Modern Figurative Paintings

Graduated from the Prilidiano Pueyrredón National School of Fine Arts. He also studied set design, was a student of Osvaldo Attila and Armando Sapia, among other artists. He held so...

DANIEL-ANTOINE (1961) is an artist born in 1961 The oldest auction result ever registered on the website for an artwork by this artist is a painting s...

Gershon Benjamin (1899-1985) An American Modernist of portraits, landscapes, still lives, and the urban scene, Gershon Benjamin sustained an active career for over seven decades. D...

Taulé was born in 1945 in Sabadell, Barcelona. His father imparted the taste for painting to Antoni as a boy as the young artist watched him paint. After his primary studies, he began studying architecture in Barcelona and graduated in 1970. In 1965, he arrived in Paris and worked in architectural firms. It was Sartre's Paris, the construction of Unesco, the year of Le Corbusier's death and the end of Chandigarh, the French Cinematheque and Antonioni's films. Since the age of 14, he has never stopped painting and made his first personal exhibition in 1966 at the Academie de Belles Arts in Sabadell. Upon receiving his degree in architecture, he worked on the construction of l’Université autonome de Barcelone for a year. In 1971, he was asked to work on the development of a large shipyard on the small island of Formentera. There he met Laetitia Ney of Elchingen, who he would go on to marry. He devoted himself entirely to painting, and Formentera, like Paris, became one of his favorite places in both his life and to work. His first exhibition in Paris was in 1975 with Mathias Fels, presented to him by Hervé Télémaque—showing many paintings of his young daughter Djamilla, then three years old. The exhibition was titled, Espace hors temps (Space out of Time), with a foreword by Alain Jouffroy. In 1976, Taulé exhibited Contre-Jour (Against Day) at Fabien Boulakia on rue Bonaparte with a preface by Gérald Gassiot-Talabot and in Barcelona at the Aimé Maeght gallery—an exhibition visited by Joan Miró and Alexander Calder. In 1977, he exhibited at the Beaubourg gallery, with then associates Nahon and Trigano. In 1983, he met Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortázar, who wrote the novella Fin d’étape (End of Stage) for Taulé That same year, he was named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by Jack Lang...

Graduated from the Prilidiano Pueyrredón National School of Fine Arts. He also studied set design, was a student of Osvaldo Attila and Armando Sapia, among other artists. He held so...

Silvana Robert was born in 1965 in Argentina. She took first row between the artists of her generation. Well-educated at the National School of Fine Arts and having gone through work...

Taulé was born in 1945 in Sabadell, Barcelona. His father imparted the taste for painting to Antoni as a boy as the young artist watched him paint. After his primary studies, he began studying architecture in Barcelona and graduated in 1970. In 1965, he arrived in Paris and worked in architectural firms. It was Sartre's Paris, the construction of Unesco, the year of Le Corbusier's death and the end of Chandigarh, the French Cinematheque and Antonioni's films. Since the age of 14, he has never stopped painting and made his first personal exhibition in 1966 at the Academie de Belles Arts in Sabadell. Upon receiving his degree in architecture, he worked on the construction of l’Université autonome de Barcelone for a year. In 1971, he was asked to work on the development of a large shipyard on the small island of Formentera. There he met Laetitia Ney of Elchingen, who he would go on to marry. He devoted himself entirely to painting, and Formentera, like Paris, became one of his favorite places in both his life and to work. His first exhibition in Paris was in 1975 with Mathias Fels, presented to him by Hervé Télémaque—showing many paintings of his young daughter Djamilla, then three years old. The exhibition was titled, Espace hors temps (Space out of Time), with a foreword by Alain Jouffroy. In 1976, Taulé exhibited Contre-Jour (Against Day) at Fabien Boulakia on rue Bonaparte with a preface by Gérald Gassiot-Talabot and in Barcelona at the Aimé Maeght gallery—an exhibition visited by Joan Miró and Alexander Calder. In 1977, he exhibited at the Beaubourg gallery, with then associates Nahon and Trigano. In 1983, he met Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortázar, who wrote the novella Fin d’étape (End of Stage) for Taulé That same year, he was named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by Jack Lang...

