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Figurative Paintings For Sale
Period: 1950s
Period: 1760s
Rare 1950s New York Modernist Judaica Rabbi Oil Painting signed A. Einstein
By A. Einstein
Located in Surfside, FL
Rare Mid Century Judaic figure of a Jewish rabbi at prayer. signed A. Einstein.
Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"The Artist and his Model"
Located in Southampton, NY
Here is a classic oil on canvas painting by Nicholai Cikovsky circa 1960 of the artist and his model. Signed lower right. ACA gallery label verso along with Association of American Artists label verso. Original handcarved frame with wear. Overall size framed 43 by 36 inches. Cikovsky was born in Russia in 1894 where he studied at the Vilna Art School, 1910-1914; the Penza Royal Art School, 1914-1918; and Moscow High Tech Art...
Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Missouri American Modernist famous in Europe - abstracted mid century Venice
Located in Norwich, GB
Meet the genuinely exciting modernist William Einstein, who is probably better known in Europe, where numerous publications on his work have been written, than in his native US! Eins...
Category

1950s American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Sunday Service", Mid-Cent Figurative Village Scene with Church, Frank Serratoni
Located in Soquel, CA
"Sunday Service, a lovely mid-century figurative village street scene by Frank Serratoni (American, 1908-1970), c. 1940s. A family is shown strolling through the tree-lined street of a quaint village towards a red church...
Category

1950s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Cardboard, Screen

Nude woman at washbasin oil painting on canvas by Frank H.Mason American artist
Located in Gavere, BE
Nude woman at washbasin oil painting on canvas by Frank H.Mason American artist Frank Herbert Mason was born on February 20, 1921 in Cleveland, Oh...
Category

1950s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

White Horse Carousel, 1956 - Original Oil Painting On Linen
Located in Soquel, CA
White Horse Carousel, 1956 - Oil On Canvas Oil painting of an empty carousel ride, a single white horse gleams in the center. Three doorways are seen to the right, with sunlight ema...
Category

1950s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Linen

"The Marriage Proposal (Family Gathering), " Leo Schutzman, Jewish Folk Art
Located in New York, NY
Leo Schutzman (1878 - 1962) The Marriage Proposal, circa 1958 Oil on canvas 24 x 20 inches Signed lower left Leo (Kyle) Schutzman (1878-1962) developed ...
Category

1950s Folk Art Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Boulevard de la Madeleine Oil on canvas, 33, 3x46 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Boulevard de la Madeleine. Oil on canvas, 33,3x46 cm Street in Paris at evening
Category

1950s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Woman praying oil on canvas painting
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Frame size 70x61 cm. José Muntané Balaguer (1889 - 1963) Immerse yourself in the spiritual beauty of "Woman Praying," a sublime work by the acclaimed Spanish artist José Muntané Balaguer. This oil on canvas captures the serenity and introspection of faith, showcasing a masterful use of light and shadow reminiscent of great masters such as Joaquín Sorolla, Ignacio Zuloaga, and even the emotional restraint of Diego Velázquez in his most intimate portraits. The painting depicts the purity of a devotional moment, where the female figure seems to transcend the canvas, inviting the viewer to reflect on spirituality and human connection. The meticulous attention to detail and subtlety in expressions place Muntané Balaguer in the tradition of artists who immortalized scenes of everyday life with unique sensitivity, much like Julio Romero de Torres...
Category

1950s Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Cafe Le Dome, Paris”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil on canvas painting of the landmark Cafe Dome in Paris by Andre Picot. Adjacent to the Dome is another famous cafe, Cafe Tabac as seen in thi...
Category

1950s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Surreal Children Fantasy Oil Painting 1956
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
3981 Children's fantasy figurative oil painting set in a hand painted oak frame Image size 15.5x19.25"
Category

1950s Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

National Day : Sailors having Fun - Tall Original Oil Painting, Signed
By Michel-Marie Poulain
Located in Paris, IDF
Michel Marie POULAIN French National Day : Sailors having Fun Original oil on canvas Handsigned in the lower left corner On canvas 55 x 65 cm (c. 22 x 26 inch) Presented in golden w...
Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Large Fauvist Impressionist GLOUCESTER Harbor Sailboats at dock Painting
By Cappy Amundsen
Located in New York, NY
C. Hjalmar Cappy Amundsen (1911 - 2001) was an American painter best known for his Gloucester Scenes. He painted all over the New England areas. Here we have an extraordinary paint...
Category

