1940s Figurative Paintings

Parade Mexicaine by Jean Dufy (1888-1964) Gouache on Ingres paper 45.1 x 55.6 cm (17³/₄ x 21⁷/₈ inches) Signed Jean Dufy lower centre Executed circa 1948-1950 Provenance Galerie Kät...

"Figures, Boats, and House - Cape May Point, NJ" is a Pennsylvania Beach Scene by American Impressionist painter Albert Van Nesse Greene. The ...

Label verso: "Portrait of a Lady / Oil / MUC / Beatrice Whitney Van Ness / unsigned / size 30h x 25w ". From the estate of the artist. Beatrice Whit...

Signed indistinctly, lower right, and painted circa 1935. A strongly animated, vertically stacked figurative painting filled with compressed energy and an atmosphere of psychologic...

Initialed lower right, 'A.F' (American, 20th century) and painted circa 1940. A tonalist study of a young woman with bobbed brown hair, shown gazing to the viewer's left and painted...

Signed lower right, 'M. Watorski' for Mieczyslaw Watorski (Polish, 1903 - 1979) and painted circa 1950. This Polish history and landscape painter is particularly revered for his doc...

A sensitively painted portrait of the artist's daughter, Nancy, aged two and a half, shown wearing a floral-striped, jade green gingham dress. Signed lower right, 'Martha Tracy Fre...

Recently, women artists have been soaring in price to millions of dollars. In many cases, many of these women were quite obscure. For example, recently acknowledged Gertrude Abercrombie, a naive surrealist artist, has recently seen her paintings rise to the area of $400K. Lorraine Fox, who is a consummate female artist/ illustrator whose work rivals any of the recently anointed female stars is still an unknown quantity. She has exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum and is in the collection of the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, and she is a member of the Famous Artists School in Westport, Connecticut along with Norman Rockwell, Today she is relatively unknown and completely off the radar of the so-called art establishment. Wedding Day is a wonderful example of her mid-century, somewhat naive style. The work is signed lower right and was exhibited at the Brandywine River...

An accomplished American Scene painter, Clyde Singer successfully captured everyday life during his long career. A unique aspect of American life is depicted in this painting, entitl...

John Edward Costigan Autumn Wood Interior, 1946 Signed, lower left "J.E. Costigan N.A." Oil on canvas 24 x 30 inches John Costigan was a self-taught painter and trained printer dis...

Georgina Klitgaard Spring Ploughing Signed lower right Oil on canvas 34 x 42 inches Georgina Klitgaard’s art has sometimes gotten lost in the critical propensity to assign artists ...

Signed lower left, 'Marguerite Bordet' (French, 1909-2014) and painted circa 1940. Additionally signed, verso, titled, 'La Vanite' and inscribed with artist's Paris address in the 16...

Signed lower right 'Dante' for Giglio Raphael Dante (American, born 1916), titled verso and painted circa 1940. Raphael Dante first studied at the Academy of Rome prior to moving to...

Signed lower left, 'Carl Fischer' (Danish, 1887-1952) and painted circa 1935. Carl Fischer first studied under Viggo Johansen (1907-12) and, subsequently, in the Netherlands, Belgi...

A mother helps her son put on a tie in preparation for a formal party. Original cover for The Saturday Evening Post, October 16, 1948. George Hughes used his neighbors, the Rockwells, as models. The young man is Thomas Rockwell, the son of famed Norman Rockwell, and the mother is modeled after Thomas' actual mother and Norman's then-wife, Mary Rockwell...

Signed lower right, 'Justin Murray' (American, 1912-1987), titled, verso, 'The Doctor's Office' and painted circa 1945. Framed dimensions: 9¼ x 1½ x 21 inches. Born in Minneapolis, ...

"Birth" is a striking semi-abstract watercolor painting created by the talented Colorado artist, Charles Ragland Bunnell, in 1943. The artwork, crafted during Bunnell's Black and Blu...

Title: Sun and Fishing on the Costa Brava Artist: Joaquín Terruella Matilla (Barcelona, 1891 – 1957) Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 60 x 73 cm (23.6 x 28.7 in) Support: Can...

Constantin Font, born January 11, 1890 in Auch (Gers) and died in 1954 in Paris, is a French artist, painter of genre, nudes, landscapes, orientalist, sculptor and engraver. Outstand...

Date: July 1942 Medium: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 36.00" x 26.00" Signature: Signed Lower Left Illustration for Cosmopolitan magazine. Tom Lovell’s illustrations range from adventur...

Constantin Font, born January 11, 1890 in Auch (Gers) and died in 1954 in Paris, is a French artist, painter of genre, nudes, landscapes, orientalist, sculptor and engraver. Outstand...

World War II Invades Central Park, 1943, oil on canvas, signed lower right, 30 x 36 inches, literature: Barton, Phyllis, Cecil C. Bell, McGrew Color Graphics (Kansas City, MO, 1976),...

