20th Century Abstract Paintings

"Martos" is an abstract oil painting on canvas by Stanley Bate featuring what appears to be a high horizon line of white and muted yellow. Beneath that line is a combination of textu...

Richard Andres American, 1927-2013 oil on canvas signed and titled verso 19.5 x 24 inches 20 x 25 inches, framed Richard Andres was born in Buff...

Vintage Indonesian modernist nude oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed.

Antique American modernist seascape beach oil painting. Oil on board, circa 1930. Signed on verso. Image size, 24L x 18H. Framed in a period frame.

"Abstract Composition" by Roger Herson (French 1922-2008) signed lower right hand-side on card, gouache and crayon on card, unframed painting: 12.5 x 9 inches Superb original abstr...

This Modern Abstract Expressionist painting by Stanley Bate is made with oil paint and and lacquer on board. It features light textured and a light blue-grey and yellow palette contrasted by the almost black focal point of the composition. The painting is 14.5" x 19" and measures 16.25" x 20.5" x 2" framed. Signed by the artist in the lower left-hand corner of the painting, it is framed in a floater frame with warm silver face and black sides and is ready to hang. Stanley Bate was born on March 26, 1903 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Bates were an established Tennessee family, in fact, Henry’s brother William Bate was the governor of Tennessee from 1883-1887 and a United States Senator from 1887-1905. Stanley studied art at the Watkins Institute in Nashville. In the 1920’s Bate moved to New York City to study at the Art Students League under Frederick Bridgman. He soon landed a job with Encyclopedia Britannica, and from 1927-1929 served as art editor. From 1929 until his death in 1972, Stanley was a self-employed artist. He taught art classes at both the Art Students League and the Albany Institute of History and Art and brought in extra income by making illustrations for magazines such as “Outdoor Life” and “Popular Science”. On January 27, 1934 Stanley married Emilie Rossel. Emilie had emigrated from Switzerland to New York in 1923. She found work as a governess to Alfred Vanderbilt and later as an executive secretary for Wall Street investment brokers Kahn, Loeb and Co. Emilie met Stanley in New York in the early 1930’s when she attended one of his art exhibitions with a friend. The couple, who had no children, lived on 34th Street in Manhattan. During this period, Bate was producing and exhibiting his art and joined several artists groups. Stanley and Emilie became part of the New York art scene, dining weekly at the Society of Illustrators Clubhouse. Stanley Bate’s time in New York was pivotal in the formation of his painting style. He lived in New York during the inception of one of the most important Modern Art movements, one that helped New York replace Paris as the center of avant-garde art. This movement, which was called the New York School of artists, was later known as Abstract Expressionism. It was comprised of a loosely associated group of vanguard artists working in New York City during the 1940s and 1950s. The New York School was not defined by a specific style, but instead reflected a fusion of European Modernism and American social relevancy that was depicted in many individual styles. Influences of Surrealism, Cubism, and Modernism can be found in their work, along with an interest in experimenting with non-traditional materials and methods. American art was in the forefront of international avant-garde for the first time. Stanley Bate was undoubtedly exposed to the varied styles and techniques that were emerging during the formative years of the New York School. Mark Rothko and Robert Motherwell were formulating their versions of color field paintings. Joseph Cornell was experimenting with assemblages, collage and the use of different types of textured paints. Jackson Pollock was adhering objects such as buttons and coins into his early works, while Louise Nevelson was using found objects. Helen Frankenthaler added sand to her early paintings. The New York School artists were undermining traditional fine art by using mixed media and non-traditional methods. Stanley Bate absorbed these varied influences and soon his early realistic landscapes and still-lifes were replaced with something entirely new. The influence of Cubism, notably the flat shallow space of the picture plane, is obvious in many of Bate’s paintings. Surrealism is evident in Bate’s use of subjects from myth, primitive art and antiquity, along with the Automatism-like line work in his more linear images. The unfettered experimentation of the New York School is everywhere in Stanley Bate’s work. We see nods to color field, collage, the mixing of textures into paint, mixed media, the inclusion of found objects and thick, luscious impasto. Bate was prolific and experimented in various media including oil, watercolor, lithography, silk screen, wood cut, drawing, collage, ceramics and sculpture. Bate is considered a true Modernist. His work is largely abstract, but sometimes figures and buildings are discernable. He frequently mixed paint, sand and glue together to achieve a textured surface, and then scraped and scratched through this layer to expose some of the underpainting below. His sculpture, which is often whimsical, also reflects the non-traditional methods of the New York School. Bate pioneered the use of enamel and copper in his work. The sculptures are not carved or modeled as was done in the past, but instead are built using mixed media and new materials. In addition to the New York School influence, many of Bate’s works exhibit a strong connection to the Spanish school, especially the work of Antonio Tapies and Modesto Cuixart. These artists were both part of an avant-garde group known as Art Informel, the Spanish equivalent of Abstract Expressionism. These artists likewise worked in mixed media and introduced objects and texture into their work. Many of Bate’s subjects and titles relate to Spanish locations and words. It is likely that Stanley spent time in Spain and found inspiration there. By the early 1940s, Stanley and Emilie had started spending weekends in a barn they purchased in Craryville, New York, a few hours north of Manhattan. The barn had no electricity or plumbing, but when the Bates eventually decided to leave New York and live full time in Craryville, they remodeled the barn, putting a gallery downstairs and a studio and living quarters upstairs. Although the Bates moved out of New York City, Stanley remained part of the New York art scene, exhibiting in New York and elsewhere throughout the 50s and 60s. During his lifetime he was represented by the New York galleries Knoedler and Company, Kennedy Galleries, Rose Fried Gallery and Key Gallery, along with Tyringham Gallery located in Tyringham, Massachusetts. Craryville was Stanley’s home until his death on August 21, 1972. Emilie died 1984...