1950s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic

Wells Fargo Express, Gold Country -- Columbia, California
Located in Soquel, CA
Charming oil painting of the Wells Fargo Express Office building in the gold country town of Columbia State Historic Park in Columbia, California by Cecil ...
Category

1950s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Illustration Board

Colorful abstract dog
Located in Belgrade, MT
This piece is from my priate collection created by Jean Remlinger who has a figurative style reminiscent of the works of Francis Bacon. It is probably an acrylic gouache , as a print...
Category

1950s Post-War Figurative Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Gouache, Lithograph

Seafood still life
Located in BELEYMAS, FR
Claude SCHÜRR (1921-2014) Still life with seafood Oil on canvas H. 50 cm; L. 73 cm Signed lower right, titled on the back - 1957 This splendid still life by Claude Schurr produced i...
Category

1950s French School Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Mid Century Bay Area Figurative Original Oil Painting -- Motherhood
Located in Soquel, CA
Original Bay Area Figurative of Mother and Baby in Oil Paint on Laid Paper Original oil painting depicting a modern twist of a mother and baby by Honora Berg (American, 1897-1985), ...
Category

1950s Post-War Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Illustration Board, Laid Paper, Stretcher Bars

Coucher de Soleil - Post Impressionist Figurative Oil by Emilio Grau Sala
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed oil on canvas by Spanish post impressionist painter Emilio Grau Sala. The work depicts beachgoers in Deauville, France taking the last of the sun as it disappears beyond the horizon. The pale yellow light reflects on the sea, illuminating the water. Two horse riders gallop across the sand. The piece is painted in beautiful shades. Signature: Signed lower right and further signed and titled verso Dimensions: Framed: 27"x36" Unframed: 20"x29" Provenance: Private Collection - France Emilio Grau Sala studied at the fine arts school in Barcelona, where he became friends with Antoni Clavé. While still very young he began exhibiting at the Humourists Exhibition. In Paris he exhibited at the major annual Salons. He also exhibited at many international group exhibitions and in 1937 received an important award at the Carnegie Foundation International Exhibition in Pittsburgh. He showed collections of his work in many solo exhibitions starting in Barcelona in 1929 and 1930. His first solo exhibition in Paris was in 1937 and he went on to exhibit in Madrid, London, Buenos Aires and New York. After three trips to Paris he finally settled there in 1936. In Paris he was influenced by the paintings of Marcel Gromaire and especially Julius Pascin. He created theatrical sets and costumes for several plays including The Woman of Easy Virtue ( La Demoiselle de Petite Vertu) by Marcel Achard. He also illustrated many literary works including Madame Bovary by Flaubert, Bel-Ami by Maupassant, Colette's series of four Claudine novels, Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time ( À la Recherche du Temps Perdu), and works by poets including Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal...
Category

1950s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Vicente Cristellys, Oil on canvas "Gina Lollobrigida", Late 1950s
By Vicente Cristellys
Located in Saint Amans des cots, FR
Oil on canvas by Vicente CRISTELLYS (1898-1970), School of Paris, late 1950s. "Lolo", portrait of Gina Lollobrigida in Notre-Dame de Paris (film). Arriving in Paris during the 1920s, Vicente Cristellys settled in Montparnasse like many of his colleagues from the Ecole de Paris. He paints characters and scenes largely inspired by his native Spain. It was after a bohemian period that he began to illustrate cinema posters and he managed to settle in the Parisian cinematographic milieu. For example, he will sign posters for The Big Sleep, The Man in The iron mask...
Category

1950s Neo-Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Boats by the river Oil on cardboard, 47.5x80 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Boats by the river Oil on cardboard, 47.5x80 cm The main focus of the artwork is a fauvistic stylized landscape featuring boats by the river. The artist's intention is to convey the landscape in bold and vivid earth tones, characteristic of the fauvist style. Biruta Baumane...
Category

1950s Fauvist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Untitled (Elevated Platform)
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This painting is part of our current exhibition - America Coast to Coast: Artists of the 1940s Untitled (Elevated Platform), 1950, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right, 30 x...
Category

1950s American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mid Century Boat Docks Pacific Grove Landscape
Located in Soquel, CA
Painterly scene of boats and boats being built at the docks in old Pacific Grove, California by an unknown artist (American, 20th Century). Signed"WHM" lower left. Presented in a fau...
Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Illustration Board

Vintage American Pointillist Figurative Landscape Framed
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
5-3170a Rare and finely painted American Colorful Pointillist landscape oil painting of a woman with an umbrella.Signedn Baxter Set in a vintage wood frame
Category