Signed lower right. Inscribed on the reverse 'My first color illustration, Nov. 1954.' Work is unframed, Film Noir in paint

Charming portait with Modernest colors. Provenance: Christie's Mercedes Matter, daughter of the artist, Salander-O'Reilly Galleries, New York. Private Collection. Sale: Skinner, Inc...

"Jesus y Los Pescadores" by Alvar Sunol is an original oil on canvas painting and measures 59 x 59 inches. This painting incorporates Alvar's favorites drawing inspiration of mixing ...

Black & White Painting of Victoria Embankment London - a unique original from leading British Cityscape Artist, Angela Wakefield. Art measures 24 x 24 inches Frame measures 29 x 29...

Still Life on a Table is an original oil painting on canvas realized in the 20th Century. Good conditions (the painting has been restored in some parts). Frame included (83x108 cm).

We are proud to present the original paintings by American artist Peter Korling. Peter Korling was classically trained at the Chicago Institute of Art, and then moved to New York wh...

Stark, surrealist study of two nude figures in a color saturated room by Clayton Anderson (American, 20th Century), 1970. Signed and dated by the artist, left margin. Presented in a ...

WPA Scene American Modernism 20th Century Workers Strike Realism Industrial "Pawns" 16 x 20 inches,. Oil on board, c. 1930’s. Signed lower left. Stowell Sherman...

Sunil Das - Horse Head Ink on Paper 10 x 8 inches, 2011 ( delivered unframed ) Sunil Das (1939-2015) was a Master Modern Indian Artist from Bengal. Extremely successful right from h...

Rini Dhumal - Watercolour on Paper 9 x 10 inches Signed Style : She have been a printmaker and a painter. For some time now she have been painting and enj...

Carry Hauser ist einer der faszinierendsten Künstler Österreichs des 20. Jahrhunderts, der über einen sehr langen Zeitraum in unterschiedlichen Stilen relevante Arbeiten geschaffen h...

Haren Das - Khatal Etching on Paper 11.8 x 14 inches, 1976 ( Unframed & Delivered ) Born in Dinajpur in present day Bangladesh on 1 February 1921, Das took a diploma in fine art, wi...

To see our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the artist you want. Angela Stones (1914 - 1995) Still Life with Pineapple Oil on board 41 x 51 cm Signed lower left. A dark, characterful mid-century still life in oils, characterised by Stones' textured brushwork and rich use of colour. Stones was educated at the Chelsea School of Art, and was a member of an artistic dynasty. Her mother Dorothy Bradshaw (1893 - 1983) studied under Jack Merriott – the artist famous for his British Rail posters, and her son, Christopher Assheton-Stones (1947 - 1999), was arguably the foremost pastel artist...

Suhas Roy - Radha Oil on Canvas, 18 x 14 inches, 2014 Suhas Roy 's mystic woman which he calls 'Radha', either Oil on canvas or soft colored pastel on Paper or board are a series of...

