Art by Medium: Masonite

A pair of evocative beach still life painting that flirt with surrealism by outsider artist, John Prue. Oil on masonite panel, each measures 12 x 24 i...

Conversation on the San Francisco Pier, Oil on Canvas, Signed, 1928 Early 20th Century oil painting of men having a conversation on the San Francisco, California pier with boats in ...

Wonderful mid century landscape and figurative of farmers guide a cart pulled by cows along a dirt path, a majestic mountain is their backdrop; a scene from South Africa. Signed "V...

André Debono is a contemporary French abstract painter based in Nîmes. Deeply influenced by the radical deconstruction of the Supports/Surfaces movement—particularly the legacy of Cl...

André Debono is a contemporary French abstract painter based in Nîmes. Deeply influenced by the radical deconstruction of the Supports/Surfaces movement—particularly the legacy of Cl...

A series of six abstract painting by American artist, Edward Pechmann Renouf (1906-1999). Oil on six individual masonite panels, each panel meas...

André Debono is a contemporary French abstract painter based in Nîmes. Deeply influenced by the radical deconstruction of the Supports/Surfaces movement—particularly the legacy of Cl...

Australian, Early-Mid 20th Century Signed: H. S. Jones 1939 (Lower, Right) " Australian Sheep Herder and his Chum ", 1939 (Near Brisbane, Queensland) (Titled on Verso) Oil on Maso...

Alice B. Doughten (1880-1969). Still Life with Roses, ca. 1930. Oil on masonite panel, 12 x 16 inches. Measures 18 x 22 inches framed. Signed lower right. Original label affixed on verso with Moorestown NJ identified as artist's address. Born in Camden, New Jersey, Alice Doughten became noted for her still life and landscape paintings with figures, usually watercolors and sometimes abstract in style. She studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts with Henry McCarter, Earl Horter, Ralph Pearson...

A strong modernist oil painting depicted in the Mid Century by Russian painter Michael Baxte. Mostly known for his abstracted figures on canvas or street scenes, this piece is a wonderful representation of his landscapes with expressive use of color, shape, and form. Later in his career, Baxte explores Expressionism, infusing both European and North American stylistic trends. Art measures 15 x 18 inches Michael Posner Baxte was born in 1890 in the small town of Staroselje Belarus, Russia. For the first half of the 19th century, it was a center of the Chabad movement of Hasidic Jews, but this group was gone by the middle of the 19th century. By the time the Baxte family immigrated to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish population numbered only on the hundreds. The native language of the Baxte family was Yiddish. It is likely that the death of Michael Baxte’s father triggered the family’s immigration. Three older brothers arrived in New York between 1903 and 1905. Michael and his mother, Rebecca, arrived in 1907. By 1910 Michael, his mother, and brother, Joseph, were living in New Orleans and may have spent some time on a Louisiana plantation. Around 1912, Michael Baxte returned to Europe to study the violin. In 1914 he, his mother, and Joseph moved to New York City. Meanwhile, in Algeria, a talented young woman painter, Violette Mege, was making history. For the first time, a woman won the prestigious Beaux Art competition in Algeria. At first, the awards committee denied her the prize but, with French government intervention, Mege eventually prevailed. She won again 3 years later and, in 1916, used the scholarship to visit the United States of America. When Violette came to New York, she met Baxte, who was, by then, an accomplished violinist, teacher, and composer. Baxte’s compositions were performed at the Tokyo Imperial Theater, and in 1922 he was listed in the American Jewish Yearbook as one of the prominent members of the American Jewish community. As a music teacher, he encouraged individual expression. Baxte stated, “No pupil should ever be forced into the imitation of the teacher. Art is a personal experience, and the teacher’s truest aim must be to awaken this light of personality through the patient's light of science.” By 1920 Michael Baxte and Violette Mege were living together in Manhattan. Although they claimed to be living as husband and wife, it seems that their marriage did not become official until 1928. On their “unofficial” honeymoon around 1917, in Algiers, Baxte confided to her his ambition to paint. There and later in New Mexico where the wonderful steeped sunlight approximates the coloring of Algiers, she taught him his heart’s desire. He never had any other teacher. She never had any other pupil. For ten years she devoted all her time, energy, and ambition to teaching, encouraging, inspiring him. Then in 1928, their mutual strivings were rewarded, as his works were being chosen as one of the two winners in the Dudensing National Competition for American Painters. Out of 150 artists from across the country participated in the Dudensing, and Michael Posner Baxte and, Robert Fawcett...

