About
"Lake Michigan Beach Scene" is an original oil painting by Francesco Spicuzza. The artist painted this scene on canvas and then glued that canvas to a board. The artist signed the piece in the lower left. This painting depicts a number of figures swimming, lounging, and boating on the shore of a lake.
6" x 7 1/2" art
17 3/8" x 19 1/2" frame
Francesco J. Spicuzza, born in Sicily on July 23, 1883, came to America at the age of 8. He supported himself as a fruit peddler until a newspaperman gave him $4 a week to go to school. He attended classes at the Milwaukee Art Students League, where he studied under Alexander Mueller. There he learned to paint in the then-fashionable "Munich School" technique, with detailed realism in heavy browns and grayed-out hues. Spicuzza completed eight grades in four years, and then in 1911, three businessmen advanced him enough money to allow him to study in New York under artist and teacher John Carlson. It was during this time that Spicuzza changed his style of painting, developing an impressionistic use of color, form and atmospheric renditions. After a period of grinding poverty, one of Spicuzza's pictures won a major New York competition. It was the first of 60 wins, both in the U.S. and Paris. He became a fashionable painter, and many of the leading collections have his work. Spicuzza's typical works were beach scenes, still life, landscapes and portraits done in pastels, oils, ink, charcoal and watercolors. Much of his work traced the history of Milwaukee in the early 1900s. He was probably best known for his scenes of women and children splashing in the waves at Bradford and McKinley beaches. Spicuzza married Amber E. Breckow in 1907. They had two daughters, Sylvia and Marguerite (Mrs. Sydney Hambling). Amber believed in Spicuzza's work and had been the one to urge him to set up a studio. He used to say that her encouragement was largely responsible for making him stick to his art. Described as "a gentle and tolerant man," Spicuzza accepted new schools of art but retained his own style. As modern art caught up with him and then passed him, he said with a wry smile, "I was considered crazy? far out? then. Now I'm thought old-fashioned, conservative." Later in his career, Spicuzza taught at the Milwaukee Art Institute and also gave private art lessons. He painted up until just weeks before he passed away; he died of pneumonia at age 78.
Recipient of the 2008 Wisconsin Visual Artist Lifetime Achievement Award
Details
- Artist
- Creation yearcirca 1910
- Medium
- ConditionExcellent.
- Dimensions
H 17.375 in. x W 19.5 in.
H 44.14 cm x W 49.53 cm
- Gallery locationMilwaukee, WI
- Reference numberLU60532438941
- Seller reference number5704d
Shipping, Returns & Payment
- Shipping
Global Shipping Available
View details - Return Policy
This item cannot be returned.
View details
- Online Payment Methods1stdibs accepts the following payment methods
- Item InvoiceGenerate an invoice that you can customize and print.
About the Seller
Vetted
1stdibs seller since 2017
Typical response time: 11 hrs
Located in Milwaukee, WI
You may also contact the seller by phoneCall seller through 1stdibs
More From This Seller
Snowcapped Mountain
Francesco Spicuzza
Oil, Board
"Snowcapped Mountain" is an original oil painting on board by Francesco Spicuzza. The artist signed it with his signature stamp in the lower left. This painting depicts a mountain pe...
Rocky Shore
Francesco Spicuzza
Oil, Board
"Rocky Shore" is an original oil painting on board by Francesco Spicuzza. The artist signed the piece with his signature stamp in the lower right. This painting depicts the shoreline...
Lake Michigan Shore
Francesco Spicuzza
Oil, Board
"Lake Michigan Shore" is an original oil painting on board by Francesco Spicuzza. It depicts the shore of a lake in abstract brush marks. There is the suggestion of a shore and veget...
Cabin on Lake Michigan Shore
Francesco Spicuzza
Oil, Board
"Cabin on Lake Michigan Shore" is an original oil painting on board by Francesco Spicuzza. The artist signed the piece in the lower left. It depicts a small cabin on the lakeshore su...
You May Also Like
Cavaliers Watching Bathing Nymphs, large oil on...
Angelo Urbani del Fabretto
Canvas, Oil
Measuring nearly two metres in height, this fantastic large painting will be an excellent addition to a large, grand interior space. It is the work of the Italian painter Angelo Urba...
The Small Red Boat
Yuri Krotov
Cotton Canvas, Oil
Yuri Krotov shows us in this painting "The small red boat" all his admiration for Joaquin Sorolla, painter of Spanish Impressionism
The beach, the occean, the children, the light, un...
Moulin de Charbonneau – Sèvre Nantaise French P...
Georges Charles Robin (1903–2003)
Canvas, Oil, Paint, Cotton Canvas
“Moulin de Charbonneau" - Rare Original French Oil Painting. View of a water mill embedded in a fertile green landscape on the river Sèvre Nantaise. Signed on the lower right, titled...
Stanislas Maslowski'Market Day in Galicia', oil painting of a Jewish shtetl, Early 20th Century
$21,645
'Market Day in Galicia', oil painting of a Jewi...
Stanislas Maslowski
Canvas, Oil
This fine, early 20th Century painting depicts a lively, colourful composition of a market scene in the region of Galicia. The scene shows a shtetl- the name given to the numerous sm...
Port-Villez Neige Original French Landscape Imp...
Georges Charles Robin (1903–2003)
Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Oil
Georges Charles Robin (1903-2003)
“Port-Villez – Neige”
View of the Seine during the snow melt
Signed on the lower right (faintly)
Oil on canvas
Height 59cm x width 73.5cm (23.2 x 28...
Richard LytleEcho, 2017
$20,000
Echo
Richard Lytle
Canvas, Oil
Mr. Lytle studied at Cooper Union and at the Yale School of Art, where he received a B.F.A. in 1957 and an M.F.A. in 1960. He was an assistant in instruction to Josef Albers in 1956 ...
Overpressure
John Keefer
Canvas, Oil
Artist statement:
Art is essentially a spiritual pursuit. You put your own ego in the service of the world spirit. The spirit of the time you live in.
I told myself, what ever you...
The Tenants
Richard Lytle
Canvas, Oil
RICHARD LYTLE is represented by Fred Giampietro Gallery, New Haven, Ct
Richard Lytle has been exhibiting his work internationally since the 1950’s. He was a Teaching Assistant for Jo...
Why Shop on 1stdibs?
Only Vetted, Professional Sellers
Buyer Protection Guaranteed
Fully Insured Global Deliveries