Rabin Mondal - Untitled ; Ink on Paper 15 x 22 inches (unframed size) 1993 ( Unframed & Delivered ) Mondal was a clear observant of the various migrant workers who lived along his house in the conjected Howrah Area. They came from far to work and earn their livelihood. He would observe them and was deeply moved by the labour and low rung working class who carried all the heavy load oriented work. He would paint the men and the women , some distressed , some gloomy but with a force that would uplift them to be the heros of the society. Surprisingly Mondal was never depressed himself although he painted people in hard labour and poverty . Style : Mondal`s works are mainly figurative. He paints in bold strokes and creates tableaux, whose themes are universal. The faces of his figures stare at you out of the canvas, strange and pensive, but also strong and defiant. Not yet beaten, surviving by sheer force of spirit. He mostly uses dense pigments in blacks and reds, with only occasional moss green and turquoise colors seeping through. About the Artist & his works : Born : Rabin Mondal (1929 – 2019) was born in Howrah, Kolkata. Education : 1959 : Completed his Art Appreciation Course, Ashutosh Museum, Kolkata University, Kolkata. 1956-58 : Attended Evening Classes, Indian College of Art and Draughtmanship, Kolkata. 1952 : Bachelor of Commerce, Vidyasagar College, Kolkata University, Kolkata. Art Career : The industrial belt of Howrah, with its inherent tendency towards violence, anguish and suffering influenced him deeply, and found its way into his works. So did ugly street battles fought by political parties. Mondal discovered that his artistic temperament was out of keeping with the hostile environment and situation. Besides a debilitating knee injury in his childhood created a sense of isolation in the artist, which also finds expression in his canvas. He says what saved him from sheer madness was his talent in art. In 1949, he joined the Vidyasagar College of Art in Kolkata. At that time, a festival of French artists was being held in the city. It exposed him to the works of French modernist artists. Prior to this, he had no exposure to the international art world. He was only familiar with different schools of Indian art, particularly the Bengal school. As a young painter, Mondal was attracted by Jamini Roy`s folk style and Rabindranath Tagore`s disquieting paintings and drawings. But the show by French artists was virtually a turning point in his artistic career. "This was like opening a window to an astounding, astonishing, unsuspected world," he says. This encounter with avant-garde Western art helped him to later incorporate elements from it in his own work. Art Works : Mondal worked out of his Howrah studio, churning out a series of "kings" and "queens" painted with oil on canvas. These are perhaps Mondal’s best known works, depicting tragic looking figures, seemingly suffering from paranoia and fear, yet ironically termed kings and queens. Some of the highlights of this series were the works Man Acting as King, King Being Appeased, King Making Confession, and King and his Assassin. Mondal also produced a series of "deities", which sometimes seem to merge thematically with his "queens". The artist’s deities are generally depicted with radiate crowns, whereas his kings and queens are not. Other favorite subjects of the artist were the brothel and the harem, which he depicted in canvases such as Event in Red Light Area and Orgy. For someone who hates all forms of pretentiousness, he has done a series of painting on queens and empresses. "Though they belong to the past, queens live in virtual isolation, and I feel sorry for them," he says. "It is this isolation that makes the queen, for me, a fascinating subject." One of the criticisms leveled against him is that his works are not pleasing to the eye. To which he replies, "Painting is for communication and not for decoration." Solo Exhibitions : Rabin has had several solo exhibitions:
 From 1961 - 1973, 1976, 1987, 1993 and 1999 he exhibited solo at various places in Kolkata. In 1974, 1977, 1982, 1983, 1987 and 1991 he showcased solo in several place in New Delhi. From 1978 - 1980 and in 1984 he had solo exhibitions at Birla Academy of Art and Culture in Kolkata. In 1980 he had a solo show at Max Mueller Bhavan, Mumbai. In 1989 and 1990 he exhibited solo in Mumbai. In 1993 he had a solo show at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 2014 - 2015 and 2016 he exhibited 'Kingdom of Exile: A Retrospective' at Delhi Art Gallery, Mumbai and at DAG Modern, New York. Group Exhibitions : He has participated in several group exhibitions:
 In 1955, 1969, 1970 - 1972, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1995, 1998 - 2002 and 2010 he participated in various group exhibitions in Kolkata. From 1963 - 1965, 1971, 1973, 1980 - 1982 and 1985 he exhibited in group shows at Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi. In 1964, 1969, 1994 and 1996 he took part in group exhibitions at All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS) and LTG Gallery in New Delhi. In 1968 and 1972 he participated in group exhibitions at Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan. In 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978 - 1980 and 1983 he took part in several group shows at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. From 1975, 1979, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010 he participated in multiple group shows in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangladesh and Bangalore. In 1975 he took part in the 3rd Triennale in New Delhi. In 1984 he participated in the Tokyo Biennale, Japan. From 2003 - 2005, 2010 and 2011 he took aprt in Manifestations I - VI’ at...

This painting was done on cradled wood board signed and dated on back. The rough texture is achieved by adding an pumice like material to the painting ground. It is a companion work ...

Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) Night Garden, 1972 Acrylic on scintilla Signed and dated lower right 21.5 x 21.5 inches 24.25 x 24.25 inches, framed Clarence Holbroo...