You definitely need this fantastic Mid-Century Modern serigraph of Chicago's Executive House hotel and the Chicago River by artist Mark Coomer, in its orig...

Signed lower right, 'Keith Longcor' (American, 1944-2015) and dated, '2002'; additionally titled verso, 'Airplanes from a Parking Garage- Modesto CA'. A substantial Modernist landsc...

The simple title "Quarantine" belies the complex nature of this work. It is a self-portrait of the artist, Henry Heading, immersed in the tools of his tr...

A captivating, 1940s Modern painting of a seated nude on a garden bench by famed Chicago artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). A sensitive, skilled portrait of a young female mode...

Vintage Landscape -- Blooming Wildflower Field Beautiful vintage landscape in dark blue, yellow, and red accents of a field dotted with wildflowers and silhouetted birds soaring ove...

André Debono is a contemporary French abstract painter based in Nîmes. Deeply influenced by the radical deconstruction of the Supports/Surfaces movement—particularly the legacy of Cl...

André Debono is a contemporary French abstract painter based in Nîmes. Deeply influenced by the radical deconstruction of the Supports/Surfaces movement—particularly the legacy of Cl...

Golden Hour at the Cottage - Original Landscape Oil Painting, Canvas on Masonite A sunlit cottage sits amongst evergreens and golden-leaved trees in a clearing. Warm hues contrast natural tones of green and blue in this calming landscape painting of the woods. Presented in a frame of the period with linen fillet, included as-is, showing wear consistent with age. Frame 14.5”H x 22.5”W Art 8”H x 16”W Genevieve Wilhelm (American, 1908-2005) was born in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, daughter of the late Arthur A. and Helen Shephard Billman. She was a graduate of Fine Arts from Ohio State University and attended DePauw University and Kent State University. She also studied ceramics at the Cleveland Institute of Art and Alfred University and was a student of watercolor with Roy Wilhelm...

Ralph Chapotean (Haitian, 1954-Active) Surrealist landscape Oil on Massanet 16 x 24 unframed, 17.5 x 25.5 framed

After John Russel Portrait of young girl, with seashell and bird. Oil on masonite. 25.25 x 29.5 framed, 19.75 x 24 unframed.

Beautiful Orient, Long Island, New York painting by well known Hampton artist, John Crimmins. Acrylic on masonite. Circa 1995. Signed lower left. Condition is excellent. The painting is housed in a a new contemporary antique silver frame 26 by 30.25 inches. Provenance: A Southampton, New York collector. East End artist, John Crimmins was born in New York in 1963. As an American Impressionist painter, he lives in New York and he is very active in the Hamptons. Incredibly, he is self-taught, having studied the works and techniques of the prominent American artist Charles Hawthorne and living by his saying “Let Color make form”. If you view John’s paintings at close inspection you will see single spots of color silhouetted with another which not only shows his skill but his passion and intricate dedication to his work. His paintings are done 'alla prima', that in Italian means 'at first attempt', it is a painting technique, used mostly in oil painting, in which layers of wet paint are applied to previously administered layers of wet paint. With this style of painting the work is to be completed while the paint is still wet, so once started his works are finished in one session. He is a member of the East End Arts Council and his paintings are a part of the Ken Ratner Collection and the Southold Historical Society in New York. His works were a part of the Islip Art Museum IAM Pocket sized open Call Exhibition in 2015. He is mostly known for his flag and local Hampton beach paintings.

André Debono is a contemporary French abstract painter based in Nîmes. Deeply influenced by the radical deconstruction of the Supports/Surfaces movement—particularly the legacy of Cl...

