Nina Karasek

1925 Viennese Oil Painting Interior Still Life with Porcelain Vase, Tapestry Rug

1925

Framed 21.2 X 25.5 Unframed 17 X 21 Signed and dated 1920. Nina Karasek (Joële) born 1883 Kuttenberg, Czech Lands, Austro-Hungarian Empire, died in 1952 (I have also seen the date recorded as 1933) Vienna, Austria. Nina Karasek was an Austrian Impressionist & Modern artist who was born in 1883. Her work was featured in exhibitions at the Es Baluard, Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art and the Bildraum Bodensee. Little is known of Nina Karasek's life. She was born in 1883 in Kuttenberg (Kutná Hora) in Bohemia, studied art at the Kunstschule für Frauen und Mädchen (Art School for Women and Girls) in Vienna, Austria, under Adalbert Seligmann and Tina Blau. She studied at the Frauenakademie in Vienna and Munich. In the 1920's she worked first as a landscape painter and an illustrator, later turning toward symbolism, painting mystical subjects after her interest in spiritualism. Her conventional works were shown at various exhibitions. At the age of 44, while she was copying a work by Rembrandt in an Italian museum, she fell into an altered state of consciousness. Rembrandt appeared to her, took possession of her arm, and immediately her hand started to draw something quite different from what she had intended. From then on, for the rest of her life Nina Karasek was in “supernatural” contact with a series of great masters like Rembrandt, Albrecht Dürer, Goya, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Gustav Klimt and others. Under their guidance and inspiration, she drew and painted works "in the style" of the masters. But very soon her works became stylistically more and more unrestricted and Symbolist, showing an enormous range of creative expression, ranging from symbolic and allegorical motifs to bewildering images with a fantastic arsenal of figures and private characters, signs, and symbols, and to frantic, gestural sketches and abstract compositions. From then on, she often signed her works with her esoteric “primordial name” Joële. (Nina Karasik-Joel) Almost everything we know about her life was from what she noted on the reverse of her drawings: sometimes diary-like notes of her horrible living conditions during World War II, but often strangely impenetrable explanations of the depicted motifs – often as fascinating and mysterious as the drawings themselves. In her works and notes, an exciting private cosmology and mythology unfolds, a drama of hidden powers and principles that flow through macrocosm as well as microcosm. Shortly after their discovery, Nina Karasek's Spiritualist, mediumistic works have found their way into galleries and major international collections. SELECT EXHIBITIONS 2019 The Medium’s Medium: Spiritualist Art Practices From the Turn of the Century and Beyond. The Gallery of Everything, London, (she showed with Madge Gill, Augustin Lesage, Fleury-Joseph Crépin...

William J. Schultz, American (1919 - 2005) William J. "Bill" Schultz had been a renowned American Impressionist artist and teacher for over sixty-five years. Co-Founder, and Director of the AIS had inspired numerous professional artists and teachers through his teaching. He also was a Master Pastelist in the Pastel Society of America and had won many awards for his oil and pastel paintings. Born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in 1919, he died in Vero Beach, Florida in 2005. He served in the Army in World War II including duty in Europe. He was discharged in 1946 with rank of First Sergeant. Schultz began his art studies with Martin C. Hoy, a fine artist and student of Robert Henri and William M. Chase. He graduated from The Vesper George School Of Art in Boston, Massachusetts in 1949. He then studied under National Academicians Jerry Farnsworth, Ivan Olinsky (a student of John Singer Sargent) and Robert Brackman. Winner of many awards for oil and pastel works. Was a noted portrait artist. He was a founding Director of the American Impressionist Society and an award winning member of the Pastel Society Of America. He studied under notable National Academicians Robert Brachman, Ivan Olinsky and Jerry Farnsworth. Schultz opened his own art studio and school in Lenox, Massachusetts and taught impressionist painting to hundreds of students, some of whom are now nationally recognized themselves. After 25 years at that location Schultz and his wife moved to Vero Beach, Florida where he continued to teach, as well as provide lectures and exhibitions around the country. Illustrated articles about Schultz and his work have appeared in "American Artist", "Southwest Profiles", "Artists Of Florida" and other periodicals. For a short time he studied alongside Norman Rockwell at a studio in Stockbridge, Massachusetts where Rockwell had established the base for his illustration work. Schultz was the proud possessor of an autographed sketch of himself that Norman Rockwell had created and was signed by Rockwell. Schultz's art has been exhibited in museums and galleries in Boston, New York City, Sante Fe, and numerous Florida locations...

