Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings

"Portrait" by Carlos Carnero (Uruguay/ French 1922-1980) Pen on thin paper, unframed paper: 10.5 x 8 inches provenance: the artists estate, Paris Fine original French drawing by t...

This Modern Abstract Expressionist painting by Stanley Bate is made with oil paint on canvas. It features a muted, earth-toned palette with contrasting warm yellow, orange, and red accents throughout. The painting is framed in a floater frame with gold face and black sides. It is 22" x 36" and measures 24" x 38" x 2" framed. This painting is not signed by the artist, but has been authenticated by his estate. It is stamped with the estate seal on the back of the painting, and on the back of the frame. 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...

Antique Spanish school modernist surreal portrait oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. Measuring 18 by 24 inches overall and 15 by 21 painting alone.

A wonderful mid-century interpretation of prehistoric, Paleolithic cave paintings; done in reddish earth tones and rich in visual texture by Sausalito, California artist Nan Street F...

Rem Raymond Coninckx was born on 28th March in Couvin (Belgium) 1904 and died in Dinan 1974. He was a painter, draftsman, engraver and also created metallic panels and mosaics. Cont...

Eve Nethercott, American (1925 - 2015) - Primary Abstract (P2.73), Year: circa 1960, Medium: Acrylic on Paper, Image Size: 13 x 10 inches, Size: 13.25 x 10 in. (33.66 x 25.4 ...

Metchiled Naviasky Refugee from Europe who studied art in England. During the war she became picture editor of famous magazine PIcture Post. Later she taught mysticism in art at t...

Antique French American modernist still life oil painting by Dimitri Berea (1908 - 1975). Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring 30 by 34 inches overall and 18 by 22 painting alone.

Signed lower right, 'Buk' for Eduard Buk Ulreich (American, 1889-1966); additionally titled verso 'Consort' and dated 1954 with inscription, 'by the one and only buk, made for Ruth'....

Bay Area Abstract Expressionist -- Oak Woodlands of San Francisco Golden Gate Park This mid-century painting by Honora Berg (American, 1897-1985) depicts coastal live oaks of Golden...

A painting by Alexander Calder. "L'Envolee" is a Post-War abstract painting, gouache and ink on paper in bold colors of reds and blacks by artist Alexander Calder. The artwork is sig...

Artist: William Littlefield, American (1902 - 1969) Title: Still Life and Abstract Year: 1950 & 1954 Medium: Double-Sided Oil on Masonite, signed and dated both sides Size: 22 x 28 i...

Antique American signed abstract expressionist oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Image size, 41.5L x 31.5H.

A painting by Alexander Calder. "Directions" is a Post-War abstract painting, gouache and ink on paper in bold colors of reds, blacks, yellows, and oranges by artist Alexander Calder...

Antique American modernist oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring 31 by 21 inches overall and 30 by 20 painting alone.

Antique American modernist abstract expressionist oil painting. No signature found.

Signed lower left, 'Wood' for Virginia Wood (American, 1938-2019), additionally signed, verso, and dated 1968. Virginia Wood studied at the University o...

Signed lower right 'G. Pisani', (Italian, born 1935), titled verso 'Paesaggio con Valigia' (Landscape with Luggage) and dated 1963. Provenance: Galleria El Centro, Naples, Italy 1963. (from original label, copied verso). A very substantial, mid-century abstracted landscape comprising an assembled group of Fendi shopping bags in the fashion designer's signature tones of cream, bistre and scarlet, shown contrasted against a lyrical, sunset-coral background. This powerful and lyrical oil was awarded the 1963 Michetti Painting Prize. Gianni Pisani studied at the Accademia de Bella Arti in Naples under Emilio Notte. Much of his career in the 1960s and 70s involved reinvigorating the Neapolitan art scene with assemblages, ‘object art’ and performance art, an approach that was critically described and acclaimed by poet and writer, Edoardo Sanguineti. The recipient of numerous medals, prizes and juried awards, including the Prize City Cesenatico (1955). Pisani exhibited widely and with success from the early 1950's including at the 8th Biennale of San Benedetto del Tronto (1969), Palazzo Dugnani (1983) and at the Non-Existent Gallery. Other solo and group exhibitions include a three-time participation in the National Quadrennial Art Shows (VIII, Rome, 1960; IX, Palazzo dei Esposizione, 1965/66; XI, Palazzo dei Congressi, 1986) and the 1995 Venice Biennale. An ardent exponent, and influential teacher, of Modernism, Pisani taught at the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera in Milan and, for many years, at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples, of which he was later appointed director. Gianni Pisani’s works are held in the permanent collections of numerous museums including the Museum of Capodimonte, the Museum of Contemporary Art Donna Regina (MADRE), Museum of Contemporary Religious Art...

