Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 9

Robert Hallowell
Staten Island

c. 1928

About the Item

Staten Island Watercolor on paper, c. 1928 Signed with the Estate stamp lower left Sheet size: 19 1/8 x 23 7/8 inches Titled on verso Part of small series of watercolors done of the New York City harbor and islands. A masterpiece of American watercolor of the 1920's Illustrated: Marbella Gallery, Inc: Robert Hallowell (1886-1939), No. 67, titled "Steam Ships" Condition: Very good small voids in the corners Color strong and fresh Provenance: Estate of the Artist Marbella Gallery, New York Fred Thayler Cohen Regarding Hallowell: “There is in Mr. Hallowell’s work a grace that amounts to graciousness.” Leo Stein (1872-1949) Robert Hallowell (1886-1939) was highly regarded as an artist exhibiting at the finest galleries and museums in American and France in the 1920’s and 1930’s. His other professional life included graduating from Phillips Academy, Andover and Harvard University. While at Harvard he was president of the Harvard Lampoon (1909-1910) and was a founding member of the now famous New Republic Magazine with Walter Lippman and Herbert Croly. Robert worked there as business manager and publisher from 1914 to 1925, when he left to concentrate on his artistic creativity. Hallowell was an official for the Treasury Department during World War One. His final Government posting was as Assistant Director of the Federal Arts Project in 1935-36. How can someone of such cultural involvement have fallen to total obscurity today? All the works came from Mildred Thaler Cohen (1921-2012), a noted New York collector and gallerist. Along with her first husband, they started collecting American paintings in the 1950’s when they were out of public favor. Upon the death of her husband, she opened the Marbella Gallery on 72nd Street in Manhattan establishing the reputation of being a connoisseur/dealer. The offerings were displayed in her gallery and home salon style.. When and how the Thaler’s acquired the works remain a mystery. On my first viewing of Hallowell’s artwork, I was taken with his application of paint (oil and especially watercolor) and his color harmonies and delicate shading. The limited scholarship on the artist tells us he was self-taught. All the more impressive. Today, they stand the test of time and should be regarded for their beauty and for the historic acclaim they achieved in the 1920’s and 30’s. Public Collections: Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. Cleveland Museum of Art Brooklyn Museum of Art Baltimore Museum of Art Harvard University, Adams Hall McBride Collection Lewishon Collection Arthur B. Davies Collection Metropolitan Museum of Art Worcester Art Museum Museum of the City of New York Fogg Art Museum, Harvard Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Denver Museum Newark Museum Wilmington Museum Selected Exhibitions Bernheim-Jeune, Paris, 1924, 1925 Montrose Gallery, New York, 1924, 1927, 1929, 1932 Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY 1925 Druet Gallery, Paris 1927 Feragil Gallery, New York 1930 Knoedler Gallery, Chicago 1930 McClaus Gallery, Philadelphia 1933 Macbeth Gallery, New York 1934 Paul Reinhardt Gallery, New York 1939 Babcock Gallery, New York 1949 Baltimore Museum of Art Corcoran Gallery, Washington D.C. Art Institute of Chicago 1925, 1926, 1927 Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts 1927, 1928, 1929 Brooklyn Museum, American Watercolors, Pastels, Collages, 1984 Excerpts from reviews of Hallowell’s exhibitions: Royal Cortissoz (Art Critic New York Herald Tribune), 1924 “He is a firm and spirited workman, clever in the notation of his light, and very good in his color.” Leo Stein (1872-1949) noted art critic and brother of Gertrude Stein, wrote in 1925 “There is in Mr. Hallowell’s work a grace that amounts to graciousness.” New York Times Obituary Notice, Jan. 28, 1939 “…in 1926 a large showing of his watercolors and oils in the Montrose Gallery in New York established his American reputation.” Elizabeth Luther Cary (1967-1936, the first art critic at the New York Times), 1935 “The paintings of Robert Hallowell speak in fewer words of greater things…Done expertly with a personal emotion…” Ronald G. Pisano (1948-2000), noted American Art Historian and scholar on the works of William Merritt Chase wrote in the Marbella Gallery catalog of Robert Hallowell’s works: “His art, like many of his contemporaries, reveals his interest in modernist tendencies introduced to American art in the early 20th century. It is only within recent years that artists such as Hallowell are being appreciated for their full value and whose historical significance is now emerging.”
  • Creator:
    Robert Hallowell (1886-1939, American)
  • Creation Year:
    c. 1928
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 19.125 in (48.58 cm)Width: 23.875 in (60.65 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Very good, never matted or framed small voids in the corners Color strong and fresh.
  • Gallery Location:
    Fairlawn, OH
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: FA118821stDibs: LU14013843122