Vintage American modernist abstract oil painting by Jane Lapey. Oil on canvas. Exhibition label verso. Framed. Image size, 28L x 22H.

Robert Motherwell (1915-1991), alongside Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning, made up the quartet of American abstract painters that radically defined abstraction and...

Seated Nude - Original Abstract Expressionist on Canvas Abstract expressionist figurative composition of a woman by California artist Harald "Harry" Dry Schmidt (American, 1933-1979...

Geometric Abstract with Circles in Acrylic on Canvas Bright and colorful abstract composition by Melvin K. Allen (American, 1922-2012). Several circles are shown overlapping each ot...

Work from the second school of Paris.

Jean Patricia Taprell Clark (British, 1930 – 1973) Abstracted form Oil on canvasboard 20 x 24 in. (50.8 x 61 cm.) Having refused the opportunity to become a member of the 'Bluebell ...

Striking large scale abstracted landscape oil depicting San Francisco Bay salt ponds by Erle Loran (American, 1905-1999), Unframed. Purchased as part of larger collection. Measures 72"H x 52"W x 2"D. Erle Loran was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He studied at the Minneapolis School of Art under the direction of Cameron Booth...

Painted by Jim Jacobs (American, born 1945), titled, 'Nankaweep' and dated 1983. Previously with Lopoukhine Gallery, Boston from label, verso. A substantial, dynamic abstract compri...

Selma Moskowitz "Flowers and Bugs" 2/19/1963 Oil paint and paper on paper 25.5"x15.25" unframed Signed and dated lower right in pencil With a career spanning over five decades, Selm...

Vintage American modernist abstract landscape painting. Oil on canvas. Framed in a great gold leaf molding. Impressive piece in person!

Abstract Composition by Gwen Roc'h (French, contemporary) oil painting with collage applied, mixed media surface, on canvas 39.5 x 39.5 inches signed & dated 1994 verso Striking and...

Still Life of onions on a table, placed with a blue pitcher by Fernand Audet (French, Tarascon 1923 - Mulhouse 2016) signed lower right oil painting on canvas, unframed, on stretcher...

Bill Shields "Garden Cottage" 1990's Acrylic on paper affixed to board 10"x8" unframed Signed in pencil lower right William Stephens Shields, Jr., 1925 - 2010 He was born at Lette...

Vivid monotype abstract in warm tones of yellows and reds by American artist Kismine Varner, 1990. Signed and dated lower right. Original artwork on paper displayed on a white mat...

Bill Shields "Micro Gouache and Pencil Abstract" 1990's Gouache and pencil on board Site measures 4.5"x4" silver wavy wood float mount 13.5"x12.75" Unsigned came from artist's estate...

Grimes 1963 Abstract depicting various portraits Oil on canvas 24 x 30 unframed, 32.5 x 26 framed

Vintage American modernist landscape abstract painting. Oil on board, circa 1952. Signed. Image size, 21.5"L x 7.5"H. Housed in a period modern frame.

A highly abstracted figure emerges in fluid, elegant brush strokes, reminiscent of the works of Francis Bacon, in this striking abstract painting by Bay...

Stamped, verso, on canvas with certification of authenticity for Dora Masters (American, 1916-2003), bearing stamped wax seal and painted circa 1955. Provenance: Acquired from the a...

Figurative Abstract French School oil painting on board painting: 20 x 24 inches condition: overall very good and pleasing provenance: from a private collection of this artists work ...

Abstract painting, ca. 1970s measures 25 x 30 inches. Oil on canvas, unsigned. Stunning modernist custom carved picture frame by Newcomb Macklin. ca. 1950 production. Long, elegant...

Edward Zutrau Untiled, 4/1963 Signed and dated on stretcher bar Oil on linen 35 1/2 x 51 inches Edward Zutrau is among the American artists who worked within the whirlwind of diver...

This image is the artist's interpretation of the Hyper Cube which I had been contemplating since 1973. It represents the Hyper Cube in higher dimensions with collinear point interse...