1950s Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Manayunk" Walter Emerson Baum, Pennsylvania Impressionist Landscape of Manayunk
Located in New York, NY
Walter Emerson Baum Manayunk, 1953 Signed and dated lower right; titled and dated on the reverse Oil on board 12 x 14 inches Walter Baum was born December 14, 1884 in Sellersville,...
Category

1950s American Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Original Mid Century Western Pen and Ink "Cowboy and Bronco"
Located in Soquel, CA
Original Mid Century Pen and Ink on Paper "Cowboy and Bronco" Western Genre Compelling pen and ink western picture of Cowboy wrangling the bro...
Category

1950s American Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

India Ink, Laid Paper

Parisian Street Scene. Oil on canvas, 32x46 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Parisian Street Scene. Oil on canvas, 32x46 cm
Category

1950s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Bay Area Abstract Expressionist Fauvist Oil on Paper Honora Berg Berkeley 1959
Located in Soquel, CA
Bay Area Abstract Expressionist Fauvist Oil on Paper Honora Berg Berkeley 1959 San Francisco Bay area abstract expressionist painting by Honora Berg (American, 1897-1985).A brilliant fauvist example of the melting pot of colors Honora Berg creates. Splashes of red over hues of blue with bright canary yellow swirls and patches. Estate stamp on verso "Estate of Honora Berg - Miller Fine Art" Unframed. 30"H x 22"W. Larry Miller 1958-2003, Larry was a specialist in bay area abstract artists and purchased numerous bay area artists estates. He purchased the entirety of the Honora Berg Estate and we purchased many of those works directly form Larry. Honora Berg, an Abstract Expressionist and Bay Area Figurative School artist, studied at the San Francisco Art Institute with David Park, Elmer Bischoff and James Budd Dixon...
Category

1950s Abstract Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Archival Paper

Goyesque scene original oil on canvas painting
By Manuel Monedero
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Unframed Manuel Monedero (n. Seville in 1925 - m. Carboneras (Aracena, Huelva) in 2002) is a Spanish painter. His first exhibition dates from 1961 a...
Category

1950s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ballerinas Pas de Deux - British 1950's Ballet dancers art oil painting Dance
By Elizabeth Bridge
Located in London, GB
This lovely British ballet oil painting is by noted artist Elizabeth Bridge. Painted in 1951, the composition is a male and female ballet dancer on...
Category

1950s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Morning. Women's act. 1959. Oil on cardboard, 95x71 cm
Located in Riga, LV
The morning hour. Act. 1959. Oil on cardboard, 95x71 cm Alfejs Bromults (1913.3.IV - 1991.11.I) His first professional education was at National University at studies to R.Suta, J....
Category

1950s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

'African Idol' — Mid-Century African-American artist
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Charles Elmer Harris (Beni E. Kosh), Untitled (African Idol), watercolor, c. 1950s. Estate stamped verso, 'Beni E Kosh COLLECTION' and numbered '570' in ink. A fine, spontaneous wat...
Category

1950s American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Erminia and the Shepherds, a painting by Francesco de Mura (Napoli 1696 - 1782)
Located in PARIS, FR
In this masterly painting, Francesco de Mura presents the meeting of Erminia and the shepherds, a famous episode taken from the seventh canto of Torquato Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered....
Category

1760s Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Torre di Tiberio, Tower of Tiberius, Capri, Italy Landscape, Cleveland School
Located in Beachwood, OH
Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) Torre di Tiberio, 1951 Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower left 21 x 18 inches 28.5 x 26.5 inches, framed Clarence Holbrook Carter ac...
Category