More From This Seller

View All
Landscape with buildings and trees
By Leon Kelly
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Landscape with buildings and trees Watercolor on paper, c. 1930's Signed in pencil lower right (see photo) Provenance: Estate of the artist Condition: Excellent Sheet size: 9 3/8 x 1...
Category

1930s American Modern Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Cows in a Field (Recto) Two Figures in an Interior (Verso)
By Louis Schanker
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Cows in a Field (Recto) Two Figures in an Interior (Verso) Watercolor on heavy textured paper, 1938 Signed in ink verso image of Two Figures, unsigned ...
Category

1930s American Modern Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Gaspe: St. Lawrence Village
By William Grauer
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Signed by the artist in pencil, lower right Provenance: Estate of the Artist With the artist's original presentation (Frame and matting) Two similar titles were exhibited in The ...
Category

1950s American Modern Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

untitled (Rocks along the Coast)
By William C. Grauer
Located in Fairlawn, OH
untitled (Rocks along the Coast) Gouache and watercolor on paper, c. 1950 Signed with the estate stamp signature lower left (see photo) This is a preliminary study for a large exhibition painting...
Category

1950s American Modern Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Gouache

The Duomo, Florence
By Donald Shaw MacLaughlan
Located in Fairlawn, OH
The Duomo, Florence Watercolor, 1914 Signed and dated lower center edge (see photo) Florence Cathedral, formally the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, is the cathedral of Florence, Italy. It was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to a design of Arnolfo di Cambio and was structurally completed by 1436, with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. Condition: Excellent Image size: 16 3/4 x 14 1/2 inches Frame size: 24 1/4 x 22 inches Donald Shaw MacLaughlan was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada on November 9, 1876. His family moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1890 where he began to experiment with different art media; watercolor, oil painting and finally, etching – with a few attempts at lithography. He spent much of his early years at the Boston Public Library studying the work of printmakers, from Durer and Rembrandt to the 18th century English, French and Italian masters. Like many American artists of the time MacLaughlan traveled to Europe to study in Paris, enrolling in the Ecole des Beaux Arts and studied further with Jean Leon Gerome and Jean Paul Laurens. In 1899 he began producing etchings, which became his major interest until his death in 1938. He became acquainted with James NcNeill Whistler (1834-1903) and other artists who created etchings and spent time studying the etchings of Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) and other old masters in the collection of the Bibliothèque Nationale. Both Rembrandt and Whistler would have major influences on his art. In 1900 he created a set of 25 etched views of Paris and in 1901 exhibited two etchings in the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. He returned to the U.S. in 1903, then went back to Paris the following year. He traveled extensively in Europe, visiting England, Switzerland, Italy and Spain as well as various locales in France. His etched views of Venice were well-known. MacLaughlan exhibited views of Paris, Rouen, Normandy and Italy in 1906 in a solo show at the American Art Association Galleries in Paris. He also displayed his work in the 1906 exhibitions of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts and the Société des Peintres-Graveurs Français. MacLaughlan even instructed other expatriate Canadian artists then living in Paris, most notably Clarence...
Category