Haren Das - Water Lily Linocut on Paper Edition 3/5 7 x 14 inches, 1990 ( Unframed & Delivered ) Born in Dinajpur in present day Bangladesh on 1 February 1921, Das took a diploma in...

Haren Das - Homewards Linocut on Paper Edition 13/15 5 x 14 inches, 1990 ( Unframed & Delivered ) Born in Dinajpur in present day Bangladesh on 1 February 1921, Das took a diploma i...

An oil on board Judaic painting by modern artist Ben-Zion Weinman. It depicts a portrait in profile of an old Jew. The work is signed "Ben-Zion". Born in 1897, Ben-Zion Weinman celebrated his European Jewish heritage in his visual works as a sculptor, painter, and printmaker. Influenced by Spinoza, Knut Hamsun, and Wladyslaw Reymont, as well as Hebrew literature, Ben-Zion wrote poetry and essays that, like his visual work, attempt to reveal the deep “connection between man and the divine, and between man and earth.” An emigrant from the Ukraine, he came to the US in 1920. He wrote fairy tales and poems in Hebrew under the name Benzion Weinman, but when he began painting he dropped his last name and hyphenated his first, saying an artist needed only one name. Ben-Zion was a founding member of “The Ten: An Independent Group” The Ten” a 1930’s avant...

Haren Das - Jagannath Gate Woodcut on Paper Edition 2/5 13 x 10 inches, 1991 ( Unframed & Delivered ) Born in Dinajpur in present day Bangladesh on 1 February 1921, Das took a diplo...

"Tailor" WPA American Scene Social Realism Modernism Mid Century Modern Fashion The board measures 9 1/2 x 15 1/2. Provenance: Mervin Jules Estate. Bio A painter, illustrator, pri...

This painting is part of our exhibition American Coast to Coast: Artists of the 1930s Subway Construction, c. 1928, oil on board, 19 x 15 ¾ inches, signed upper left, artist and title verso; exhibited: 1) 12th Annual Exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists, The Waldorf Astoria, New York NY, from March 9 to April 1, 1928, no. 864 (original price $250) (see Death Prevailing Theme of Artists in Weird Exhibits, The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), March 8, 1928); 2) Boston Tercentenary Exhibition Fine Arts and Crafts Exhibition, Horticultural Hall, Boston MA, July, 1930, no. 108 (honorable mention - noted verso); 3) 38th Annual Exhibition of American Art, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH, June, 1931 (see Alexander, Mary, The Week in Art Circles, The Cincinnati Enquirer, June 7, 1931); and 4) National Art Week Exhibition [Group Show], Montross Gallery, New York, New York, December, 1940 (see Devree, Howard, Brief Comment on Some Recently Opened Exhibitions in the Galleries, The New York Times, December 1, 1940) About the Painting Ernest Stock’s Subway Construction depicts the excavation of New York’s 8th Avenue line, which was the first completed section of the city-operated Independent Subway System (IND). The groundbreaking ceremony was in 1925, but the line did not open until 1932, placing Stock’s painting in the middle of the construction effort. The 8th Avenue line was primarily constructed using the “cut and cover” method in which the streets above the line were dug up, infrastructure was built from the surface level down, the resulting holes were filled, and the streets reconstructed. While many artists of the 1920s were fascinated with the upward thrust of New York’s exploding skyline as architects and developers sought to erect ever higher buildings, Stock turned his attention to the engineering marvels which were taking place below ground. In Subway Construction, Stock depicts workers removing the earth beneath the street and building scaffolding and other support structures to allow concrete to be poured. Light and shadow fall across the x-shaped grid pattern formed by the wooden beams and planks. It is no surprise that critics reviewing the painting commented on Stock’s use of an “interesting pattern” to form a painting that is “clever and well designed.” About the Artist Ernest Richard Stock was an award-winning painter, print maker, muralist, and commercial artist. He was born in Bristol, England and was educated at the prestigious Bristol Grammar School. During World War I, Stock joined the British Royal Air Flying Corps in Canada and served in France as a pilot where he was wounded. After the war, he immigrated to the United States and joined the firm of Mack, Jenny, and Tyler, where he further honed his architectural and decorative painting skills. During the 1920s, Stock often traveled back and forth between the US and Europe. He was twice married, including to the American author, Katherine Anne Porter. Starting in the mid-1920s, Stock began to exhibit his artwork professionally, including at London’s Beaux Arts Gallery, the Society of Independent Artists, the Salons of America, the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Whitney Studio and various locations in the Northeast. Critics often praised the strong design sensibility in Stock’s paintings. Stock was a commercial illustrator for a handful of published books and during World War II, he worked in the Stratford Connecticut...

Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) Medieval Heads, 1966 Acrylic on scintilla Signed and dated upper right 23.5 x 30 inches Clarence Holbrook...

Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) Mandala No. 15, 1969 Acrylic on paper Signed and dated verso 27.5 x 22 inches Clarence Holbrook Carter achieved a level of national ar...

George Gustav Adomeit (American, 1879-1967) Coastal Scene Oil on canvas Signed lower left 19 x 23 inches 21.5 x 25.5 inches, framed A major painter of American scene subjects, Georg...

Night Life in the City - Figurative Cityscape Mid 1960s cityscape by an unknown artist. Oil on artists board. Image, 16"H x 20"W

Harvey Gregory Prusheck (Slovenian/American, 1887-1940) Bison Oil on board Signed lower right 9.5 x 11.5 inches 16.5 x 18 inches, framed Harvey Gregory Prusheck was a Slovenian-Amer...

Still Life is an original modern artwork realized in the late 19th Century. Mixed colored oil painting on canvas. Includes frame: 66.5 x 2 x 77 cm

Jim's of Lambertville Fine Art Gallery is proud to present this work by Jacob Lawrence (1917 – 2000). Provenance: This painting is from the private collection of Gwen Lawrence, widow of Jacob Lawrence. Exhibitions: An attached photo (3rd photo) of the back of the piece shows its extensive exhibition history. Biography: Leading African-American narrative painter, Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1917. After his father abandoned his family in 1924, Lawrence spent several years in foster homes before reuniting with his mother in 1930 in Harlem, New York. In New York, he attended art classes organized at the Harlem Art Workshop with Charles Aston and the Harlem Community Art Center with Augusta Savage. There, he met fellow young painters, Aaron Douglas, and William Johnson...

Signed lower right: Will Barnet; on verso (photo available): Will Barnet / Aug 1963

Frank Nelson Wilcox (American, 1887-1964) The Wood Chopper, Brecksville, Ohio, c. 1917 Oil on masonite 33 x 24 inches "We were fortunate in that the two farms in Brecksville were still open to our visits. The urbanization of the township was then only beginning and we spent several summers there where I tried to capture something of the rural peace so soon to be erased from the countryside." - Wilcox Exhibited: “Water Colors and Oils by Frank N. Wilcox,” Cleveland Museum of Art, January 1937. Frank Nelson Wilcox (October 3, 1887 – April 17, 1964) was a modernist American artist and a master of watercolor. Wilcox is described as the "Dean of Cleveland School...

Oil Painting Mid 20th century, signed P. Zimmerman Reminiscent of the Mid Century Social Realist and WPA works of Ben Shahn this captures an architectural street scape...

Sunset in Northern Europe city is a modern artwork realized in the late 19th century by a Dutch Artist. Mixed colored oil painting. Includes a gilded frame: 66.5 x 40 x 80 cm

Frank Nelson Wilcox (American, 1887-1964) On the Back Porch, Brecksville, Ohio, c. 1922 Watercolor on paper Monogram lower right 21.5 x 27. 5 inc...