An original oil on masonite painting by well listed Mexican artist Leonardo Nierman. This work comes in a unique gold frame presentation which is likely original to the piece. Si...

André Debono is a contemporary French abstract painter based in Nîmes. Deeply influenced by the radical deconstruction of the Supports/Surfaces movement—particularly the legacy of Cl...

A Charming, 1960s Mid-Century Modern Portrait of a Young Man by Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). With wonderful expressionist brushwork and a vibrant palette, the painting most like...

Spring Valley - Small Plein Air Landscape in Oil on Masonite Idyllic valley landscape with mountains in the distance by Gibson (20th Century). Pink flowers are in bloom throughout the landscape, with a handful of light green trees on either side of the composition. In the distance, a couple of purple mountains rise to meet a soft yellow and blue sky. The artist was a woman who had a gallery in Palm Desert...

A magnificent 1931 American Modern, Art Deco abstract painting by important American Modern paintier and sculptor, John Storrs. Oil on Masonite; signed and dated Storrs 17.2.31, l...

Board Size: 24 x 30 in. Frame Size: 31 x 37 in. Signed, bottom Left: "F. Lamothe" In this oil and wax on Masonite painting, Haitian artist Fritz ...

Vibrant and playful landscape by California artist Richard "Don" Klopfer (1920-2009). Signed and dated "R. Klopfer 3.86" on verso. No frame. Board size: 13"H x 19"W Richard "Don" Kl...

A large, ethereal toned, pale blue Modern Abstract Geometric painting by notable Chicago Institute of Design artist, Eugene Dana. A Shakespeare-themed painting titled "The Tempest -...

This work is part of our exhibition Marina Stern Luminary, the first retrospective of the artist since 2007. Marina Stern was a multifaceted New York-based artist whose works ranged...

Tropical Fantasy Floral - Still Life Flowers Painting by Marc Zimmerman Oil on board Marc Zimmerman creates playful paintings, whether deep mysterious jungle or delightfully whimsic...

Wonderful mid-century still life of a floral bouquet with self portrait, in a vivid palette and painterly brush strokes, by Marjorie Hyman (American, - 2016), circa 1969. Signed lower left corner. Unframed. Condition: Good; wear on edges and corners. Image size: 30"H x 24"W. Hyman was a professional artist, published poet, played piano at the Officers Club during World War II. She studied theater at Stanford University and later performed professional monologues in the Bay Area. Member of the Peninsula Art Association, student of Alice de Boton...

A strong modernist oil painting depicted in 1969 by Russian painter Michael Baxte. Mostly known for his abstracted figures on canvas or street scenes, this piece is a wonderful representation of his bold still life paintings, with expressive use of color, shape, and form. Later in his career, Baxte explores Expressionism, infusing both European and North American stylistic trends. This piece is from later in his career, but we can feel this underlying style throughout. Art measures 21.75 x 18 inches Michael Posner Baxte was born in 1890 in the small town of Staroselje Belarus, Russia. For the first half of the 19th century it was a center of the Chabad movement of Hasidic Jews, but this group was gone by the middle of the 19th century. By the time the Baxte family immigrated to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish population numbered only on the hundreds. The native language of the Baxte family was Yiddish. It is likely that the death of Michael Baxte’s father triggered the family’s immigration. Three older brothers arrived in New York between 1903 and 1905. Michael and his mother, Rebecca, arrived in 1907. By 1910 Michael, his mother, and brother, Joseph, were living in New Orleans and may have spent some time on a Louisiana plantation. Around 1912, Michael Baxte returned to Europe to study the violin. In 1914 he, his mother, and Joseph moved to New York City. Meanwhile, in Algeria, a talented young woman painter, Violette Mege, was making history. Since for the first time, a woman won the prestigious Beaux Art competition in Algeria. At first, the awards committee denied her the prize but, with French government intervention, Mege eventually prevailed. She won again 3 years later and, in 1916, used the scholarship to visit the United States of America. When Violette came to New York, she met Baxte, who was, by then, an accomplished violinist, teacher, and composer. Baxte’s compositions were performed at the Tokyo Imperial Theater, and in 1922 he was listed in the American Jewish Yearbook as one of the prominent members of the American Jewish community. As a music teacher he encouraged individual expression. Baxte stated, “No pupil should ever be forced into imitation of the teacher. Art is a personal experience, and the teacher’s truest aim must be to awaken this light of personality through the patient light of science.” By 1920 Michael Baxte and Violette Mege were living together in Manhattan. Although they claimed to be living as husband and wife, it seems that their marriage did not become official until 1928. On their “unofficial” honeymoon around 1917, in Algiers, Baxte confided to her his ambition to paint. There and later in New Mexico where the wonderful steeped sunlight approximates the coloring of Algiers, she taught him his heart’s desire. He never had any other teacher. She never had any other pupil. For ten years she devoted all her time, energy, and ambition to teaching, encouraging, inspiring him. Then in 1928, their mutual strivings were rewarded, as his works were being chosen as one of the two winners in the Dudensing National Competition for American Painters. Out of 150 artists from across the country participated in the Dudensing, and Michael Posner Baxte and, Robert Fawcett...

