Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 12

Hal Frater
'The Artist as a Young Man' by Hal Frater - Ashcan School Figurative Painting

Circa 1950

$9,000
$15,00040% Off
£6,832.65
£11,387.7440% Off
€7,815.09
€13,025.1540% Off
CA$12,574.31
CA$20,957.1840% Off
A$13,985.37
A$23,308.9540% Off
CHF 7,302.73
CHF 12,171.2140% Off
MX$170,187.10
MX$283,645.1740% Off
NOK 93,266.96
NOK 155,444.9440% Off
SEK 87,467.96
SEK 145,779.9340% Off
DKK 58,327.01
DKK 97,211.6940% Off
Shipping
Retrieving quote...
The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation

About the Item

Hal Frater's "The Artist as a Young Man" is a striking oil on canvas that captures the essence of the artist himself, rendered in a raw, emotive style. The palette is earthy, with natural browns and creams contrasted against subdued blues and hints of muted red, evoking a sense of both the mundane and the profound. Frater's use of color and form reflect a contemplative mood, a moment of introspection. The artist's gaze is direct and unflinching, suggesting resilience and a deep inner life. This mid-20th-century piece, evocative of American Realism, offers a personal narrative, exploring themes of identity and self-perception. Frater’s technique—visible brushstrokes and a textured application of paint—adds a tangible depth to the work, inviting the viewer to consider the artist's inner world and the time in which he lived. About the Artist: Hal Frater was not just an artist, but a storyteller who left us on February 3, 2008, on the cusp of his 99th birthday. His fifty-year tenure as a commercial artist was a testament to his adaptability and appeal. Yet it was in his private studio where Frater’s true passion lay — painting not for clients, but for his own soul's expression. His work, always striving to capture the nuances of the human spirit, reflected his sharp observational skills. His artistry was honed not in formal schools, but alongside his peers in spontaneous gatherings, painting from life, sharing techniques and critiques that fueled their collective growth. Influenced by the likes of Jack Levine, Raphael Soyer, John Sloan, Thomas Hart Benton, Reginald Marsh, and Phillip Reisman, Frater’s work resonated with the depth and diversity of these mentors. The 1920s, a time of bold strides in art following the devastation of World War I and a climate ripe with political change, greatly influenced Hal Frater's creations. He thrived among the emerging discussions of Marxism in the art world, absorbing the era’s yearning for a synthesis of art, craft, and design heralded by institutions like the Bauhaus. This period's ethos of Gesamtkunstwerk — a total work of art — is an enduring echo in the legacy of Hal Frater’s diverse and reflective body of work. An original painting, one-of-a-kind. Available at The American Art Gallery, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Keywords: Hal Frater, Ashcan School, figurative, oil painting, young man, artist, raw, emotive, blues, reds, identity, self perception, American Realism
  • Creator:
    Hal Frater (1909 - 2008, American)
  • Creation Year:
    Circa 1950
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 23 in (58.42 cm)Width: 17 in (43.18 cm)Depth: 0.75 in (1.91 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Framing:
    Framing Options Available
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Carmel, CA
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: Ellen DeGeneres, Joe Walsh, Ringo Starr, Tony Coles and more1stDibs: LU1380214150662

More From This Seller

View All
"Untitled" Contemporary Abstract Portrait of a Young Man by Masri
By Masri Hayssam
Located in Carmel, CA
Masri is a passionate Italian, US-based artist whose work has been exhibited in USA, the UK, Germany, Lebanon, Italy and Norway. His work is varied and known especially in Europe, an...
Category

2010s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Seated Young Man" by Shana Wilson - Figurative Nude Oil Painting in Earth Tones
By Shana Wilson
Located in Carmel, CA
Shana Wilson (Canadian, born 1966) "Seated Young Man" 2015 Oil Paint, Wood Panel The artist signed the back of the painting. About the Artist: Shana Wilson, born in Edmonton in 1966...
Category