An oil on board Judaic painting by modern artist Ben-Zion Weinman. The work depicts a standing prophet with white robes raising his arms towards heaven. The work is signed "Ben-Zion" in the bottom right corner. The work is signed and dated "4/14/59" on verso. Provenance: Ex. Sotheby's Parke Bernet Born in 1897, Ben-Zion Weinman celebrated his European Jewish heritage in his visual works as a sculptor, painter, and printmaker. Influenced by Spinoza, Knut Hamsun, and Wladyslaw Reymont, as well as Hebrew literature, Ben-Zion wrote poetry and essays that, like his visual work, attempt to reveal the deep “connection between man and the divine, and between man and earth.” An emigrant from the Ukraine, he came to the US in 1920. He wrote fairy tales and poems in Hebrew under the name Benzion Weinman, but when he began painting he dropped his last name and hyphenated his first, saying an artist needed only one name. Ben-Zion was a founding member of “The Ten: An Independent Group” The Ten” a 1930’s avant-garde group, Painted on anything handy. Ben-Zion often used cabinet...

Cadets Football New Yorker Mag Cover Proposal American Scene Modern Illustration Antonio Petruccelli (1907 – 1994) Cadets Football Game New Yorker cover proposal, c. 1939 14 1/4 X 1...

Ervin B. Nussbaum was born in Columbus, Ohio on November 11, 1914. His father, Marger, had arrived as part of the great Russian Diaspora of the time, when many Jewish families settle...

Original Painting New Yorker Cover Proposal American Scene Modern Santa's Feet Antonio Petruccelli (1907 - 1994) Santas Feet At Midnight New Yorker c...

William Stephens Shields, Jr., 1925 - 2010 "Utopia" 1988 Oil on canvas 60"x48" artist framed Signed lower right William Stephens Shields, Jr., 1925 - 2010 He was born in san Francisco, in 1931, Bill moved to Texas, where he grew up. Moved to New York in 1940 and later joined the Naval Air Corps at the age of 18. He served as an Aviation Cadet in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1945. At the end of WWII, Bill returned to Texas. At 21, Bill re-focused his energy and enrolled in the Chicago Academy of Fine Art as an Illustration major. What followed was a whirlwind of success, great friendships and a sense of belonging he had never before experienced. Art was his calling and the art-world could not have been less prepared for the likes of Bill Shields...

Work on canvas Molded frame in plaster and gilded wood 36 x 40 x 4 cm

LARRY KANTNER Snowy Night 2021 Watercolor, ink, and collage 11 x 13 inches

Peter Horowitz, painter, born 1922, Poland. Lived in Hod Hasharon in Israel. Studied at the Art Academy, Krakow.

Last supper is an artwork realized in 19th Century, and depicting the Last Supper. Mixed colored oil painting. Includes frame: 26 x 29 cm Fair conditions

Seymour Chwast, B. 1931, American, 'Girl on a Buick', Painted Sheet Metal. A label on the reverse reads: "Seymour Chwast, 'Girl on a Buick', Metal Cut-Out, $2,000" Provenance: Bachelier-Cardonsky Gallery, Kent CT Seymour Chwast (born August 18, 1931) is an American graphic designer, illustrator, and type designer. Chwast was born in Bronx, New York, and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Cooper Union in 1951. With Milton Glaser, Edward Sorel, and Reynold Ruffins, he founded Push Pin Studios in 1954. Often referred to as "the left-handed designer," Chwast's unique graphic design melded social commentary and a distinctive style of illustration. Today, he continues to work and is principal at The Pushpin Group, Inc. in New York City. In 1979, he was hired by McDonald's to design on the first box for their Happy Meals. He is the font designer of Chwast Buffalo, Fofucha, Loose Caboose NF, and Weedy Beasties NF. He is a member of Alliance Graphique International (AGI). In the pantheon of American (nay, world) illustration, he stands, albeit slightly shorter and a little more rumpled, beside N.C. Wyeth, J. C. Leyendecker, and Normal Rockwell...

We are proud to present outstanding original oil on canvas by American artist William Gropper (1897-1977.) William Gropper was an artist and illustrator, known for his exceptional a...

Original painting on canvas by French artist Françoise Collandre. A graduate from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Métiers d'Arts in Paris, Françoise Collandre entered the fine a...

Fabio Modica GNOSIS XXX oil on canvas 60.00 X 60.00 in $18,000.00

Bustling Street VI is an original painting by Sean Durkin. The scene depicts the high street of an industrial town with people going about their usual lives. As with all of Sean's wo...