1910s American Modern Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

untitled (Street Scene Mexico)
By William Grauer
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Untitled Mexican Landscape (Man Walking on Street) Ink and watercolor on paper. Signed with the estate stamp lower right (see photo) From the Estate of the Artist with the artist's estate stamp lower right. C. 1960's Condition: excellent Image/Sheet size: 9 7/8 x 7 5/8 inches William C. Grauer (1895-1985) William C. Grauer (1895-1985) was born in Philadelphia to German immigrant parents. After attending the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art, Grauer received a four year scholarship from the City of Philadelphia to pursue post graduate work. It was during this time that Grauer began working as a designer at the Decorative Stained Glass Co. in Philadelphia. Following his World War I service in France, Grauer moved to Akron, Ohio where he opened a studio in 1919 with his future brother-in-law, the architect George Evans Mitchell. Soon, the Rorimer-Brooks design company, the developer Van Swerngen brothers, as well as the Sterling Welch and Halle Bros. department stores realized the extent of Grauer's talent and eagerly employed him. Grauer’s work during this time included architectural renderings for Shaker Square, Moreland Courts, and other many other projects commissioned by Cleveland architects. Grauer also remained true to his roots as a master designer of stained glass windows. With his work in such high demand, Grauer received a commission in 1921 to paint murals for the French Grill...
Category

1960s American Modern Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

You May Also Like

Nude Picnic Virgin Islands
By Robert Noel Blair
Located in Buffalo, NY
Robert Noel Blair (American, 1912-2003) was an American artist, painter, sculptor, printmaker and teacher. He is best known for his rural life & desert landscapes and World War II sc...
Category

1960s American Modern Nude Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Watercolor

1930s WPA Era Watercolor Painting of Horses in a Southwest Landscape
By Lloyd Moylan
Located in Denver, CO
Immerse yourself in the beauty of the American Southwest with this stunning vintage painting by renowned artist Lloyd Moylan (1893–1963). This masterful watercolor and gouache on pap...
Category

1930s American Modern Animal Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache

Plowman, Brecksville, Ohio, Early 20th Century Farm Landscape, Cleveland School
By Frank Wilcox
Located in Beachwood, OH
Frank Nelson Wilcox (American, 1887–1964) Plowman, Brecksville, Ohio, c. 1922 Watercolor on paper Signed lower right 22.5 x 27.75 inches 27.75 x 34.5 inches, framed Frank Nelson Wilcox (October 3, 1887 – April 17, 1964) was a modernist American artist and a master of watercolor. Wilcox is described as the "Dean of Cleveland School painters," though some sources give this appellation to Henry Keller or Frederick Gottwald. Wilcox was born on October 3, 1887 to Frank Nelson Wilcox, Sr. and Jessie Fremont Snow Wilcox at 61 Linwood Street in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, a prominent lawyer, died at home in 1904 shortly before Wilcox' 17th birthday. His brother, lawyer and publisher Owen N. Wilcox, was president of the Gates Legal Publishing Company or The Gates Press. His sister Ruth Wilcox was a respected librarian. In 1906 Wilcox enrolled from the Cleveland School of Art under the tutelage of Henry Keller, Louis Rorimer, and Frederick Gottwald. He also attended Keller's Berlin Heights summer school from 1909. After graduating in 1910, Wilcox traveled and studied in Europe, sometimes dropping by Académie Colarossi in the evening to sketch the model or the other students at their easels, where he was influenced by French impressionism. Wilcox was influenced by Keller's innovative watercolor techniques, and from 1910 to 1916 they experimented together with impressionism and post-impressionism. Wilcox soon developed his own signature style in the American Scene or Regionalist tradition of the early 20th century. He joined the Cleveland School of Art faculty in 1913. Among his students were Lawrence Edwin Blazey, Carl Gaertner, Paul Travis, and Charles E. Burchfield. Around this time Wilcox became associated with Cowan Pottery. In 1916 Wilcox married fellow artist Florence Bard, and they spent most of their honeymoon painting in Berlin Heights with Keller. They had one daughter, Mary. In 1918 he joined the Cleveland Society of Artists, a conservative counter to the Bohemian Kokoon Arts Club, and would later serve as its president. He also began teaching night school at the John Huntington Polytechnic Institute at this time, and taught briefly at Baldwin-Wallace College. Wilcox wrote and illustrated Ohio Indian Trails in 1933, which was favorably reviewed by the New York Times in 1934. This book was edited and reprinted in 1970 by William A. McGill. McGill also edited and reprinted Wilcox' Canals of the Old Northwest in 1969. Wilcox also wrote, illustrated, and published Weather Wisdom in 1949, a limited edition (50 copies) of twenty-four serigraphs (silk screen prints) accompanied by commentary "based upon familiar weather observations commonly made by people living in the country." Wilcox displayed over 250 works at Cleveland's annual May Show. He received numerous awards, including the Penton Medal for The Omnibus, Paris (1920), Fish Tug on Lake Erie (1921), Blacksmith Shop (1922), and The Gravel Pit (1922). Other paintings include The Trailing Fog (1929), Under the Big Top (1930), and Ohio Landscape...
Category

