Philippe Auge

French Surrealist Oil Painting Pears, Fruits Textured Still Life Art Deco Style

SAMUEL ROTHBORT (Russian-American, 1882-1971), still life with wild flowers, oil on canvas board, signed lower left. Framed 25.5 X 30, board 18.5 X 23 Samuel Rothbort (Russian American Jewish folk artist 1881-1972) was born in the small town, shtetl of Wolkovisk in the Russian Woodlands.During his youth he worked as a cantor and traveled to various towns and villages, gaining many impressions of life in that era. Poverty as well as the political unrest of the times led to his immigration to America in 1904. Upon arrival in America, Samuel Rothbort worked as a laborer and muralist eventually giving that up to become a watchman of newly built homes. While on duty he began molding figures in clay and upon the advice and encouragement of his employer and colleagues he began to take his artistic talents more seriously and pursued this endeavor. Rothbort therefore began doing free-hand painting, murals on walls and ceilings for private homes and commercial establishments. In 1909 he met and married Rose Kravitz, which marked the start of his career as an artist. Well known for his scenes of New York City life, executed in heavy impasto. Rothbort exhibited from the 1920s-60s, at the Salons of America, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn Museum, and a gallery at Rockefeller Center; however, he refused to sell his work, and in 1948, opened the Rothbort Home Museum of Direct Art, in his studio-home. Samuel Rothbort was a self taught, naive, outsider artist painting every subject in his own folk art impressionistic style. His artistic range was broad and he never stopped creating. He was fascinated with nature and his works are filled with his delightful perceptions of his surroundings. Rothbort worked in oil, watercolor, and pen & ink. In the years of the depression there was little money, Rothbort could not afford paint or canvas. It was there that he began carving wood and stone using found materials like driftwood, rails, and old fence posts. Rothbort entered the art world and spent much of his life in pursuit of modernist painting and sculpture. He was a member the Society of Independent artists, the Salons of America, the People's Art Guild, and the Brooklyn Society of Artists. During the 1920's and early 1930's , Samuel Rothbort was regularly represented in exhibitions organized by The Brooklyn Museum of Art. Through the 1930's , Rothbort exhibited his watercolors and sculptures at Grant Studios in Brooklyn. In 1940, he began a 28 year relationship with the Barzansky Gallery on Madison Avenue in New York City exhibiting oils, watercolors, and sculpture in individual and group shows. From 1915 through the 1960's, he was represented by many commercial galleries. Hamilton Easter Field, artist, publisher and founder of the Brooklyn Society of Artists was an early supporter of Rothbort's artwork and helped further his career. Rothbort received much recognition for his naive folk art paintings...

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...

Large 20th Century Still Life Oil Painting (unsigned) circle of Emilio Greco (Italian, born 1932) Very nice gilded frame with Arched panels. 72" x 40". Very attractive wall filler.

Fine 19th century still life painting by an important French female painter Jenny Villebesseyx (1847 - 1924). The painting is oil on canvas measuring 23" x 29 1/2". Framed dimension...