Landscape is an original modern artwork realized by Attilio Pratella in the early 20th Century. Oil painting on board. Includes frame. Handwritten notes on the back Good conditions

DAVID ROSEN Toronto, Canada, b. 1912, d. 2004 Painter David Rosen emerged onto the art scene while the country was wrought with unimaginable economic turmoil. Like most other Americans, the Great Depression pummeled artists financially, leaving them destitute and unable to find even conventional labor work. However, in the midst of such devastation, the government implemented arts projects which strove to achieve employment for these artists. The program arose during a memorable era for art and funded the careers of several renowned artists, including Jackson Pollack, Arshile Gorky, and Lee Krasner before they found success. In 1936, Rosen himself joined the program and quickly accompanied his contemporaries in building the next movement of modern art, Abstract Expressionism. Born in 1912, Rosen grew up in Toronto, Canada before pursuing arts in the United States. Upon arriving, Rosen settled in New York City and attended the Cooper Union Art school in 1930. While participating in the Federal Arts Project, he worked for the program's mural department until 1941. As well, he worked with an artist collective, Siqueiros Art Workshop. There, Rosen met fellow FAP artist Jackson Pollack, and together, with artist Phillip Guston, they experimented with new painting techniques and mediums. Art movements are often reactions to the popular styles that precede them, and Abstract Expressionism applied a new and exciting method to Modern Art. Gradually, artists began to break away from an overly-studied, academic approach to painting and liberated their technique. During these workshops, Rosen was introduced to Pollack's groundbreaking "drip painting" before it changed the art world. As America became involved in World War II, the Federal Arts Project wound down, officially ending in 1942. Around this time, Rosen enlisted as a Merchant Seaman with the U.S Merchant Marines. During this time, he traveled to North Africa and Italy before concluding his service and moving to California where, in 1945, he devoted his full attention to building an art career. Within a couple of years, he landed a major exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1947, and his first one-man show, which opened to rave reviews, was held at Hollywood's Contemporary Art Gallery. The exhibition’s success led to mural commissions from Palm Springs' Hotel del Tahquitz, and he scored more solo shows at West Hollywood's Chabot Gallery. The early 1950s brought a surge of recognition for Rosen's career, and while his work was certainly still influenced by Abstract Expression, his painting style included elements of Surrealism, Figurative Art, and Cubism. Like his colleague Jackson Pollack, Rosen produced work inspired by drip painting; however, rather than splattering, his drips were the natural flow marks from painting freely without regard for "mistakes." Throughout Rosen's long career, he would acquire techniques from vastly different art styles which made for a varied, eclectic catalog of work. Rosen continued to build his California art career and settled at a Laguna Beach art colony in 1958. There, he entered his work in the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts and was the first painter to contribute Abstract Art to the event. Rosen would participate in the festival for the next fifteen years. A year after his move, in 1959, Rosen opened his first studio gallery and began a 12-year collaboration with the Laguna Playhouse. For the next two decades, Rosen participated in 17 art exhibitions and 20 solo shows, and received considerable critical praise. Rosen's themes were as varied as his evolving painting style, and one of his themes focused on classic characters like Shakespeare's Hamlet. Rosen's close-up portraits of historical and literary figures, illustrated by the piece To Be or Not to Be: Soliloquy From Hamlet, capture the essence of the characters while remaining loose with the painting and even adding a slight cartoon feel. His ongoing Hamlet series, as a complete collection, makes an impact with the diversity of technique. Unlike the loose style of some of his works, the painting Madaam... that he is mad is true is influenced by the structure of Cubism, the flat dimensions of Byzantine Art, and his utilization of mixed media. After Rosen's death in 2004, the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts sponsored an exhibition of his Hamlet paintings at the Wells Fargo Building gallery. Throughout Rosen's career, he amassed a great deal of critical, industry, and public praise for his work. His beloved town of Laguna Beach bestowed numerous awards that include the Laguna Beach Annual Art Gallery Award and Orange County's Annual Exhibit Award. Rosen's work flourished in California, and he received recognition from the San Diego County Fair, Los Angeles' Miracle Mile...