"Twilight of History" is a powerful and evocative original oil painting on board by renowned American artist Frederick Shane (1906–1992), created in 1947. This deeply symbolic work e...

Love at sea. A nautical romance is captured as a handsome couple embrace. The big splash of water at the peak moment of drama symbolizes passion and defines Falter's creativity in communicating a romantic narrative. This is a companion piece to a romance story. Most likely done on assignment for a major newsstand magazine. Hand-signed by artist, sticker label, Magazine Illustration circa 1940 Oil on board Signed lower right h: 28.5 x w: 30 in / h: 72.4 x w: 76.2 cm Morris Weiss collection...

A charming portrait of a Black woman with stylized hairstyle of the period - Midtown Galleries label on verso, Unframed Signed and date...

Original Post-War Airline Illustration by C. Villars (France, 20th Century) — Gouache on Arches Velin Paper. This rare, original Post-war illustration drawing was hand-painted with g...

Julio De Diego’s Atomic Series paintings made an extraordinary statement regarding the shock and fear that accompanied the dawn of the nuclear age. In the artist’s own words, “Scientists were working secretly to develop formidable powers taken from the mysterious depths of the earth - with the power to make the earth useless! Then, the EXPLOSION! . . . we entered the Atomic Age, and from there the neo-Atomic war begins. Explosions fell everywhere and man kept on fighting, discovering he could fight without flesh.” To execute these works, De Diego developed a technique of using tempera underpainting before applying layer upon layer of pigmented oil glazes. The result is paintings with surfaces which were described as “bonelike” in quality. The forms seem to float freely, creating a three-dimensional visual effect. In the 1954 book The Modern Renaissance in American Art, author Ralph Pearson summarizes the series as “a fantastic interpretation of a weighty theme. Perhaps it is well to let fantasy and irony appear to lighten the devastating impact. By inverse action, they may in fact increase its weight.” Exhibited 1964 Marion Koogler McNay Art Institute, San Antonio, Texas This work retains its original frame which measures 54" x 42" x 2" About this artist: Julio De Diego crafted a formidable persona within the artistic developments and political struggles of his time. The artist characterized his own work as “lyrical,” explaining, “through the years, the surrealists, the social-conscious painters and the others tried to adopt me, but I went my own way, good, bad or indifferent.” [1] His independence manifested early in life when de Diego left his parent’s home in Madrid, Spain, in adolescence following his father’s attempts to curtail his artistic aspirations. At the age of fifteen he held his first exhibition, set up within a gambling casino. He managed to acquire an apprenticeship in a studio producing scenery for Madrid’s operas, but moved from behind the curtains to the stage, trying his hand at acting and performing as an extra in the Ballet Russes’ Petrouchka with Nijinsky. He spent several years in the Spanish army, including a six-month stretch in the Rif War of 1920 in Northern Africa. His artistic career pushed ahead as he set off for Paris and became familiar with modernism’s forays into abstraction, surrealism, and cubism. The artist arrived in the U.S. in 1924 and settled in Chicago two years later. He established himself with a commission for the decoration of two chapels in St. Gregory’s Church. He also worked in fashion illustration, designed magazine covers and developed a popular laundry bag for the Hotel Sherman. De Diego began exhibiting through the Art Institute of Chicago in 1929, and participated in the annual Chicago Artists Exhibitions, Annual American Exhibitions, and International Water Color Exhibitions. He held a solo exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago in the summer of 1935. Though the artist’s career was advancing, his family life had deteriorated. In 1932 his first marriage dissolved, and the couple’s young daughter Kiriki was sent to live with friend Paul Hoffman. De Diego continued to develop his artistic vocabulary with a growing interest in Mexican art. He traveled throughout the country acquainting himself with the works of muralists such as Carlos Merida, and also began a collection of small native artifacts...

This striking original 1949 gouache and wax painting, titled "Fetishes", is a powerful work by acclaimed New Mexico modernist Howard Schleeter (1903–1976). Rich with symbolic abstrac...

Dorothy King was born and lived in London in 1907. She studied at the Hornsey School of Art under JC Moody, then briefly at the Slade School of Fine Art with Randolph Schwabe. She to...

Signed upper left, 'O. Foss' for Olivier Foss (French, 1920-2002) and painted circa 1945. Born in Hanover, Germany, Olivier Foss first studied art in Berlin and, subsequently, in Pa...

Signed lower right 'Muff' for Orla Muff (Danish, 1903-1984) and painted circa 1940. Orla Muff received his first formal art instruction at the Copenhagen Technical School from 1917-...

Initialed lower right, 'A.E.M' for Anna Elisabeth Munch (Danish, 1876-1960) and painted circa 1940. This notable Danish Modernist first studied with Karl Jensen (1889) and C. N. Ove...