Antique American modernist abstract expressionist painting. Oil on board, circa 1940. Image size, 24L x 20H.

Antique American surreal abstract landscape painting Will Hollingsworth. Oil on canvas, circa 1940. Signed. Displayed in a period modernist fr...

This stunning Scottish Abstract Expressionist oil painting is by noted Scottish artist William Gear. It was painted in 1959, just after Gear moved to Eastbourne. While contemporaries...

This stunning vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern oil on canvas abstract expressionist painting by Walter Blakelock Wilson (1929-2011) showcases a vibrant array of jewel-toned hues. Rich Sapphire blue, emerald green, golden yellow, amber, reddish brown, and hints of gold contrast beautifully with neutral shades of tan, creamy white, olive, and beige. The work also features tones of orange, red, teal blue, gray, camel, and white, all blending seamlessly to create a dynamic, multi-dimensional visual experience. Signed and dated “W.B. Wilson '62”, this masterpiece is presented in an elegant custom gold leaf frame, with outer dimensions of 45 ½ x 37 ½ inches and a canvas size of 43 ¼ x 35 ¼ inches. About the Artist: Walter Blakelock Wilson, born in 1929 in Auburn...

"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...

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...

Charles Green Shaw (American, 1892-1974) By the Dawn's Early Light, 1955 Oil on masonite Signed lower left, dated and titled verso 35.5 x 23.75 inches 38 x 26.25 inches, framed Provenance: The estate of the artist to Charles H. Carpenter Charles Green Shaw, born into a wealthy New York family, began painting when he was in his mid-thirties. A 1914 graduate of Yale, Shaw also completed a year of architectural studies at Columbia University. During the 1920s Shaw enjoyed a successful career as a freelance writer for The New Yorker, Smart Set and Vanity Fair, chronicling the life of the theater and café society. In addition to penning insightful articles, Shaw was a poet, novelist and journalist. In 1927 he began to take a serious interest in art and attended Thomas Hart Benton's class at the Art Students League briefly in New York. He also studied privately with George Luks, who became a good friend. Once he had dedicated himself to non-traditional painting, Shaw's writing ability made him a potent defender of abstract art. After initial study with Benton and Luks, Shaw continued his artistic education in Paris by visiting numerous museums and galleries. From 1930 to 1932 Shaw's paintings evolved from a style imitative of Cubism to one directly inspired by it, though simplified and more purely geometric. Returning to the United States in 1933, Shaw began a series of abstracted cityscapes of skyscrapers he called Manhattan Motifs which evolved into his most famous works, the shaped canvases he called Plastic Polygons. The 1930s were productive years for Shaw. He showed his paintings in numerous group exhibitions, both in New York and abroad, and was also given several one-man exhibitions. Shaw had his first one-man exhibition at the Valentine Dudensing Gallery in New York in 1934, which included 25 Manhattan Motif paintings and 8 abstract works. In the spring of 1935 Shaw was introduced to Albert Gallatin and George L.K. Morris. Gallatin was so impressed with Shaw's work, he broke a policy against solo exhibitions at his museum, the Gallery of Living Art, and offered Shaw an exhibition there. In the summer of 1935 Shaw traveled to Paris with Gallatin and Morris who provided introductions to many great painters. Shaw regularly spent time with John Ferren and Jean Hélion. The following year Gallatin organized an exhibition called Five Contemporary American Concretionists at the Reinhardt Gallery that included Shaw, Ferren, and Morris, Alexander Calder, and Charles Biederman...