1920s American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Handsome Couple in Sailboat - Collier's Magazine Illustration
By Earl Oliver Hurst
Located in Miami, FL
Collier's Magazine Illustration From the Estate of Charles Martignette. Work is framed in a period wood frame Watercolor on board
Category

1940s American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Board

Home in the Village, Mt. St. Michel, France, Early 20th Century Cleveland School
By Frank Wilcox
Located in Beachwood, OH
Frank Nelson Wilcox (American, 1887–1964) Home in the Village, Mt. St. Michel, France, c. 1926 Watercolor on board Signed lower right 21.75 x 28 inches 30.5 x 36.5 inches, framed Frank Nelson Wilcox (October 3, 1887 – April 17, 1964) was a modernist American artist and a master of watercolor. Wilcox is described as the "Dean of Cleveland School painters," though some sources give this appellation to Henry Keller or Frederick Gottwald. Wilcox was born on October 3, 1887 to Frank Nelson Wilcox, Sr. and Jessie Fremont Snow Wilcox at 61 Linwood Street in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, a prominent lawyer, died at home in 1904 shortly before Wilcox' 17th birthday. His brother, lawyer and publisher Owen N. Wilcox, was president of the Gates Legal Publishing Company or The Gates Press. His sister Ruth Wilcox was a respected librarian. In 1906 Wilcox enrolled from the Cleveland School of Art under the tutelage of Henry Keller, Louis Rorimer, and Frederick Gottwald. He also attended Keller's Berlin Heights summer school from 1909. After graduating in 1910, Wilcox traveled and studied in Europe, sometimes dropping by Académie Colarossi in the evening to sketch the model or the other students at their easels, where he was influenced by French impressionism. Wilcox was influenced by Keller's innovative watercolor techniques, and from 1910 to 1916 they experimented together with impressionism and post-impressionism. Wilcox soon developed his own signature style in the American Scene or Regionalist tradition of the early 20th century. He joined the Cleveland School of Art faculty in 1913. Among his students were Lawrence Edwin Blazey, Carl Gaertner, Paul Travis, and Charles E. Burchfield. Around this time Wilcox became associated with Cowan Pottery. In 1916 Wilcox married fellow artist Florence Bard, and they spent most of their honeymoon painting in Berlin Heights with Keller. They had one daughter, Mary. In 1918 he joined the Cleveland Society of Artists, a conservative counter to the Bohemian Kokoon Arts Club, and would later serve as its president. He also began teaching night school at the John Huntington Polytechnic Institute at this time, and taught briefly at Baldwin-Wallace College. Wilcox wrote and illustrated Ohio Indian Trails in 1933, which was favorably reviewed by the New York Times in 1934. This book was edited and reprinted in 1970 by William A. McGill. McGill also edited and reprinted Wilcox' Canals of the Old Northwest in 1969. Wilcox also wrote, illustrated, and published Weather Wisdom in 1949, a limited edition (50 copies) of twenty-four serigraphs (silk screen prints) accompanied by commentary "based upon familiar weather observations commonly made by people living in the country." Wilcox displayed over 250 works at Cleveland's annual May Show. He received numerous awards, including the Penton Medal for The Omnibus, Paris (1920), Fish Tug on Lake Erie (1921), Blacksmith Shop (1922), and The Gravel Pit (1922). Other paintings include The Trailing Fog (1929), Under the Big Top (1930), and Ohio Landscape...
Category

1920s American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Hopi Village on First Mesa, Arizona: Red, Blue, Orange Mixed Media Landscape Art
Located in Denver, CO
This striking mixed-media artwork, titled Walpi #9 (Hopi Village on First Mesa, Arizona), is a masterful combination of watercolor, ink, and charcoal on paper by Bert Van Bork...
Category

1990s American Modern Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal, Ink, Watercolor

Recently Viewed

View All