A beautiful mid century modernist take on Madonna and child by Dorothy Steck Beech of Carmel, California (American, 1915-2002). Signed "D.S. Beech" lower right. Displayed in a rusti...

"Setting Off" - Nautical Scene in Oil on Masonite Original impressionist seascape with sailboat by Richard M. Bacon a New England artist (American, 20th Century). At the end of a do...

Abstracted imagined architectural elements is this early and important oil and acrylic painting from 1991 —mixed media: acrylic, dry pigment, ink, pencil on archival board. Kim Froh...

"Pyramid Schema" Abstract Surrealist Composition in Oil on Masonite Panel Abstract surrealist composition by California artist Devon Brockopp-Hammer (American, b. 1986). A large whi...

This framed 15.125" x 19.875" oil painting on masonite by Oklahoma-based artist James Cobb is a still-life depicting a bountiful set up consisting of an eggplant, two gourds, one man...

Signed lower right, 'Emerson' for William C. Emerson (American, 1865-1937) and dated 1910. Original card board, verso, was additionally signed 'W. C. Emerson' and titled, 'The Dance'...

A strong modernist oil painting depicted in 1971 by Russian painter Michael Baxte. Mostly known for his abstracted figures on canvas or street scenes, this piece is a wonderful representation of his landscape paintings, with expressive use of color, shape, and form. Later in his career, Baxte explores Expressionism, infusing both European and North American stylistic trends. This piece is from later in his career, but we can feel this underlying style throughout. Art measures 18 x 21.75 inches Michael Posner Baxte was born in 1890 in the small town of Staroselje Belarus, Russia. For the first half of the 19th century it was a center of the Chabad movement of Hasidic Jews, but this group was gone by the middle of the 19th century. By the time the Baxte family immigrated to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish population numbered only on the hundreds. The native language of the Baxte family was Yiddish. It is likely that the death of Michael Baxte’s father triggered the family’s immigration. Three older brothers arrived in New York between 1903 and 1905. Michael and his mother, Rebecca, arrived in 1907. By 1910 Michael, his mother, and brother, Joseph, were living in New Orleans and may have spent some time on a Louisiana plantation. Around 1912, Michael Baxte returned to Europe to study the violin. In 1914 he, his mother, and Joseph moved to New York City. Meanwhile, in Algeria, a talented young woman painter, Violette Mege, was making history. Since for the first time, a woman won the prestigious Beaux Art competition in Algeria. At first, the awards committee denied her the prize but, with French government intervention, Mege eventually prevailed. She won again 3 years later and, in 1916, used the scholarship to visit the United States of America. When Violette came to New York, she met Baxte, who was, by then, an accomplished violinist, teacher, and composer. Baxte’s compositions were performed at the Tokyo Imperial Theater, and in 1922 he was listed in the American Jewish Yearbook as one of the prominent members of the American Jewish community. As a music teacher he encouraged individual expression. Baxte stated, “No pupil should ever be forced into imitation of the teacher. Art is a personal experience, and the teacher’s truest aim must be to awaken this light of personality through the patient light of science.” By 1920 Michael Baxte and Violette Mege were living together in Manhattan. Although they claimed to be living as husband and wife, it seems that their marriage did not become official until 1928. On their “unofficial” honeymoon around 1917, in Algiers, Baxte confided to her his ambition to paint. There and later in New Mexico where the wonderful steeped sunlight approximates the coloring of Algiers, she taught him his heart’s desire. He never had any other teacher. She never had any other pupil. For ten years she devoted all her time, energy, and ambition to teaching, encouraging, inspiring him. Then in 1928, their mutual strivings were rewarded, as his works were being chosen as one of the two winners in the Dudensing National Competition for American Painters. Out of 150 artists from across the country participated in the Dudensing, and Michael Posner Baxte and, Robert Fawcett, were the winners. In his 1924 naturalization application, he indicated that he was sometimes known as “Michael Posner Baxte.” One of the witnesses to his application was Bernard Karfiol, a Jewish American artist. That’s when Michael may...