Structure XXIII is an original contemporary artwork realized by Nato Frascà in 1964. Acrylic painting on canvas. Title, signature and date on the back of...

Antique American signed abstract expressionist oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed.

Sidney E.Zimmerman USA (1926-2007) studied at the Brooklyn a Museum of Art after returning from Europe during WWII. In 1950, he studied with Morris Kantor and Vaclav Vytlacil at the ...

Michael Knigin Abstract 2 Purple and Yellow 1967 Ink brush and watercolor on paper 8.25"x11" unframed $675 Signed and dated in ink lower left Came from artist's estate *Custom framin...

New York artist Nathaniel Hoffman was born in 1900 in Russia. He came to the United States as a young boy with his parents. They settled in Brooklyn. Hoffman went on to study at the ...

Signed lower right, 'K. Miyoshi' for Kazuo Miyoshi (Japanese, 20th century) and painted circa 1960. Titled on old label, verso, 'Fantasia', additionally signed by the artist and with...

Nice quality modernist painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Image size, 16L x 12H.

Edward Zutrau Untitled, 2/17/1963 Signed and dated on verso Oil on linen 25 1/2 x 21 inches Edward Zutrau is among the American artists who worked within the whirlwind of diverse a...

Large Scale Mid-Century Earth-tone Horizontal Abstract by Joseph Vasica Very large scale (70"H x 160"W) (5.8'H x 13.3'L) mid-century abstract with soft edge, grey and burnt sienna...

Diana Kurz Thelo #5, circa 1959 Oil on canvas 22 x 20 inches Diana Kurz (born 1936) is an Austrian-born feminist painter. In 1938, Diana Kurz's family fled Austria, first to Englan...

Oil on canvas. Framed. Image size, 21H x 40L. Signed on verso.

Artist/Designer; Manufacturer: Ram Kumar (Indian, 1924-2018) Marking(s); notes: signed; 1961 Materials: oil on canvas Dimensions (H, W, D): 35"h, 27"w image; 45"h, 37"w canvas (work ...

Robert Mus Untitled 4 Oil on canvas / stretcher 1968 Signed and dated lower right 61 x 83 cms 1600 euros

Diana Kurz Red Chair, 1962 Signed, titled, dated on verso Oil on canvas 53 x 41 1/2 inches Diana Kurz (born 1936) is an Austrian-born feminist painter. In 1938, Diana Kurz's family...

An original mid-century modern abstract expressionist painting by American artist Toma Yovanovich. This work comes housed in an original artist made frame. The painting is signed,...

Donald Stacy "Eve" c.1950s Gouache and oil pastel on paper 14x17" black wood frame 14.75"x17.75" Unsigned, Eve written in paint along right margin Came from artist's estate Donald S...

Genre: Avant-Garde Subject: Abstract Mexican Landscape Medium: Oil Surface: Canvas Country: Mexico Dimensions: Yonia Fain Oil, 1947 Although this oil painting’s subject is predom...

Introducing a beautifully gripping post-war oil painting by British artist Joseph Duncan. Within this intense expressionistic work, the powerful use of c...

"Pods" is a captivating abstract oil painting created by 20th-century Denver artist, Edward Marecak (1919–1993). This original mid-century modern composition features a harmonious bl...

Abstract Composition in Pink and Black in Acrylic on Cardboard Dynamic abstract in black and pink by Honora Berg (American, 1897-1985). This piece is composed of multiple layers, with bright, bold colors at the bottom, building to black on top. Pink, magenta, yellow, and orange shine through a net of black. Unsigned, but was acquired with a collection of the artist's work. Estate stamp on verso "Estate of Honora Berg - Miller Fine Art" Numbered "246" on verso Unframed. Art size: 21.25"H x 14"W Honora Berg (American, 1897-1985) was an Abstract Expressionist and Bay Area Figurative School artist who studied at the San Francisco Art Institute with David Park, Elmer Bischoff and James Budd Dixon. Berg's friend Edith Truesdell — David Park's aunt — suggested a move to California in 1951 to study under Park. She exhibited at the 25th Annual Drawing, Print and Sculpture Exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 1961. Provenance, Estate of Honora Berg - David Carlson Gallery, Larry Miller...

Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) Cicada, c. 1960s Watercolor on scintilla 30 x 20 inches Clarence Holbrook Carter achieved a level of national artistic success that wa...

This Mount Fuji inspired work is what Noel called a Palimpseste. Meaning like an ancient piece of papyrus paper, man would use the paper over and over again, making his markings. There is sand on the canvas and he worked on this wet to incise in and build up the surface so there is beautiful texture. It is elegantly framed in a gold leaf float frame - 24 karat gold. Noel is an avant grade artist that worked alongside Cy Twombly in his early years at Fachetti Galleries in Paris - both artists used writing/.graffiti to form their compositions. Beginning in the late 1950s through 2000, Georges Noël produced both canvases and works on hand-made papers inspired by palimpsests, 6th century manuscript pages...

Original oil paint on heavy archival paper abstract by the American artist, Martin Rosenthal. Bold, vibrant colors. Signed lower left by the artist and dated 1964. Condition is very...

This Modern Abstract Expressionist painting by Stanley Bate is made with oil paint on canvas and features a warm, deep yellow palette. The artist layers paint over the canvas to crea...

Michael Knigin Abstract 1 Orange and Yellow 1967 Ink brush and watercolor on paper 8.25"x11" unframed Signed and dated in ink lower right Came from artist's estate *Custom framing a...

Signed and titled oil on canvas by French cubist painter Camile Hilaire. The piece beautifully depicts a man at a port beside boats coloured in reds, blues and oranges. A wonderfully...

Red and blue abstract figurative painting by Haitian artist Richard Antilhomme. The painting depicts four different red flowy figures that branch from each other. The figures are against a light blue background with green botanical elements. Signed by the artist at the bottom right. Framed in a beautiful gold frame. Dimensions With Frame: H 31.88” x W 23.75” Artist Biography: Born in 1922 in Petit Trou de Nippes. Antilhomme didn't start painting until he was 50 when Tiga, a famous Haitian artist, brought him into the Saint Soleil circle. Malraux mentioned him in L'intemporel as one of the finest artists. He paints vodou-inspired themes in a raw and naive format. He has participated in many exhibits. Saint Soleil was founded in the early 1970's under the direction of Tiga (Jean Claude Garoute...

Emil John HESS 1913-2003 This vibrant watercolor on canvas by acclaimed American artist Emil John Hess immerses viewers in the lively atmosphere of a bustling circus scene. Painted...

Title: 1960's British Surrealist Oil Painting - "Bagatelle" Medium: Oil on board, unframed Size: 4.5 height x 3 width Condition: Good Provenance: all the paintings we have by this a...

Work on canvas

Jean Helleu (French, 1894-1985) A painter, watercolorist and designer born in Paris, France. The son of Paul-César Helleu. (a French oil painter, pastel artist, drypoint etcher, and designer, best known for his numerous portraits of beautiful society women of the Belle Époque. He conceived the ceiling mural of night sky constellations for Grand Central Terminal in New York City. He studied with Jean-Leon Gerome and was friends with John Singer Sargent, James McNeill Whistler, and Claude Monet.) Jean shared with his father a love of the sea and sailing. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and the Grande Chaumière. (Kurt Seligmann, Yolande Ardissone, Balthus, Jacques Bouyssou, Gabriel Dauchot, Étienne Hajdu, Jean Helleu, Claude Lazar...

Antique American modernist signed abstract still life oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed.

Ken Scott (American, 1918 – 1991) Fantasia Gouache on paper Signed ‘Ken Scott’ (on the reverse) 15 x 10.3/4 in. (38 x 28 cm.) Ken Scott was a fashion designer known for his fabric d...

Really impressive early American modernist painting. Oil on board. Framed.

Title: 1960's British Surrealist Oil Painting - The Flaming Pearl' Abstract Artist: Elvic Steele Medium: Oil on board, unframed Size: 6 height x 4.5 width Condition: Good Provenance...