2010s Expressionist Nude Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Untitled, Figurative Art , man contemporary Mixed Media 24" x 36" by Michele
Located in Carmel, CA
Michele's paintings are about the timeline of human life, and its effect on art. For the last 15 years, Michele has been deconstructing the subject matter. In as much as she enjoy ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'The Painter' by Masri - Artist Self Portrait - 2004 Oil on Canvas
By Masri Hayssam
Located in Carmel, CA
Masri is a passionate Italian, US-based artist whose work has been exhibited in USA, the UK, Germany, Lebanon, Italy and Norway. His work is varied and known especially in Europe, an...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Young Man Seated" by Wilson - Expressive Figurative in Soft Pastel Tones
By Shana Wilson
Located in Carmel, CA
Shana Wilson (Canadian, born 1966) "Young Man Seated" 2016 Oil Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the back of the painting. This stunning oi...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

"Untitled" Contemporary Expressionist Self-Portrait by Masri
By Masri Hayssam
Located in Carmel, CA
Masri is a passionate Italian, US-based artist whose work has been exhibited in USA, the UK, Germany, Lebanon, Italy and Norway. His work is varied and known especially in Europe, an...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

You May Also Like

Young Man, Expressionist Portrait by Philadelphia Artist
By Bernard Harmon
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Young Man" is an oil on canvas portrait painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The painting is 26" x 36" in size, signed on the lower right. Figurative ...
Category

1950s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"The Student" by Frank Chabry - Oil on Canvas/Paper 102x68 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Frank Chabry (1916-1979) was a 20th-century artist whose career spanned several transformative decades in the art world. His work likely reflects the artistic evolution of the mid-20...
Category

Mid-20th Century Baroque Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paper, Oil

A Charming Mid-Century Modern Portrait of a Young Man by Francis Chapin
By Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A Charming, 1960s Mid-Century Modern Portrait of a Young Man by Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). With wonderful expressionist brushwork and a vibrant palette, the painting most like...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Portrait Of A Posed Man Post Impressionist Signed Oil
By Josine Vignon
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Male Portrait by Josine Vignon (French 1922-2022) signed on front and back - inscribed verso of the man's name! oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 18 x 13 inches Colors: Brow...
Category

Mid-20th Century Post-Impressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Potter, Expressionist Portrait of a Young Man by Philadelphia Artist
By Bernard Harmon
Located in Doylestown, PA
"The Potter" is an interior portrait of a young man working on a vase at his potter's wheel by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 24.25" x 14" oil on cardboard painting is signed "Harmon" in the lower left and it is framed in a new black wood frame. Figurative expressionism in the style of Alice Neel. Bernard Harmon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1935. Harmon was primarily a portrait painter and a well loved teacher in the Philadelphia area. A graduate of the Philadelphia Museum School and Temples Tyler School of Art, Harmon traveled extensively in Europe and South America. Beloved by many, Harmon taught in the Philadelphia School District for 32 of his 54 years of life. Beginning his career as an art teacher at West Philadelphia High School, in the early 1960s he became one of the district's artists in residence, traveling from school to school to demonstrate for students how an artist works. Returning to the classroom, Harmon joined the art department at Central High School where he taught for 14 years and became an innovator in art curriculum, developing a program offering advanced placement art classes to gifted students. In his final years Harmon became a supervisor, mentoring teachers and overseeing programs in the Philadelphia school systems District #1. During his short life Harmon taught collage preparatory art classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, summer classes at the University of the Arts, and a Saturday program for gifted children at Drexel University. Among Harmon's portraits were commissioned by Philadelphia Jazz organist Jimmy Smith and Mayor Richardson Dilworth. Bernard Harmon was active in promoting African American Artist throughout his life time. He organized many early shows such as the "Afro American Artists 1800 - 1969" at the Museum of the Philadelphia Civic Center in 1969. He was considered a Renaissance man by friends and colleagues for his interests not only in art but music and theater as well. He was familiar and friends with many other African American artists such as Doc Thrash, Selma Burke, Paul Keene...
Category

1950s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Modern Oil Painting by Jan de Ruth
By Jan De Ruth
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Jan De Ruth, Czech (1922 - 1991) Title: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Year: circa 1964 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed l.l. Size: 20 in. x 18 in. (50.8 cm x 45.72 cm) F...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil