard’s skill in capturing form, gesture, and energy through the subtle control of graphite. Executed with a confident hand, the sketch offers insight into the creative process of one of America’s notable WPA muralists, making it a rare and collectible piece of American art history. The drawing is presented in a custom archival frame for long-term preservation and elegant display. Framed dimensions: 29 ¾ x 22 ¾ inches, image size: 23 ½ x 16 ¼ inches About the Artist: Verona Lorraine Burkhard Verona Burkhard was an accomplished American artist, muralist, and educator, best known for her vibrant contributions to the WPA (Works Progress Administration) mural program and for shaping the Western Colorado art community. Born in 1910, Burkhard studied at the Art Students League in New York under Boardman Robinson and at Columbia University with Frank Mechau...

*ABOUT Stephen Basso Stephen Basso's highly original pastels and oil paintings are romantic, yet thought provoking fantasies. His whimsical works are alive with boundless imagina...

Signed lower right Provenance: Joseph M. Erdelac, Cleveland, OH Possibly deaccessed from the Columbus Museum of Art THOMAS FRENCH FINE ART, LLC Stephen Longstreet (1907-2002) A...

This artwork "Masks" c.1980 is a watercolor on heavy watercolor paper by California artist Charlotte Huntley. It is signed at the lower right corner ...

This artwork "Man Riding a Camel" c.1980 is a watercolor on heavy watercolor paper by California artist Charlotte Huntley. It is signed at the lower ...

"The Knockout" Boxing Sports American Watercolor WPA Mid-Century Modern 30s/40s. Robert Riggs (1896-1970) The Knockout 22 x 30 inches watercolor on paper Signed lower right Framed: ...

Magazine Cover Illustration Mid 20th Century Modern Theatre Broadway Realism WPA Ernest Hamlin Baker (1889 – 1975) “Today Magazine” Cover ...

"Good Health Week" American Scene Modern Social Realism Double Sided WPA Era Jo Cain (1904 - 2003) Good Health Week – double sided 13 3/4 x 20 1/2 in...

Claude Howard Stuart is an artist working in Europe and America. Watercolor, ink ,acrylic and and even cold wax and oil are the many different mediums that Claude uses on his varied and exciting works. His influences come from all the different places and experiences he has had throughout his life, as well as the varied different art styles he’s studied. Having lived in many different places around the world the styles of art, architecture, traditions and religions have all played into the art he makes.. He studies a period of art and then works with antique, vintage and original pieces to build his collage pictures making each one a unique study of a period, city or style. Claude works on his pieces to bring together a feeling of the period and art movement that is inspiring him. Sometimes Matisse and Picasso and other times old master drawings and abstracts. These set of collage...

Claude Howard Stuart is an artist working in Europe and America. Watercolor, ink ,acrylic and and even cold wax and oil are the many different mediums that Claude uses on his varied and exciting works. His influences come from all the different places and experiences he has had throughout his life, as well as the varied different art styles he’s studied. Having lived in many different places around the world the styles of art, architecture, traditions and religions have all played into the art he makes.. He studies a period of art and then works with antique, vintage and original pieces to build his collage pictures making each one a unique study of a period, city or style. Claude works on his pieces to bring together a feeling of the period and art movement that is inspiring him. Sometimes Matisse and Picasso and other times old master drawings and abstracts. These set of collage...

RINY artists Audrey Anastasi and C.Dimitri collaborated to create contemporary collage works. Full title: That Day in Crete when you found the Blue Blanket in the Rocks and Dried it ...

Mural Studies, Palace of Fine Arts San Francisco WPA American Modernism 1930s. 9 x 12 inches. Tempera on paper, c. 1936. Authenticated and signed ...

These collages were created first in the presence of a model, working quickly, in charcoal and pastel, and again, later, alone, furiously tearing and pasting images from magazines, v...

RINY artists Audrey Anastasi and C.Dimitri collaborated to create contemporary collage works. Born of the Covid pandemic, the team started working remotely, mailing artwork to each ...

"Animated Discourse" WPA Mid-Century American Scene Modernism Realism Figurative. Chris Ritter (American, 1906 – 1976) "Animated Discourse," 19 x 24 (sight). Watercolor on paper. Si...

Hans Burkhardt frequently used live models for his figural pastels, which he maintained an interest in throughout his long career. Untitled (1972) Pastel on paper 25" x 20" Signed a...