1950s American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Bullfighting Scene oil on board painting
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Title: Bullfighting Scene Artist: José María Tuser Vázquez (1919-1986) Technique: Oil on board Dimensions: 25.6 x 21.3 in (65 x 54 cm) Frameless Period: Second half of the 20th century Art Movement: Figurative Expressionism with Impressionist influences Condition: Good, with visible signs of aging on the surface DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK This painting captures a crucial moment in a bullfight, where the matador, dressed in a dazzling traje de luces (suit of lights), elegantly holds the red cape (muleta) while facing a wounded bull. The scene conveys tension and drama through energetic and loose brushwork, with strong contrasts of light and color that enhance its expressiveness. The abstract background, built with gestural brushstrokes in warm, earthy tones, reinforces the dynamism and immediacy of the moment. The thick texture of the paint and the vibrant colors in the matador's attire and cape are characteristic of Figurative Expressionism, giving the work a strong emotional impact. Tuser masterfully captures the essence of movement and the intensity of the bullfight through a painterly approach reminiscent of Impressionism, but with a greater emphasis on gesture and expressive color, making his work stand out for its raw energy and dramatic depth. ARTIST BIOGRAPHY José María Tuser Vázquez (Barcelona, 1919 - 1986) was a Spanish painter specialized in bullfighting themes, gaining recognition in the 20th-century art scene for his expressive depictions of the corrida (bullfight). He studied at the School of Arts and Crafts in Barcelona, where he developed a strong mastery of color and composition. From 1947 onwards, his work focused almost entirely on bullfighting, creating posters, illustrations, and paintings that capture the emotion and spectacle of the arena. He was a frequent collaborator with El Ruedo magazine, where his illustrations and covers solidified his reputation. Additionally, in the 1940s, he designed series of postcards featuring traditional Spanish costumes for the Artigas Publishing House. His work has been auctioned in several art houses and is highly valued among collectors of bullfighting paintings. His influence and legacy in tauromaquia (bullfighting art...
Category

1950s Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

ast Santa Cruz Landscape: Yellow Farmhouse with Storm Clouds Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"East Santa Cruz (California)" is a captivating oil on canvas board by artist Jon Blanchette (1908-1987). The painting features a striking yellow farmhouse set against dark gray storm clouds, capturing the beauty and drama of the California landscape. The composition, with its bold contrast between the warm farmhouse and the looming storm, evokes a sense of both tranquility and tension. Presented in a custom frame, the outer dimensions of the painting measure 21 ¾ x 25 ¾ x 1 ½ inches, with the image size measuring 16 x 20 inches. This artwork is in very good vintage condition, reflecting the care and craftsmanship of its creation. Please contact us for a detailed condition report. Expedited and international shipping options are available—please reach out for a personalized shipping quote. About the Artist: Jon Blanchette, born on March 29, 1908, in Somerset, England, immigrated to Battle Creek, Michigan in 1918. He displayed artistic talent from a young age and went on to study at the Pittsburgh Art...
Category

1950s American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Vendimia - Grape Harvest
Located in Berlin, MD
Georges Dayez (French, 1907-1991). “Vendimia” Vintage / Grape Harvest / Wine Harvest , Oil on paper, 20”x 26 1/3, framed 27 1/4 x 33 1/4. Dayez was a...
Category

1950s Cubist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Paper, Board

A villa near Saint Tropez South of France Cote d'Azur architecture with Figures
Located in Norwich, GB
Artist André Strauss was known for painting outdoors, on the motif. It gives his paintings a wonderful freshness and immediacy - you feel as if you were right there, in the grounds o...
Category

1950s French School Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Woman with Birds”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original mid-century modern oil on canvas board painting of a woman with birds by the well known Russian/American artist Nahum Tschacbasov. Signed and ...
Category

1950s American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Neoclassical Head in profile
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Neoclassical Head in profile Watercolor and graphite on paper, 1950 Signed and dated lower left in ink (see photo) Provenance: Washington, D.C. priva...
Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Train Station - Oil Paint by Eliano Fantuzzi - 1953
Located in Roma, IT
Oil on canvas realized by Fantuzzi in 1952. Hand signed lower left and on rear.
Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Girl on the Armchair - Oil on Canvas by Anonymous Italian Artist - 1950s
Located in Roma, IT
Girl In The Armachair is an artwork realized in the 1950s by Anonymous artist. Original oil painting on canvas applied to cardboard. Includes wooden frame:60 x 7 x 50.5 cm Good co...
Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

On the Path
Located in London, GB
'On the Path', pastel and ink on art paper, by Suzanne Tourte (circa 1950s). Executed with a lively palette of colour, this is a surprisingly sophisticated modern work of art which belies its rather naive style. Flowered fields, green grassy patches, a curved path and blue skies all figure in this engaging landscape with two figures. Newly framed and glazed in anti-reflective glass, this work is in good overall condition. Signed: 'S X Tourte' in the lower right hand. Please enjoy the many photos accompanying the listing. Upon request, a video may be provided. About the Artist: Suzanne Tourte (1904-1979) was a French painter, engraver, medalist, fresco artist, lithographer and illustrator. She was also an excellent vocalist. She studied at the school of Beaux-Arts in Reims while continuing her musical studies at the Conservatoire de la Ville. She chose painting as a profession and returned to Paris to continue her studies. She was friends with artists Yves Brayer and Robert Humblot...
Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Pastel, Ink

