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Contemporary New York City-based artist Mark Beard has long demonstrated command in a variety of mediums — he works in oil paint, bronze, ceramics and more. Beard is known mainly for his portraits and figurative paintings, but he is prolific in figurative drawing and nude photography as well.
Beard was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1986, he began working as a set designer, and for the next decade, he created more than 20 sets in New York City, London, Frankfurt, Vienna and Cologne. As a painter and printmaker, Beard didn’t wish to confine himself to a rigid style and instead sought to explore Impressionism, Art Nouveau and other movements in a range of mediums. In order to freely move from one style to the next, Beard created several different personas, assigning a specific biography to each one.
Beard's most prominent artistic alter ego is Bruce Sargeant, whom the artist has positioned in exhibitions as an early 20th-century painter. Beard's work as Sargeant is a detailed study of the male physique. The paintings often feature sculpted athletic men engaged in physical activities like wrestling and rowing. The work is steeped in homoeroticism, and the artist’s name itself is a reference to painter John Singer Sargent — while he’s best known for his Edwardian-era portraits, John Singer Sargent also created murals and drawings of male nudes that were similarly reflective of a homoerotic sensibility.
Beard is also an accomplished landscape painter. His great-grandfather, George Beard, was a regional painter and photographer of the Rocky Mountains. Mark spent summers at his grandfather's 19th-century log cabin retreat as a child. These formative experiences are reflected in his own stunning landscape paintings.
Beard's artwork is held in many high-profile museum collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Today, Beard resides in the Manhattan loft that he purchased in 1994 with his partner, James Manfred. It serves as both his home and his studio. The space is filled with his oil paintings, drawings and sculptures.
On 1stDibs, find Mark Beard paintings, drawings, photography and more.
Untitled (Standing Male Nude)
By Mark Beard
Located in New York, NY
Untitled (Standing Male Nude) 2017 Signed and dated, recto Charcoal with red and white conté crayon on Rives BFK paper 30 x 20 inches (76.2 x 50....
Conté
$450
H 23.82 in W 17.92 in
Richard J.S. Young - Contemporary Oil, Standing Male Nude
By Richard J.S. Young
Located in Corsham, GB
A bold and eye-catching nude study by Richard J.S. Young, captured with broad, expressive brushstrokes. Young renders the sitter's head with greater detail, using patches of flat col...
Oil
Untitled (Standing Male Nude Facing Right)
By Mark Beard
Located in New York, NY
Ink on paper Signed and dated, l.c. This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Mark Beard, born in 1956 in Salt Lake City, now...
Paper, Ink
$5,300
H 16 in W 10.5 in
Standing Male Nude, Modern Oil on Board Painting by John F. Leonard
Located in Long Island City, NY
Standing Male Nude (42) John F. Leonard American (1921–1987) Date: circa 1965 Oil on Board, not signed Size: 16 in. x 10.5 in. (40.64 cm x 26.67 cm)
Oil, Board
$1,700
H 20 in W 16.25 in D 2.5 in
Personaje, figurative acrylic painting of man standing facing left
By Mike Rivero
Located in San Diego, CA
"Personaje" acrylic and marker on board figurative painting of man standing, by Southern California artist Mike Rivero. Painted in red, black, green, pink on a yellow background with horizontal white line on bottom portion. The colors of the figures are saturated, contrasted by a more muted palette in the background. This contrast place the figures in a protagonist’s role. Signed at bottom left and on reverse. Dated on reverse. Framed in blonde 1.75" wide frame (measures H 16", W 12" unframed). Inside the studio with Mike Rivero is quite an experience. Mike not only enjoys painting, he also enjoys sharing the knowledge of art that he has acquired over the years and his love of music. Mike was born with a natural affinity to be an artist, continuing to paint over time, and later studying with private mentors. Mike is inspired by the Bay Area Figurative Art...