Old Tree and September Wind Clouds, 1961, by Charles Burchfield (1893-1967) Conte crayon on paper 13 ½ x 19 ½ inches unframed (34.29 x 49.53 cm) 19 ¾ x 25 ½ inches framed (50.165 x 6...

Unknown American Modernism School Untitled (Kitchen), c. 1930 Pencil on paper Sight size: 10 x 12 in. Framed: 16 3/4 x 20 3/4 in.

Donald Stacy "Morning Robe" March 1951 Ink on paper 14" x 16.5" unframed Signed and dated 1951 in pencil lower right Came from artist estate *Custom framing available for additional...

Hans Burkhardt regularly used live models for his figural pastels, which he maintained an interest in throughout his long career. Untitled (1963) Pastel on paper 24" x 19" Signed an...

"Five Faces #736" is an original black ink drawing with a stamped signature in the lower left by Sylvia Spicuzza. It depicts five female faces from a...

BYE BYE BIRDIE Original 1960 Broadway Musical Costume Drawing Tony Award Elvis. Miles White (1915 – 2000) BYE BYE BIRDIE 11 x 8 inches Mixed Media on...

Artist: William Gropper, American (1897 - 1977) Title: A Man and His Wine Year: Circa 1950 Medium: Crayon Drawing on Paper, signed in pencil l.l. Size: 11 x 9 in. (27.94 x 22.86 cm) ...

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 publicatio...

Chain Gang Music Watercolor on paper, dated '39, but created in the 1970's Signed "Longstreet" lower left corner Titled and annotated "George - '39" in pencil at top of sheet Provenance: Acquired from the artist Joseph M. Erdelac, friend and patron of the artist Born Henri Weiner (sometimes spelled Wiener), the artist tried alternate names and personae including Paul Haggard, Thomas Burton, and David Ormsbee before settling on the name Stephen Longstreet in 1939. Longstreet dates his art based on the period he means to represent, not the actual date of execution. 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...

A nude viewed from behind, with black hair , inscribed on the lower right by the artist John Begg "Mature Nude" c.1953 Outlined in black ink and with som...

Chaim Gross (American, 1904–1991) Acrobat with Cats, ca. 1950s Original drawing from The Acrobats series, Signed and dated lower right This expressive ink and wash drawing by Chaim...

Welcome to Gahan Wilson's magnificently morbid mind, where viewing his cartoons/illustrations gives the viewer the creeps. In this work, a husband designs...

Children Sledding, Women's World Magazine Cover, December 1939 Signed lower center image watercolor, gouache, pencil, and wash on paper

Collier's Magazine Illustration From the Estate of Charles Martignette. Work is framed in a period wood frame Watercolor on board

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 publicatio...

John Begg studied art at Columbia University, with Arthur Wesley Dow, with Charles Martin, and studied sculpture with Jose De Creeft and Ossip Zadkine.  He was a member of the  Ameri...

Charcoal, pastel lace Audrey Anastasi states: "The paper doll series was created first in the presence of a live model, working quickly, in charcoal an...

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) is arguably the most important American artist of the 20th century. He not only defined Pop Art but had an unparalleled influence on artists and visual cultur...

Art Seiden was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1923. He received a BA at Queens College and studied for eight years (!) at the Art Students League. Mario Cooper was among his instructors. Up...

A drawing by Irving Norman. "Striptease" is a macabre cultural commentary drawing, pencil and color pencil on paper executed in a dark palette of blacks, grays, and reds by social su...

The postman's delivery of a limp cactus creates a big emotional response the female recipient. Most likely an interior illustration for a newsstand magazine. Signed lower right Sus...

John Begg studied art at Columbia University, with Arthur Wesley Dow, with Charles Martin, and studied sculpture with Jose De Creeft and Ossip Zadkine.  He was a member of the  Ameri...

Golfers, 1928 Fred Conway (American, 1900-1973) Signed and Dated Lower Right 18.5 x 24.5 inches 30.5 x 37 inches with frame A member of the faculty of the Washington University Art ...

A political satire illustration “Hanging by a Hair” originally published in the The Philadelphia North American newspaper circa 1902, edited by Edwin A Van Valkenburg and pubilshed b...

Dong Kingman "Chinese Theater, Los Angeles" 1965 Watercolor on Paper Sheet Size: 15 x 22 inches Framed Size: approx 19 x 26 inches Dong Kingman, the world-renowned artist and teacher, died in his sleep on May 12, 2000 at age 89 in his home in Manhattan. The cause was pancreatic cancer. Long acknowledged as an American watercolor master, he has received an extraordinary number of awards and honors throughout his 70-year career in the arts. Included are two Guggenheim fellowships in 1942 and 1943; the San Francisco Art Association First Purchase Prize, 1936; Audubon Artist Medal of Honor, 1946; Philadelphia Watercolor Club Joseph Pennel Memorial Medal, 1950; Metropolitan Museum of Art Award, and the National Academy Design 150th Anniversary Gold Medal Award, 1975. In 1987, the American Watercolor Society awarded Dong Kingman its highest honor, the Dolphin Medal, "for having made outstanding contributions to art especially to that of watercolor." His work is represented in the permanent collections of 50 museums and universities, including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, M.H. deYoung Memorial Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Art Institute of Chicago, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, Des Moines Art Center, Columbus Museum of Arts and Crafts, Brooklyn Museum and Hirshhorn Museum. Born in Oakland, California in 1911 of Chinese descent, Kingman moved to Hong Kong at age five. He studied art and calligraphy in his formative years at the Lingnan School. The painting master Szeto Wai had recently studied art in Paris and took a keen interest in young Dongs precocious talents. He taught him both Chinese classical and French Impressionist styles of painting. Kingman returned home to Oakland when he was 18 at the height of the Depression. He worked as a newsboy and dishwasher to make ends meet. When he was employed as a houseboy for the Drew family in San Francisco, he painted every spare moment. In a year, he created enough pictures to have a one-man show at the Art Center. It attracted the attention of San Francisco art critics who raved about Kingmans unique style. Wrote Junius Cravens of the San Francisco News: "That young Chinese artist is showing 20 of the freshest and most satisfying watercolors that have been seen hereabouts in many a day Kingman already has developed that universal quality which may place a sincere artist work above the limitations of either racial characteristics or schools. Kingmans art belongs to the world at large today." Dong Kingman became an overnight success. From 1936 to 1941, he was a project artist for WPA and became a pioneer for a new school of painting, the "California Style." His two Guggenheim fellowships enabled him to travel the country painting American scenes. His first one-man show in New York at Midtown Galleries in 1942 was well received in the media, including Time, Newsweek, the New Yorker and American Artist. M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco held a major exhibit of his watercolors in 1945. In 1951, Midtown presented a 10-year retrospective of his work. Time Magazine wrote, "At age 40, Kingman is one of the worlds best watercolorists." Other retrospectives, including Corcoran in Washington,D.C. an d Witte Memorial Museum in San Antonio, were held for the artist. Kingman moved to Wildenstein (1958-1969) where he had successful exhibits in New York, London and Paris. Hammer Galleries exhibited his paintings in the 70s, and then the artist expanded his venues to the West Coast and Far East. During World War II, he served with the OSS in Washington, D.C. where he was a cartographer. After his honorable discharge, Kingman moved to Brooklyn Heights from San Francisco when he became a guest lecturer and then art instructor at Columbia University (1946-1958). Hunter College also appointed him instructor in watercolors and Chinese Art (1948-1953). His teaching career continued with the Famous Artists School, Westport, CT in 1953, joining such distinguished artists on the faculty as Will Barnet, Stuart Davis, Norman Rockwell and Ben Shahn. He also became a teaching member for 40 years for the Hewitt Painting Workshops, which conducts worldwide painting tours. He taught at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, was a member of its board, and received an honorary doctorate from the Academy. In 1954, the U.S. Department of State invited Kingman to go on a cultural exchange program tour around the world to give exhibitions and lectures and to meet local artists. When he came home, he presented the State Department with a 40-foot long report on a scroll, which later appeared in LIFE Magazine. One of Kingman's most treasured experiences was his invitation by the Ministry of Culture of the Peoples Republic of China to exhibit in that country in 1981. He was the first American artist to be accorded a one-man show since diplomatic relations resumed. More than 100,000 visitors attended his exhibitions in Beijing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou and the retrospective received critical acclaim from the Chinese press. Noted the China Daily Mail, "Just as the master painters of the Song Dynasty roamed about mountain and stream to capture the rhythm of nature, Dong Kingman traveled the world capturing the dynamism of modern lifefamiliar scenes have been transformed into a vibrant new vision of life through color schemes with rhythms that play over the entire surface of the picture. The wind swept skies which enliven his watercolors remind us of the pleinairism of the French Impressionists." Kingman, who has been fascinated with movies since seeing his first film "The Thief of Baghdad...