"Le Pantheon - Paris, 1905", Edouard Cortes, 13x18, Oil on Canvas, Impressionism
Located in Dallas, TX
Vaudeville Theatre by Edouard Cortes was painted circa 1955-60 and signed lower left. It is oil on canvas measuring 13x18 in original unlined condition. The piece is included in the ...
Category

1950s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Saint Germain-des-Prés under the snow. Oil on canvas, 60x92 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Saint Germain-des-Prés under the snow. Oil on canvas, 60x92 cm Constantin Kluge was a Russian-born French painter best known for his naturalistic scenes of Paris and French countrys...
Category

1950s Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Macbeth and the Three Witches a Painting on Panel by Francesco Zuccarelli
Located in PARIS, FR
This painting, created during Zuccarelli's stay in England, represents the decisive moment when Macbeth, together with Banquo, meets the three witches who announce that he will be Ki...
Category

1760s Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Demitasse
Located in West Hollywood, CA
We are proud to present outstanding original oil on canvas by American artist William Gropper (1897-1977.) William Gropper was an artist and illustrator, known for his exceptional a...
Category

1950s American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

'Reclining Nude in Interior', California Post-Impressionist, Louvre, LACMA, SFAA
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Painted circa 1955 by Victor Di Gesu (American, 1914-1988) and stamped verso with estate stamp. Framed dimensions: 21 H x 1.5 D x 24.75 W inches Winner of the Prix Othon Friesz, Vic...
Category

1950s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil

California Post-Impressionist 'Woman Seated', Louvre, LACMA, Académie Chaumière
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Di Gesu estate stamp verso and painted circa 1955. Winner of the Prix Othon Friesz, Victor di Gesu first attended the Los Angeles Art Center and the Chouinard Art School before movi...
Category

1950s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Laid Paper

Surreal Nudes Female Figurative painting by Mury
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
3809 Floating world surreal figurative painting signed on verso Mury
Category

1950s Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Dressing
By Miriam Tindall Smith
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Smith studied at the School of Industrial Art in Philadelphia under Edward Warwick. In 1935 she was asked by the Art Institute of Chicago to loan her painting, "Repose" to the forty...
Category

1950s American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Meditation on African Sculpture, mid-century figural abstract painting
Located in Beachwood, OH
Beni E. Kosh/Charles Elmer Harris (American, 1917-1993) Meditation on African Sculpture, 1957 Oil on found wood panel Signed and dated lower left 20 x 15 inches Charles Elmer Harris...
Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

The laundry is drying 1950s, oil on cardboard, 51x74 cm
Located in Riga, LV
The laundry is drying 1950s, oil on cardboard, 51x74 cm Published in the book "Biruta Baumane", Anda Treija, Juris Petraškevičs, publisher Galerija Da...
Category

1950s Fauvist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Jesus Ortiz Tajonar (1919-1990) Boy W/Papier-Mâché Animal Warrior Mask
Located in San Francisco, CA
Jesus Ortiz Tajonar (1919-1990) Mexican Boy with Papier-Mâché Animal Warrior Mask c.1950s Fantastic mid century modern oil painting by listed Mexican artist Jesus Ortiz Tajonar. W...
Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Antique Neapolitan Fisherman Holding an Octapus Figurative Oil Painting
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
3074 Italian Fisherman Portrait, oil on canvas applied to a board, displayed in a wood frame, signed lower left by E.Mori
Category

1950s Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Bathers
Located in Sheffield, MA
John Edward Costigan, N.A. American, 1888-1972 Bathers Oil on canvas Signed ‘J.E. Costigan N.A.’ lower left 20 by 24 in. W/frame 26 by 30 in. John Costigan was born of Irish-American parents in Providence, Rhode Island, February 29, 1888. He was a cousin of the noted American showman, George M. Cohan, whose parents brought the young Costigan to New York City and was instrumental in starting him on a career in the visual arts. They were less successful in encouraging him to pursue formal studies at the Art Students League (where, however, he later taught) than in exposing him to the commercial art world through the job they had gotten him with the New York lithographing firm that made their theatrical posters. At the H. C. Miner Lithographing Company, Costigan worked his way up from his entry job as a pressroom helper, through various apprenticeships, to the position of sketch artist. In the latter capacity he was an uncredited designer of posters for the Ziegfeld Follies and for numerous silent films. Meanwhile, he had supplemented his very meager formal studies in the fine arts with a self-teaching discipline that led to his first professional recognition in 1920 with the receipt of prizes for an oil painting and watercolor in separate New York exhibitions. A year earlier, Costigan had wed professional model Ida Blessin, with whom he established residence and began raising a family in the sleepy little rural New York hamlet of Orangeburg, the setting for the many idyllic farm landscapes and wood interiors with which he was to become identified in a career that would span half a century. John Costigan’s first national recognition came in 1922 with his winning of the coveted Peterson Purchase prize of the Art Institute of Chicago for an oil on canvas, “Sheep at the Brook.” It marked the start of an unbroken winning streak that would gain him at least one important prize per year for the remainder of the decade. The nation’s art journalists and critics began to take notice, making him the recurring subject of newspaper features and magazine articles. The eminent author and critic Edgar Holger Cahill was just a fledgling reporter when he wrote his first feature, “John Costigan Carries the Flame,” for Shadowland Magazine in 1922. Costigan had his first one-man show of paintings at the Rehn Gallery on New York’s 5th Avenue in November, 1924, to be followed less than three years later by another at the Art Institute of Chicago. In addition, Costigan’s work has been—and continues to be included, side-by-side with that of some of America’s most high-profile artists, in museum and gallery exhibitions throughout the country. His renown had peaked in the early 1930s, by which time his work had been honored with nearly every major award then being bestowed in the fine arts and had been acquired for the permanent collections of several prestigious American museums, including New York’s Metropolitan (which only recently, in 1997, deaccessioned his “Wood Interior,” acquired in 1934). Although Costigan’s celebrity had ebbed by the late 1930s, the Smithsonian Institution saw fit in 1937 to host an exhibition exclusively of his etchings. And, in 1941, the Corcoran Gallery (also Washington, D.C.) similarly honored him for his watercolors. (Another Washington institution, the Library of Congress, today includes 22 Costigan etchings and lithographs in its permanent print collection.) During World War II, Costigan returned briefly to illustrating, mainly for Bluebook, a men’s pulp adventure magazine. A gradual revival of interest in his more serious work began at the end of the war, culminating in 1968 with the mounting of a 50-year Costigan retrospective at the Paine Art Center and Arboretum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Oils, watercolors and prints were borrowed from museums and private collections throughout the country, and the exhibition was subsequently toured nationally by the Smithsonian Institution. John Costigan died of pneumonia in Nyack, NY, August 5, 1972, just months after receiving his final prestigious award —the Benjamin West Clinedinst Medal of the Artist’s Fellowship, Inc., presented in general recognition of his “...achievement of exceptional artistic merit...” in the various media he had mastered in the course of his career. This painting depicts one of the artist's favorite themes --the farm family bathing...
Category

1950s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Still Life Gray" Cubist Oil Painting
By Lowell Daunt Collins
Located in Houston, TX
Great early Lowell Collins cubist neutral toned still life on canvas. Placed in a thin, black frame. Signed and titled by artist. Artist Biography: Born in San Antonio but raised i...
Category

1950s Cubist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Mid-Century Modern Figural of Two Women and Child by Harold Kitner Kent State
Located in Soquel, CA
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...
Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Portrait of Eugene Higgins, Age 80.
Located in Storrs, CT
Portrait of Eugene Higgins, Age 80. 1954. Oil on canvas. 30 x 25 (framed 35 x 30). Signed and dated lower right. Cole and Higgins (1874-1958), both lived in Lyme, Connecticut. Higg...
Category

1950s American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Figurative Paintings for Sale

Figurative art, as opposed to abstract art, retains features from the observable world in its representational depictions of subject matter. Most commonly, figurative paintings reference and explore the human body, but they can also include landscapes, architecture, plants and animals — all portrayed with realism.

While the oldest figurative art dates back tens of thousands of years to cave wall paintings, figurative works made from observation became especially prominent in the early Renaissance. Artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and other Renaissance masters created naturalistic representations of their subjects.

Pablo Picasso is lauded for laying the foundation for modern figurative art in the 1920s. Although abstracted, this work held a strong connection to representing people and other subjects. Other famous figurative artists include Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud. Figurative art in the 20th century would span such diverse genres as Expressionism, Pop art and Surrealism.

Today, a number of figural artists — such as Sedrick Huckaby, Daisy Patton and Eileen Cooper — are making art that uses the human body as its subject.

Because figurative art represents subjects from the real world, natural colors are common in these paintings. A piece of figurative art can be an exciting starting point for setting a tone and creating a color palette in a room.

Browse an extensive collection of figurative paintings on 1stDibs.

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