Date: 1941 Medium: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 30.00" x 50.00" Signature: Signed Lower Left

A Vibrant, Mid-Century Modern Portrait of a Young Woman in a Yellow Blouse by Notable Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Oil on Masonite, dating circa 1945. Artwork Si...

This is a rare, original Post-war illustration drawing, hand-painted with gouache on Arches Velin paper by French artist C. Villars (France, 20th Century). The poster project feature...

Date: 1940s Medium: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 33.00" x 37.00", Framed 42.00" x 38.00" Signature: Signed Presumably Advertising for Maxwell House Coffee ...

This WPA-era signed oil painting by Paul K. Smith captures a stormy summer landscape in Colorado, featuring houses and lush trees under dramatic storm clouds. Painted in rich shades ...

Medium: Oil on Linen Signature: Signed and Dated Story illustration for "Farewell Without Regret" by Sarah-Elizabeth Rodger for Good Housekeeping, published July 1940, page 58. The...

SHIPPING CHARGES INCLUDE SHIPPING, PACKAGING & **INSURANCE** Love Honor Obey? Lon Megargee ca. 1940 Oil on Board Size: 19.75 x 26.75 inches Frame: 26.75...

Original cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, November 13, 1948 The Post described, “Artist Stevan Dohanos felt like a baseball coach who had everything he needed excep...

'Seated Nude' by Mogenz Hertz, 1949. Paris, Royal Danish Academy, Charlottenborg, Bornholm, Benezit ----- Signed lower right, 'Mogens Hertz' (Danish, 1909-1999) and dated 1949. A la...

Italian painting from the first half of the 20th century. Framework oil on board depicting a wooded landscape with a character of good pictorial quality. Modern frame in carved and g...

In this work we find the image of the Buddha and several pomegranates, symbolizing fertility. The choice of combining objects and materials of different nature becomes an unmistakable feature of his style. A taste for the intrinsic qualities of different materials, specifically chosen for their characteristics of gloss transparency and sphericity, not least, the optical precision with which the different surfaces are rendered. Croatto creates images where reality is transformed into a magical and suspended atmosphere. Bruno Croatto...

Medium: Oil on Canvas Signature: Signed Lower Left This work was featured on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post, June 11, 1949 The Post described the cover as follows: "Having found the setting he wanted for his circus-theme cover painting - on the Brotherton farm near Westport, Connecticut- Stevan Dohanos began rigging up a beam for the farm boy...

Approximate Date: 1948 Medium: Oil on Board Signature: Signed Lower Left Size: 20" x 16", Framed: 26" x 22" Original cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, September 25 1...

Painted with four hands. Josep Padró Gonzalez (1904-1982) and Pedro Serra Farnés (1890-1974). Oil measurements 47x62 cm. Frame measurements 70x85 cm.

3901 Posing Nude a 1940's oil on canvas Signed Pascal La Rocca Unframed Some losses to paint.

Julio De Diego’s Atomic Series paintings made an extraordinary statement regarding the shock and fear that accompanied the dawn of the nuclear age. In the artist’s own words, “Scientists were working secretly to develop formidable powers taken from the mysterious depths of the earth - with the power to make the earth useless! Then, the EXPLOSION! . . . we entered the Atomic Age, and from there the neo-Atomic war begins. Explosions fell everywhere and man kept on fighting, discovering he could fight without flesh.” To execute these works, De Diego developed a technique of using tempera underpainting before applying layer upon layer of pigmented oil glazes. The result is paintings with surfaces which were described as “bonelike” in quality. The forms seem to float freely, creating a three-dimensional visual effect. In the 1954 book The Modern Renaissance in American Art, author Ralph Pearson summarizes the series as “a fantastic interpretation of a weighty theme. Perhaps it is well to let fantasy and irony appear to lighten the devastating impact. By inverse action, they may in fact increase its weight.” Exhibited 1950 University of Illinois at Urbana "Contemporary American Painting" 1964 Marion Koogler McNay Art Institute, San Antonio, Texas This work retains its original frame which measures 54" x 36" x 2". About this artist: Julio De Diego crafted a formidable persona within the artistic developments and political struggles of his time. The artist characterized his own work as “lyrical,” explaining, “through the years, the surrealists, the social-conscious painters and the others tried to adopt me, but I went my own way, good, bad or indifferent.” [1] His independence manifested early in life when de Diego left his parent’s home in Madrid, Spain, in adolescence following his father’s attempts to curtail his artistic aspirations. At the age of fifteen he held his first exhibition, set up within a gambling casino. He managed to acquire an apprenticeship in a studio producing scenery for Madrid’s operas, but moved from behind the curtains to the stage, trying his hand at acting and performing as an extra in the Ballet Russes’ Petrouchka with Nijinsky. He spent several years in the Spanish army, including a six-month stretch in the Rif War of 1920 in Northern Africa. His artistic career pushed ahead as he set off for Paris and became familiar with modernism’s forays into abstraction, surrealism, and cubism. The artist arrived in the U.S. in 1924 and settled in Chicago two years later. He established himself with a commission for the decoration of two chapels in St. Gregory’s Church. He also worked in fashion illustration, designed magazine covers and developed a popular laundry bag for the Hotel Sherman. De Diego began exhibiting through the Art Institute of Chicago in 1929, and participated in the annual Chicago Artists Exhibitions, Annual American Exhibitions, and International Water Color Exhibitions. He held a solo exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago in the summer of 1935. Though the artist’s career was advancing, his family life had deteriorated. In 1932 his first marriage dissolved, and the couple’s young daughter Kiriki was sent to live with friend Paul Hoffman. De Diego continued to develop his artistic vocabulary with a growing interest in Mexican art. He traveled throughout the country acquainting himself with the works of muralists such as Carlos Merida, and also began a collection of small native artifacts...