"The Tower" - original large art by Paula Craioveanu Original, large, unique painting, oil on canvas, 31.5x23.6in / 80x60cm. Shipped stretched, from Florida. Check 1stDibs code FREESHIP This painting, a study of an elaborate spiral staircase, demonstrates the artist’s skill in merging architectural elegance with a dynamic sense of movement and mystery. The subject itself—a wrought iron spiral staircase—becomes more than a functional object; it transforms into a metaphor for transcendence, curiosity, and the infinite. The staircase is richly ornate, with swirling ironwork patterns and intricate details that capture the eye. The artist emphasizes the craftsmanship, elevating the staircase into a work of art itself. The ornamental designs echo Baroque or Rococo influences, known for their flamboyance and decorative excess. The spiral is inherently dynamic, drawing the viewer’s gaze upward in a continuous loop. This quality imbues the staircase with motion and energy, almost as if it is alive, spiraling into another dimension. The artist employs a dramatic perspective, positioning the viewer at the base of the staircase, looking upward. This composition evokes a sense of aspiration or awe, as if the staircase ascends to an unknown destination. The light filtering through the structure accentuates the curvature and creates a contrast between the solid metal of the staircase and the soft, ephemeral glow of the environment. This interplay of light and shadow enhances the mood, making the staircase seem both tangible and ethereal. The cool metallic grays and silvers of the staircase reflect its materiality, suggesting durability and permanence. At the same time, the reflective surfaces give it a shimmering, almost celestial quality. The background is suffused with warm, earthy tones—yellows, browns, and muted greens—that contrast with the cold metal of the staircase. This contrast creates a sense of tension between the man-made structure and the organic or natural environment surrounding it. Symbolism. Spiral staircases are often symbolic of a journey, both physical and spiritual. They represent the process of ascent, growth, and transformation. This staircase seems to lead into a vortex of light, suggesting a path to enlightenment or transcendence. The spiral is a recurring motif in art and nature, often representing infinity, cycles, and continuity. The staircase's design hints at a journey without end, encouraging reflection on the passage of time and the eternal nature of life. The destination of the staircase is deliberately obscured, leaving the viewer to wonder where it leads. This creates a sense of mystery, drawing the viewer into an imaginative exploration of the unknown. The swirling patterns in the ironwork mirror the overall spiral shape of the staircase, creating a sense of harmony and cohesion. These designs also add a decorative richness to the piece, tying it to the tradition of Romanticism or Gothic Revival, where even utilitarian objects were imbued with beauty and meaning. The background is loosely rendered, with soft, swirling brushstrokes that echo the spiral of the staircase. This abstraction contrasts with the detailed depiction of the staircase, making the environment feel less defined and more dreamlike. The staircase appears to float in a liminal space, further emphasizing its symbolic and otherworldly qualities. The viewer’s vantage point and the sheer scale of the staircase evoke a feeling of awe. It could symbolize humanity’s ambitions to reach higher realms—intellectually, spiritually, or artistically. The absence of people in the painting draws attention to the object itself, suggesting introspection or solitude. The staircase might represent a solitary journey, one that each individual must take alone. The intricate design and upward motion of the staircase, combined with the lack of a specific time or place, imbue the piece with a sense of timelessness. It could exist in any era, representing universal human themes. In comparison to the artist’s other works, this painting shifts focus from mythological and figurative themes to an architectural subject. Yet, it retains the artist’s characteristic use of ornamentation, bold perspectives, and symbolic depth. Like the Minotaur or Zeus paintings...

Michael Iskowitz creates colorful, seemingly playful paintings that often belie a more serious message. His process is somewhat spontaneous, fueled by a sense of exploration and disc...