Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 10

Rudolph Pen
A Dynamic, 1960s Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Concert Violinist

circa 1960

$1,500
£1,127.60
€1,307.25
CA$2,094.23
A$2,345.65
CHF 1,220.52
MX$28,487.78
NOK 15,473.10
SEK 14,600.03
DKK 9,753.95
Shipping
Retrieving quote...
The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation

About the Item

A Dynamic, 1960s Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Concert Violinist by Noted Chicago Artist, Rudolph T. Pen. Pen was recognized for his unique, Modern style of abstract figure painting, and often depicted scenes of concert musicians. He and his wife were longtime patrons of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and together they frequently enjoyed the renowned evening performances throughout the season. The painting may depict the prominent violinist Franz Benteler, who was considered "Ambassador of Music for Chicago" during the 1960s. Artwork size: 20" x 16"; Framed size: 20 1/4" x 16 1/4". Signed "Pen", lower right. Provenance; Estate of the artist. Rudolph T. Pen, a prolific American artist, was a Chicago native. He graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago and served on its faculty from 1948 until 1963. His long association with the "Institute" included service as President of the Alumni Association and Director of Oxbow, the Art Institute's summer school of painting. His work has been exhibited in numerous galleries. Pen is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards, including a Huntington Hartford Foundation Grant, an award from the National Academy of Design in New York City and the Art Institute of Chicago's prestigious Joseph Ryerson Fellowship. The work of Rudolph Pen may be seen in public collections (The Library of Congress, The Vincent Price Collection, The Davenport Museum, Art Institute of Chicago) as well as in private collections throughout America. Subject and Medium: Pen's work embraces a large variety of subject matter, inspired by his extensive travel in Europe, South and Central America, the Caribbean, and North Africa. His subjects include landscapes, seascapes, horse races, boat races, still lifes, dancers and musicians as well as medical, religious and political works. As a courtroom artist, Pen's work was often seen on TV during a particularly exciting time in Chicago's history. He worked in a wide range of media including oil, acrylic, watercolor, ink, charcoal and pastel. He was a member of the American Watercolor Society. Additionally, there is a large selection of prints and drawings. Style and Philosophy: Rudolph Pen understood on an instinctive and molecular level that all things move. His work explores the way in which things move within unusual (often trapezoidal) shapes. Pen believed that our eyes rarely look at anything steadily and directly. His work leads the viewer beyond the confinement of the "square." Most importantly, Pen felt that innovation is the key to art. He is documented as the first artist to advocate shaped canvases.
  • Creator:
    Rudolph Pen (1918 - 1989, American)
  • Creation Year:
    circa 1960
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 20.25 in (51.44 cm)Width: 16.25 in (41.28 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
  • Medium:
    Canvas,Oil
  • Movement & Style:
    American Modern
  • Period:
    Mid-20th Century
  • Condition:
    Very good, original estate condition. See photos.
  • Gallery Location:
    Chicago, IL
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: #219731stDibs: LU2591216045182

More From This Seller

View All
A Captivating, Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Standing Female Nude Model
Located in Chicago, IL
A Captivating, Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Standing Female Nude Model. Great colors! Painted in the 1960s, this wonderful "Mod" studio scene exemplifies the abstracted Modern ...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Captivating, Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Standing Female Nude Model

Rudolph Pen
A Captivating, Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Standing Female Nude Model, ca. 1960s

$1,600
A Fabulous 1960s Mid-Century Modern Painting of an Embracing Couple, Lovers
Located in Chicago, IL
A Fabulous 1960s Mid-Century Modern Painting of an Embracing Couple, Lovers, by noted Chicago Artist, Rudolph Pen. A wonderful example of the artist's uniquely expressive, abstract...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Nude Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

A Fabulous 1960s Mid-Century Modern Painting of an Embracing Couple, Lovers

Rudolph Pen
A Fabulous 1960s Mid-Century Modern Painting of an Embracing Couple, Lovers, circa 1960s

$850
A Large, Sensational Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Showgirl, Burlesque Dancer
Located in Chicago, IL
A Large, Sensational Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Chicago Night Club Showgirl. Painted in the 1950s, this is a large, vertical, abstracted portrayal of a standing Burlesque danc...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

A Large, Sensational Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Showgirl, Burlesque Dancer

Rudolph Pen
A Large, Sensational Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Showgirl, Burlesque Dancer, circa 1950s

$1,800
A Large Exceptional Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Chicago Night Club Showgirl
Located in Chicago, IL
A Large, Sensational Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Chicago Night Club Showgirl. Painted in the 1950s, this is a large, vertical, abstracted portrayal of a standing Burlesque danc...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

