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Leon Kelly
Woman at Basin, Picasso Style Portrait of a Female Nude, American Modernist

1930's

About the Item

"Woman by Basin" by Philadelphia born modernist and surrealist painter Leon Kelly, is a framed and matted portrait of a female nude. The 22.5" x 17.75" mixed media on artist board is signed "Leon Kelly" on the lower right. Provenance: Private Collection, New Hope, Pennsylvania Leon Kelly (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1901 - 1982) was a student and teacher at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, studying under controversial teacher and modernist Arthur B. Carles who greatly impacted and influenced Kelly's career and painting style. Having been awarded the prestigious Cresson Traveling Fellowship, he was able to study in Europe and gained much recognition in the Paris art world. His striking modernist, surrealist, cubist, and abstract paintings in figure genre, landscapes, and still lives have been widely exhibited throughout the United States, including Philadelphia and New York and can be found in numerous national and international, permanent collections, including but not limited to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Kelly was a regular exhibitor at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Annuals. In the 1920's Kelly created mostly paintings of Cubist style. By the 1940's he moved towards Surrealism and in 1942 earned himself a one-man exhibition by Julien Levy, the most preeminent gallery dealer for European Surrealist painters and the Avant Garde in the 1930's and 40's. Levy was a strong advocate of Kelly's work, exhibited his paintings many times throughout the years, and the two of them remained in close contact even after the closing of the gallery in 1948. Leon Kelly taught at the Academy from 1961 - 1973 and died at age 81, living in isolation on an island off the coast of New Jersey.
  • Creator:
    Leon Kelly (1901-1982, American)
  • Creation Year:
    1930's
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 29 in (73.66 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    The painting is in excellent condition, the framing shows regular wear. The work is framed under glass.
  • Gallery Location:
    Doylestown, PA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1402214008812

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