Work on paper White wooden frame with glass pane 44,5 x 52,7 x 1,5 cm

Untitled is a contemporary artwork realized by Mario Martini in 1981. Mixed colored oil painting on canvas. Hand signed and dated on the lower margin Includes frame

"River 2" Abstract Composition in Acrylic and Gold Leaf on Wood Panel Bold abstract composition by California artist Janet Trenchard (American, b. 1947). This piece is composed of layers of rich dark green, and soft yellow. There are accents of bronze-gold leaf that shimmer under direct light. Streaks and scrapes add dynamic movement to the compostition. Titled and signed on verso: River 2 Janet Trenchard No frame, but the edges are painted for frame-less display. Janet Trenchard (American, b. 1947) is an artist and poet from San Jose, California. Trenchard taught art in public high school for 12 years before retiring to pursue her own creative interests. An artist and writer, her paintings and assemblages have been exhibited in San Jose, Palo Alto, and San Francisco. Her poems and stories have been published in Porter Gulch...

This Modern abstract painting by Stanley Bate features a warm, deep palette of red, yellow, orange, and burnt umber. Thick strokes of paint are layered beneath light white overlappin...

Figurative Abstract French School, signed oil painting on board framed: 21.25 x 30.75 inches canvas: 20.5 x 30 inches The painting is in overall good condition, bar an age related pa...

Original abstract oil painting on heavy card stock by the American artist Martin Rosenthal. Signed lower left and dated 1960. Condition is very good. Slight bow to board. Nicely pro...

Diana Kurz Thelo #8, circa 1959 Signed lower left Signature and address on verso Oil on canvas 47 x 41 inches Diana Kurz (born 1936) is an Austrian-born feminist painter. In 1938, ...

Set of 6 (six) original abstract paintings French School, each is signed and dated 1993 oil paintings on thick artists paper, unframed condition: all good provenance: from a collecti...

Sleep, Huge French Abstract Portrait, Original Oil Painting Signed By French artist Elisabeth Dujarric, b.1930-2005 Dated '1962' verso Oil painting on canvas, unframed Canvas size: 43.5 x 18 inches Elisabeth Dujarric de la Rivière...

"Surrealist Composition" by Sophie Danielle Rubinstain (1922-2018) signed lower left hand side, oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 23.5 x 28.5 inches Stunning original oil p...

Stone Faces - Abstract Portrait in Acrylic on Textured Paper Abstract portrait by California-based artist Ricardo de Silva (Brazilian, 20th Century). Two faces are merged, overlappi...

Artist: Claude Lagouche (French 1943-2020) Claude Lagouche was born January 2, 1943 in Naves, died January 16, 2020. He quickly gained recognition for his talent and his work, exh...

In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez writes of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined painti...

Dessert Landscape, ca. 1975-80. Gouache on Arches rag paper, Sheet measures 23 x 30 inches. Image measures 22 x 29 inches. Signed lower left. Excellent condition. Unframed.

Vintage American modernist abstract Maine landscape painting. Watercolor and gouache on paper, circa 1960. Signed on verso. Image size, 30...

Antique American modernist street scene oil painting by Elaine Wesley (1923 - 2007). Oil on board. Estate stamped verso.

Large-Scale Modern Abstracted Teal Landscape A dynamic abstracted landscape in teal by San Jose, California area artist Daniel David Fuentes (American...

Stunning original oil painting by Elvic Steele depicting this surrealist fantasy abstract painting. Elvic Steele is a fascinating English painter. Her works entrance the observer, d...

Artist/ School: Josyne Gallet, French signed and dated 1972 Title: Floating Figures Medium: signed verso, oil painting on canvas, unframed. canvas: 32 x 45.75 inches Provenance: ...

Stunning original oil painting by Elvic Steele depicting this surrealist fantasy abstract painting. Elvic Steele is a fascinating English painter. Her works entrance the observer, d...

Antique American modernist abstract oil painting by Adele Becker. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed.

Richard Andres American, 1927-2013 Summer Idyl, c. 1985 acrylic and ink on paper mounted on canvas signed lower right, signed and titled verso 44.75 x 62.75 inches Richard Andres wa...

ABSTRACTION Mid-Century Abstract Non-Objective Color Field oil American Modern James Daugherty (1887 – 1974) "Unidentified Flying Object," 12 x 16 inc...

"Portrait" by Jean Marc (French 1949-2019) watercolour on artist paper double sided painting: 12.5 x 9.5 inches provenance: private collection, South of France Superb original p...

die-cut, lithograph, colored with guoache CASTILLO, Jorge (Pontevedra, 1933). Since childhood, Jorge Castillo is passionate about drawing, and takes only ten years, with crayons, yo...

Artist/ School: by Claude Lagouche (French 1943-2020), see provenance details below. Claude Lagouche was born January 2, 1943 in Naves, died January 16, 2020. He quickly gained rec...

Still life on black table. Oil on canvas, 135x140 cm

Ashes of Roses is Rene Ricard's mauve-colored map of Rivington Street between Suffolk and Clinton Street, with a white arrow pointing to the word mofongo, indicating a Puerto Rican r...

This striking Abstract Expressionist sixties composition is by Danish artist Erling Andersen. Painted in 1969 it is a mixed media composition on canvas...