Expressive Mid-Century figural painting of two women and child in pastel hues by Harold Kitner (American, 1921 - 2004). Image, 33"H x 48"W Walnut frame, 34"H x 49"W x 2"D Harold Kitner was born on May 18, 1921 in Cleveland, Ohio and was the son of Isaac and Frieda Kitner. He obtained his MA from Case Western Reserve University in 1947. Kitner was a postgraduate from Cleveland Institute, Ohio University, Cleveland College, Washington and Lee University. He obtained his Doctorate from Kent State University. Exhibition: Harold Kitner - Active / Figure / Exaltation at Kent State School of Art Gallery in Kent, Ohio in 2014. Harold Kitner taught for over 30 years at the Kent State University School of Art. Harold Kitner began teaching art and art history at Kent State University in 1947. During his career, he served as Director and Chairman of the Fine Arts Division. Kitner played a significant role in creating the Art School’s core program, organizing the Kent State Arts Festival, and the Blossom Festival School. He also served as President of the Kent chapter of the American Association of University Professors, and was an art critic for the Akron Beacon Journal. In 1967, Kitner became Kent State University’s first Faculty Ombudsman, officially titled Dean for Faculty Counsel. He held this position until 1974. At the time of the Kent State shootings, Kitner’s position as Ombudsman meant that he was involved in many of the decisions regarding University administration in the weeks and months following the Kent State shootings. Kitner began a partial retirement in 1980, and left Kent to become the director of the Institute of the South Florida Art...

A Striking Surrealist Abstract 1950s Mid-Century Modern Painting "Mother & Child" by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Oil on Masonite, dating from 1952. E...

A Vibrant, Expressionist 1950s Mid-Century Modern Still Life Painting by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Depicting a bright and cheerful studio still life sce...

This framed 12" x 16" oil painting on masonite board by James Cobb depicts the quiet country setting of a stucco home and workshop. The colorful fall foliage, notably the crisp red h...

Artist: Donald Roy Purdy, American (1924 - ) Title: Rabbi Year: circa 1960 Medium: Oil on Masonite, signed l.r. Size: 36 x 24 in. (91.44 x 60.96 cm)

Oil on masonite painting by the Russian/American artist, Nahum Tschacbasov. Signed top right and dated 1966. Titled verso. Condition is good. Unframed. Provenance: Sarasota, Flor...

Intriguing oil on masonite painting by the American artist Richard Kirk of a young boy wearing a jesters hat. Signed lower right. Circa 1960. Condition is excellent. The painting is in it original painted wood and intentionally distressed frame. Overall measurements framed 22.5 by 30.5 inches. Provenance: Sarasota, Florida collector. My first recollections were of drawing. I don't remember telling people that I wanted to be an artist. I just loved drawing. At times, it was all that occupied my young mind. My passion for drawing was instantly converted to a passion for painting after I met my best friend's father, Oleg Stavrowsky...