Bryon Browne was an important American modernist painter. Signed upper right; signed, dated and situated 'New York' on reverse

5-3731 Oil on canvas applied to board Set in a wood frame

Barbara Shermund (1899-1978). Society Satirical Cartoon, ca. 1940s. Gouache on heavy illustration paper, image measures 17 x 14 inches; 23 x 20 inches in matting. Signed lower left. Very good condition but matting panel should be replaced. Unframed. Provenance: Ethel Maud Mott Herman, artist (1883-1984), West Orange NJ. For two decades, she drew almost 600 cartoons for The New Yorker with female characters that commented on life with wit, intelligence and irony. In the mid-1920s, Harold Ross, the founder of a new magazine called The New Yorker, was looking for cartoonists who could create sardonic, highbrow illustrations accompanied by witty captions that would function as social critiques. He found that talent in Barbara Shermund. For about two decades, until the 1940s, Shermund helped Ross and his first art editor, Rea Irvin, realize their vision by contributing almost 600 cartoons and sassy captions with a fresh, feminist voice. Her cartoons commented on life with wit, intelligence and irony, using female characters who critiqued the patriarchy and celebrated speakeasies, cafes, spunky women and leisure. They spoke directly to flapper women of the era who defied convention with a new sense of political, social and economic independence. “Shermund’s women spoke their minds about sex, marriage and society; smoked cigarettes and drank; and poked fun at everything in an era when it was not common to see young women doing so,” Caitlin A. McGurk wrote in 2020 for the Art Students League. In one Shermund cartoon, published in The New Yorker in 1928, two forlorn women sit and chat on couches. “Yeah,” one says, “I guess the best thing to do is to just get married and forget about love.” “While for many, the idea of a New Yorker cartoon conjures a highbrow, dry non sequitur — often more alienating than familiar — Shermund’s cartoons are the antithesis,” wrote McGurk, who is an associate curator and assistant professor at Ohio State University’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum. “They are about human nature, relationships, youth and age.” (McGurk is writing a book about Shermund. And yet by the 1940s and ’50s, as America’s postwar focus shifted to domestic life, Shermund’s feminist voice and cool critique of society fell out of vogue. Her last cartoon appeared in The New Yorker in 1944, and much of her life and career after that remains unclear. No major newspaper wrote about her death in 1978 — The New York Times was on strike then, along with The Daily News and The New York Post — and her ashes sat in a New Jersey funeral...

6044 Japanese flute player with white bird. Gilt frame Image size 21,5x25.5"

Medium: Gouache on Board Signature: Signed Lower Center: Al Moore The Saturday Evening Post cover, October 10, 1942

Medium: Oil on Canvas Signature: Signed and Dated Lower Right

Artwork measures 48" x 30" and framed 56 ¼" x 38 ¼" x 3" Provenance: John Heller Gallery, NYC, circa 1975 (label verso) The artist's daughter Corbino Galleries, Sarasota, FL (1990)...

When the Wood Grows Dry "Good House Keeping Magazine" illustration Surreal depiction of a young mid-century girls social life Good House Keeping Magazi...

Story illustration for “Confession” by Margret G. Trotter for The Saturday Evening Post, published March 20, 1948, page 26. The full caption reads: “He was saying hoarsely, ‘Here’s...

This piece is framed. Approximate Date: 1943 Medium: Oil on Canvas Signature: Unsigned Size: 25.00" x 37.00" Advertisement for Maxwell House Coff...

Monumental, important WPA painting by Percy Albee. The painting is oil canvas measuring 36" x 48". Titled verso "New Americans", this WPA painting was exhibited at the Carnegie Insti...

Oil on masonite painting by the well known Russian/American artist, Nahum Tschacbasov. Signed lower right and dated 1946. In good condition. The painting is framed in a contemporary...