A Large Exceptional Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Chicago Night Club Showgirl

Rudolph Pen
A Large Exceptional Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Chicago Night Club Showgirl, circa 1950s

$1,800
A Wonderful, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Portrait Painting of a Boy with a Trumpet
By Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A Wonderful, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Portrait Painting of a Boy with a Trumpet by Noted Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Artwork size: 8 3/4” x 6 1/4” (Framed size...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

A Wonderful, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Portrait Painting of a Boy with a Trumpet

Francis Chapin
A Wonderful, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Portrait Painting of a Boy with a Trumpet, Circa 1950s

$850
Wonderfully Stylized, 60s Mid-Century Modern Oil of Standing Male Ballet Dancers
Located in Chicago, IL
A Wonderfully Stylized, 60s Mid-Century Modern Oil Painting of Standing Male Ballet Dancers by Noted Chicago Artist, Rudolph T. Pen. Painted in the 1960s, this captivating dance stu...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Wonderfully Stylized, 60s Mid-Century Modern Oil of Standing Male Ballet Dancers

Rudolph Pen
Wonderfully Stylized, 60s Mid-Century Modern Oil of Standing Male Ballet Dancers, circa 1960s

$1,200

You May Also Like

The Violinist
By Denes de Holesch
Located in Sheffield, MA
Denes Holesch Hungarian, 1910-1983 The Violinist Oil on board 26 ½ by 22 in. W/frame 33 by 28 ½ in. Denes Holesch (Denes de Holesch) was born in 1910...
Category

1950s Post-Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Violinist

Denes de Holesch
The Violinist

$4,800
Violinist. Square, portrait, figurative, notes, semi-abstract
Located in Oslo, NO
"The painting “Violinist” was created in 2009, when the career of the world famous pianist David Garrett was just beginning." said Anna Shesterikova about this artwork. "I saw in the...
Category

Early 2000s Abstract Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Violinist. Square, portrait, figurative, notes, semi-abstract

Anna Shesterikova
Violinist. Square, portrait, figurative, notes, semi-abstract, 2009

$2,984
Court Violinist - Drawing - mid-20th Century
Located in Roma, IT
"Court Violinist" is an ink drawing on paper, realized by an Anonymous French Artist of the mid-20th Century . The state of preservation of the artwork is very good. Sheet dimen...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink

Court Violinist - Drawing - mid-20th Century

Court Violinist - Drawing - mid-20th Century, mid-20th Century

$358
Shtetl Musician (Klezmer Playing the Violin, Sholem Aleichem)
By Gershon Knispel
Located in Surfside, FL
Shtetl Klezmer Violinist GERSHON KNISPEL Cologne, Germany (Haifa, Israel - Sao Paulo, Brazil), b. 1932 Gershon Knispel was born in Cologne, Germany in 1932. Within a year of his bir...
Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Shtetl Musician (Klezmer Playing the Violin, Sholem Aleichem)

Gershon Knispel
Shtetl Musician (Klezmer Playing the Violin, Sholem Aleichem)

$550
1980's French Modernist Painting Amusing Multi-color Abstract Figure with Violin
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
by Paul-Louis Bolot (French 1918-2003) signed & dated 1983 original gouache painting on thick paper/ card unframed condition: very good and sound; the edges have a few curls and scuf...
Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

1980's French Modernist Painting Amusing Multi-color Abstract Figure with Violin

Paul-Louis Bolot (French 1918-2003)
1980's French Modernist Painting Amusing Multi-color Abstract Figure with Violin, 1983

$242 Sale Price
30% Off
Violin Player Watercolor
By Chaim Gross
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Violin Player 1960/65 work size 11x29, with frame 18x36 inches, artist signed. Chaim Gross (1904 Austria–1991 USA) will always be remembered as one of the foremost American artist : ...
Category

1960s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Watercolor, Pen, Archival Paper

Violin Player Watercolor

Chaim Gross
Violin Player Watercolor, 1960/70

$4,500

More Ways To Browse

American Modern Seascape Painting
Caribbean Oil Paintings
Vintage Ambassador
Mid Century South African Art
Native American Art Horses
Native American On A Horse
1960s Seascape
African American Charcoal
African American Art Pen Drawing
Olga Painting Acrylic
Rabbit Woman
Abraham And Isaac
Abraham Isaac
Army Air Corps
K Bruce
Pegasus Painting
Peter Max Watercolor
Pierre Coquet
View All Popular Figurative Paintings Searches