Italian painting from the mid-20th century. Work oil on masonite depicting still life Sweet fruits of good pictorial quality. Nice sized and pleasantly furnished framework signed low...

This 20" x 16" oil painting on masonite panel by Oklahoma-based artist James Cobb is a still life featuring yellow poppies inside of a brass pot used as a vase. The composition also ...

Kierstin Young's (US based) "Aurora" is an oil painting that depicts a grouping of barren trees surrounded with fog and ambiguous green and blue light Artist Statement/Bio: (b. The ...

We are delighted to offer a unique and evocative piece by the Swedish artist Ingeborg Westfelt-Eggertz. This small oil sketch captures a moment in time, portraying a young man seated...

Signed lower right, 'Di Gesu' for Victor Di Gesu (American, 1914-1988) and dated 1964. A large, mid-century oil townscape showing a view of the old town of Carmel, California, with ...

Charming rural western scene of a tree lined county lane painted during bright daylight by listed artist Frank Leslie True (American, 1877-1963). Signed and dated by the artist, lower right: "Frank L. True 1050." Cut down painting of flowers on verso. Presented in an vintage, rustic wood frame. Image, 9"H x 12"W. Frank Leslie True was born in Iowa on May 22, 1877. True moved to California in 1906. For 45 years, he worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad...

A strong modernist oil painting depicted in 1963 by Russian painter Michael Baxte. Mostly known for his abstracted figures on canvas or street scenes, this piece is a wonderful representation of his figures in water landscapes with expressive use of color, shape, and form. Later in his career, Baxte explores Expressionism, infusing both European and North American stylistic trends. This piece is from later in his career, but we can feel this underlying style throughout. Art measures 18 x 21.75 inches Michael Posner Baxte was born in 1890 in the small town of Staroselje Belarus, Russia. For the first half of the 19th century it was a center of the Chabad movement of Hasidic Jews, but this group was gone by the middle of the 19th century. By the time the Baxte family immigrated to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish population numbered only on the hundreds. The native language of the Baxte family was Yiddish. It is likely that the death of Michael Baxte’s father triggered the family’s immigration. Three older brothers arrived in New York between 1903 and 1905. Michael and his mother, Rebecca, arrived in 1907. By 1910 Michael, his mother, and brother, Joseph, were living in New Orleans and may have spent some time on a Louisiana plantation. Around 1912, Michael Baxte returned to Europe to study the violin. In 1914 he, his mother, and Joseph moved to New York City. Meanwhile, in Algeria, a talented young woman painter, Violette Mege, was making history. Since for the first time, a woman won the prestigious Beaux Art competition in Algeria. At first, the awards committee denied her the prize but, with French government intervention, Mege eventually prevailed. She won again 3 years later and, in 1916, used the scholarship to visit the United States of America. When Violette came to New York, she met Baxte, who was, by then, an accomplished violinist, teacher, and composer. Baxte’s compositions were performed at the Tokyo Imperial Theater, and in 1922 he was listed in the American Jewish Yearbook as one of the prominent members of the American Jewish community. As a music teacher he encouraged individual expression. Baxte stated, “No pupil should ever be forced into imitation of the teacher. Art is a personal experience, and the teacher’s truest aim must be to awaken this light of personality through the patient light of science.” By 1920 Michael Baxte and Violette Mege were living together in Manhattan. Although they claimed to be living as husband and wife, it seems that their marriage did not become official until 1928. On their “unofficial” honeymoon around 1917, in Algiers, Baxte confided to her his ambition to paint. There and later in New Mexico where the wonderful steeped sunlight approximates the coloring of Algiers, she taught him his heart’s desire. He never had any other teacher. She never had any other pupil. For ten years she devoted all her time, energy, and ambition to teaching, encouraging, inspiring him. Then in 1928, their mutual strivings were rewarded, as his works were being chosen as one of the two winners in the Dudensing National Competition for American Painters. Out of 150 artists from across the country participated in the Dudensing, and Michael Posner Baxte and, Robert Fawcett, were the winners. In his 1924 naturalization application, he indicated that he was sometimes known as “Michael Posner Baxte.” One of the witnesses to his application was Bernard Karfiol, a Jewish American artist. That’s when Michael may...

A strong modernist oil painting depicted Circa 1960 by Russian painter Michael Baxte. Mostly known for his abstracted figures on canvas or street scenes, this piece is a wonderful representation of his bold still life paintings, with expressive use of color, shape, and form. Later in his career, Baxte explores Expressionism, infusing both European and North American stylistic trends. This piece is from later in his career, but we can feel this underlying style throughout. Art measures 18 x 21.75 inches Michael Posner Baxte was born in 1890 in the small town of Staroselje Belarus, Russia. For the first half of the 19th century it was a center of the Chabad movement of Hasidic Jews, but this group was gone by the middle of the 19th century. By the time the Baxte family immigrated to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish population numbered only on the hundreds. The native language of the Baxte family was Yiddish. It is likely that the death of Michael Baxte’s father triggered the family’s immigration. Three older brothers arrived in New York between 1903 and 1905. Michael and his mother, Rebecca, arrived in 1907. By 1910 Michael, his mother, and brother, Joseph, were living in New Orleans and may have spent some time on a Louisiana plantation. Around 1912, Michael Baxte returned to Europe to study the violin. In 1914 he, his mother, and Joseph moved to New York City. Meanwhile, in Algeria, a talented young woman painter, Violette Mege, was making history. Since for the first time, a woman won the prestigious Beaux Art competition in Algeria. At first, the awards committee denied her the prize but, with French government intervention, Mege eventually prevailed. She won again 3 years later and, in 1916, used the scholarship to visit the United States of America. When Violette came to New York, she met Baxte, who was, by then, an accomplished violinist, teacher, and composer. Baxte’s compositions were performed at the Tokyo Imperial Theater, and in 1922 he was listed in the American Jewish Yearbook as one of the prominent members of the American Jewish community. As a music teacher he encouraged individual expression. Baxte stated, “No pupil should ever be forced into imitation of the teacher. Art is a personal experience, and the teacher’s truest aim must be to awaken this light of personality through the patient light of science.” By 1920 Michael Baxte and Violette Mege were living together in Manhattan. Although they claimed to be living as husband and wife, it seems that their marriage did not become official until 1928. On their “unofficial” honeymoon around 1917, in Algiers, Baxte confided to her his ambition to paint. There and later in New Mexico where the wonderful steeped sunlight approximates the coloring of Algiers, she taught him his heart’s desire. He never had any other teacher. She never had any other pupil. For ten years she devoted all her time, energy, and ambition to teaching, encouraging, inspiring him. Then in 1928, their mutual strivings were rewarded, as his works were being chosen as one of the two winners in the Dudensing National Competition for American Painters. Out of 150 artists from across the country participated in the Dudensing, and Michael Posner Baxte and, Robert Fawcett, were the winners. In his 1924 naturalization application, he indicated that he was sometimes known as “Michael Posner Baxte.” One of the witnesses to his application was Bernard Karfiol, a Jewish American artist. That’s when Michael may...

Artist: Donald Roy Purdy, American (1924 - ) Title: Rabbi 2 Medium: Oil on Masonite, signed l.r. Size: 36 x 24 in. (91.44 x 60.96 cm)

Signed lower right, 'J. Roig' for Jose Roig (Argentinian-Spanish, 1898-1968) and painted circa 1955. This Argentine-Spanish Modernist was born in Spain in 1898 and was painting in A...

Yellow chrysanthemums in a black vase with a deep blue backdrop come together in a beautiful midcentury still life oil painting by Central Valley and Los Angeles, California artist A...

Trompe l'Oeil Still Tuscan Landscape in Oil on Masonite Landscape in the trompe l'oeil style by Richard M. Bacon (American, 20th Century). This piece has been composed to create the...