Canvas, Acrylic
![[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Wrestler Standing](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/mark-beard-paintings-bruce-sargeant-1898-1938-wrestler-standing-for-sale/a_9323/a_180573421778706755230/Beard_Bruce_Sargeant_1898_1938_Wrestler_Standing_framed_master.jpg?width=240)
[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Wrestler Standing
By Mark Beard
Located in New York, NY
Mark Beard [Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Wrestler Standing, n.d. Signed, u.r. Oil on canvas 30 x 24 inches (76.2 x 61 cm) $5,000 + $350 framing
Canvas, Oil
![[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Untitled Study of a Young Man, by Mark Beard](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/mark-beard-paintings-bruce-sargeant-1898-1938-untitled-study-of-a-young-man-for-sale/a_9323/1731610826277/Beard_Seated_Nude_with_Boxing_Glove_master.jpg?width=240)
Price Upon Request
H 20 in W 16 in
[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Untitled Study of a Young Man, by Mark Beard
By Mark Beard
Located in New York, NY
[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Untitled Study of a Young Man, contemporary painting by Mark Beard n.d. Signed in red, u.l. Oil on canvas 20 x 16 inches Mark Beard, born in 1956 i...
Canvas, Oil
Untitled (Standing Male Nude with Head and Arm Study)
By James Childs
Located in New York, NY
James Childs (1945-2020) 2012 Signed and dated, l.l. Graphite and charcoal on paper 24 x 19 inches Contact gallery for price.
Paper, Charcoal, Graphite
$1,800
H 28.5 in W 22.5 in D 0.04 in
Figurative Portrait of a Nude Male Model
By Katherine Kallick
Located in Soquel, CA
Figurative Portrait of a Nude Male Model Handsome example of a vibrant figurative of a nude male model by Katherine Kallick (American, b. 1952). Med...
Paper, Acrylic
![[Bruce Sargeant (1989-1938)] Hunter and Wrestler](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/mark-beard-paintings-bruce-sargeant-1989-1938-hunter-and-wrestler-for-sale/a_9323/1624052119633/Mark_Beard_Bruce_Sargeant_IMG_0658_master.jpg?width=240)
[Bruce Sargeant (1989-1938)] Hunter and Wrestler
By Mark Beard
Located in New York, NY
[Bruce Sargeant (1989-1938)] Hunter and Wrestler n.d. Signed, l.r. Oil on canvas mounted to polycarbonite panel 79 x 43 inches (200.7 x 109.2 cm) $11,000 + $850 framing This wor...
Canvas, Oil
Ready to Play (Academic Figurative Painting of Male Athlete by Mark Beard)
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Academic style figurative oil painting of a handsome football player against a country landscape 'Ready to Play', Painted by Mark Beard as Bruce Sargeant (pseudonym in homage to the...
Canvas, Oil
Untitled Portrait II (Modern, Academic Style Portrait Painting of a Young Man)
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Modern, academic style portrait painting on canvas of a young athletic male oil on canvas, 26 x 17 inches in antique wood frame This vertical, contemporary portrait painting of sin...
Canvas, Oil
MB 001 (Modern, Academic Style Figurative Life Drawing of Muscular Male Nude )
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Figurative male nude drawing on Arches paper by Mark Beard graphite, conte crayon and charcoal on Arches paper 22 x 15 inches unframed Contemporary figurative life study drawing of ...
Conté, Graphite
MB 005 (Modern, Traditional Style Figurative Life Drawing of Muscular Male Nude)
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Figurative nude drawing on Arches paper graphite, conte crayon and charcoal on Arches paper 22 x 15 inches unframed Contemporary figurative life study drawing of a reclining male nu...
Conté, Graphite
MB 018 (Figurative Life Drawing of Handsome Male Nude by Mark Beard)
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Academic life drawing of male nude with charcoal and graphite by Mark Beard, "MB 018" graphite, Conte crayon and charcoal on Arches paper 30 x 19 inches unframed Signed, lower right ...
Conté, Charcoal, Archival Paper, Graphite
MB 023 (Figurative Life Drawing of Handsome Male Nude by Mark Beard)
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Academic life drawing of male nude with charcoal and graphite by Mark Beard, "MB 023" graphite, Conte crayon and charcoal on Arches paper 30.5 x 17.5 inches unframed Signed, lower le...
Conté, Charcoal, Archival Paper, Graphite
