Bill Barrell

'Life is Beautiful', Modernist Figural

Circa 1985

Signed lower left, 'Giambastiani' for Lida Marian Casentini Giambastiani (American, 1911-1973) and painted circa 1965. We are pleased to offer a large and powerful oil painting that...

Signed lower right, 'Paula Melcher' (American, 20th century) and dated 1956.

Signed lower left, 'Ide' for Tom Ide (Canadian-American, 1919-1996) and dated 1965. Ide first studied at the Art Institute of Chicago (1951-1955) before movin...

Signed lower left, 'J.da Silveira' for Jose Da Silveira (French-American, born 1965), titled, 'The Soul is Music' and painted circa 2002. Additionally signed and titled, and with figural drawing, verso; Previously with: Chabot Gallery, Campbell, California Born in a tiny jungle village in Mozambique to a Portuguese bullfighter and the daughter of one of the leaders of the French Resistance...

Signed lower right, 'Z. Kavin' for Zena Kavin (American, 1912-2003) and dated 1966. Born in Berkeley, California, Zena Kavin studied at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco and, privately, with Kravchenko in Moscow. She lived in Berkeley and in Oakland her entire life, except for four years spent in New Mexico in the late 1930s. In 1949, she married artist Jon Cornin and settled with him in Oakland. Under the peudonym Corka, the Cornins produced cartoons for the Saturday Evening Post and the New Yorker. Kavin worked in various media, including wood engraving, lithography and sculpture. She was a member of the San Francisco Artists Association and exhibited with them as well as at the San Francisco Museum of Art Inaugural (1935), the California–Pacific International Exposition, San Diego (1935), the Golden Gate International Exposition (1939). Her work is held in the permanent collections of the Davis Art Center, the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Oakland Museum of California. Reference: Artists in California 1786-1940, Third Edition, Edan Milton Hughes: Crocker Art Museum, Sheridan Books 2002, Vol. 1, page 610; Who Was Who in American Art 1564-1975: 400 Years of Artists in America, Peter Hastings Falk, Sound View Press 1999, Vol. 2, page 1801; Mallett’s Index of Artists, Supplement, Daniel Trowbridge Mallett, Peter Smith...

Signed lower right, "Cucaro" for Pascal Cucaro (American, 1915-2003), additionally signed, verso, and dated 1959. An icon of the Beat years in San Francisco's North Beach, Pascal ...

Jim’s of Lambertville is proud to offer this artwork by: Vaclav Vytlacil (1892-1984) He was born to Czechoslovakian parents in 1892 in New York City. Living in Chicago as a youth, he took classes at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, returning to New York when he was 20. From 1913 to 1916, he enjoyed a scholarship from the Art Students League, and worked with John C. Johansen (a portraitist whose expressive style resembled that of John Singer Sargent), and Anders Zorn. He accepted a teaching position at the Minneapolis School of Art in 1916, remaining there until 1921. This enabled him to travel to Europe to study Cézanne’s paintings and works of the Old Masters. He traveled to Paris, Prague, Dresden, Berlin, and Munich seeking the works of Titian, Cranach, Rembrandt, Veronese, and Holbein, which gave him new perspective. Vytlacil studied at the Royal Academy of Art in Munich, settling there in 1921. Fellow students were Ernest Thurn and Worth Ryder, who introduced him to famous abstractionist Hans Hofmann. He worked with Hofmann from about 1922 to 1926, as a student and teaching assistant. During the summer of 1928, after returning to the United States, Vytlacil gave lectures at the University of California, Berkeley, on modern European art. Soon thereafter, he became a member of the Art Students League faculty. After one year, he returned to Europe and successfully persuaded Hofmann to teach at the League as well. He spent about six years in Europe, studying the works of Matisse, Picasso, and Dufy. In 1935, he returned to New York and became a co-founder of the American Abstract Artists group in 1936. He later had teaching posts at Queens College in New York; the College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California; Black Mountain College in North Carolina; and the Art Students League. His paintings exhibit a clear inclination toward modernism. His still lives and interiors from the 1920s indicate an understanding of the art of Cézanne. In the 1930s, his works displayed two very different kinds of art at the same time. His cityscapes and landscapes combine Cubist-inspired spatial concerns with an expressionistic approach to line and color. Vytlacil also used old wood, metal, cork, and string in constructions, influenced by his friend and former student, Rupert Turnbull. He eventually ceased creating constructions as he considered them too limiting. The spatial challenges of painting were still his preference. During the 1940s and 1950s, his works indicated a sense of spontaneity not felt in his earlier work. He married Elizabeth Foster in Florence, Italy, in 1927 and they lived and worked in Positano, Italy for extended periods of time. Later on, they divided their time between homes in Sparkill, New York and Chilmark, Massachusetts, where Vyt, as he was affectionately called, taught at the Martha's Vineyard Art...

Large abstract expressionist oil on canvas of Toulon Rugby Club supporters at a rugby match. Unsigned. Extremely vibrant and energetic depiction of Toulon ...

"Chained" Oil Painting 35" x 27" inch by Anastasiia Danilenko Anastasiia Danilenko is an artist and graphic designer. But the area of her occup...

Three Mysteries by California abstract expressionist artist Kristin Cohen (American, b.1963). Titled "Three Mysteries", signed "Kristin Cohen" and dated "2000" on verso. Image, 30"H ...

"Leader and Followers" is a visually striking piece of art that immediately captures the viewer's attention. The artwork, which was created using a combination of oil colors, feature...

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gallery) About Artist Abiodun Nafiu Azeez is an accomplished artist with a diverse background in contemporary painting, particularly Osogbo art. However, his true passion lies in abstract expression, where he seeks to promote African art, culture, and nature. Influenced by his artist father, he paints to preserve memories and connect with broader societal concerns. Abiodun's artistic style is characterized by the abstraction and simplification of human compositions. He employs vibrant oil colors, often focusing on primary colors that transition into secondary and tertiary hues. His subjects stand out against neutral backgrounds, creating a harmonious balance in his paintings. A prominent feature in his works is the use of red, blue, and yellow tones, subtly blended to emphasize form and shape. His artistic journey includes training under renowned bead painting contemporary artist Jimoh Buraimoh...