1940s Paintings

The Portrait of a Bearded Man is an early work by Swedish artist Rune Kurt Haries Lagerbrink, who occasionally signed his works as "R. Lager." Painted in oil on cardboard. The old fr...

John Steuart Curry "Sketching Wisconsin," 1946 oil on canvas 31.13 x 28 inches, canvas 39.75 x 36.75 x 2.5 inches, frame Signed and dated lower right Overall excellent condition Presented in a 24-karat gold leaf hand-carved wood frame John Steuart Curry (1897-1946) was an American regionalist painter active during the Great Depression and into World War II. He was born in Kansas on his family’s farm but went on to study art in Chicago, Paris and New York as young man. In Paris, he was exposed to the work of masters such as Peter Paul Rubens, Eugène Delacroix and Jacques-Louis David. As he matured, his work showed the influence of these masters, especially in his compositional decisions. Like the two other Midwestern regionalist artists that are most often grouped with him, Grant Wood (American, 1891-1942) and Thomas Hart Benton (American, 1889-1975), Curry was interested in representational works containing distinctly American subject matter. This was contrary to the popular art at the time, which was moving closer and closer to abstraction and individual expression. Sketching Wisconsin is an oil painting completed in 1946, the last year of John Steuart Curry’s life, during which time he was the artist-in-residence at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. The painting is significant in Curry’s body of work both as a very revealing self-portrait, and as a landscape that clearly and sensitively depicts the scenery of southern Wisconsin near Madison. It is also a portrait of the artist’s second wife, Kathleen Gould Curry, and is unique in that it contains a ‘picture within a picture,’ a compositional element that many early painting masters used to draw the eye of the viewer. This particular artwork adds a new twist to this theme: Curry’s wife is creating essentially the same painting the viewer is looking at when viewing Sketching Wisconsin. The triangular composition of the figures in the foreground immediately brings focus to a younger Curry, whose head penetrates the horizon line and whose gaze looks out towards the viewer. The eye then moves down to Mrs. Curry, who, seated on a folding stool and with her hand raised to paint the canvas on the easel before her, anchors the triangular composition. The shape is repeated in the legs of the stool and the easel. Behind the two figures, stripes of furrowed fields fall away gently down the hillside to a farmstead and small lake below. Beyond the lake, patches of field and forest rise and fall into the distance, and eventually give way to blue hills. Here, Curry has subverted the traditional artist’s self-portrait by portraying himself as a farmer first and an artist second. He rejects what he sees as an elitist art world of the East Coast and Europe. In this self-portrait he depicts himself without any pretense or the instruments of his profession and with a red tractor standing in the field behind him as if he was taking a break from the field work. Here, Curry’s wife symbolizes John Steuart Curry’s identity as an artist. Compared with a self-portrait of the artist completed a decade earlier, this work shows a marked departure from how the artist previously presented and viewed himself. In the earlier portrait, Curry depicted himself in the studio with brushes in hand, and with some of his more recognizable and successful canvases behind him. But in Sketching Wisconsin, Curry has taken himself out of the studio and into the field, indicating a shift in the artist’s self-conception. Sketching Wisconsin’s rural subject also expresses Curry’s populist ideals, that art could be relevant to anyone. This followed the broad educational objectives of UW’s artist-in-residence program. Curry was appointed to his position at the University of Wisconsin in 1937 and was the first person to hold any such position in the country, the purpose of which was to serve as an educational resource to the people of the state. He embraced his role at the University with zeal and not only opened the doors of his campus studio in the School of Agriculture to the community, but also spent a great deal of time traveling around the state of Wisconsin to visit rural artists who could benefit from his expertise. It was during his ten years in the program that Curry was able to put into practice his belief that art should be meaningful to the rural populace. However, during this time he also struggled with public criticism, as the dominant forces of the art market were moving away from representation. Perhaps it was Curry’s desire for public acceptance during the latter part of his career that caused him to portray himself as an Everyman in Sketching Wisconsin. Beyond its importance as a portrait of the artist, Sketching Wisconsin is also a detailed and sensitive landscape that shows us Curry’s deep personal connection to his environment. The landscape here can be compared to Wisconsin Landscape of 1938-39 (the Metropolitan Museum of Art), which presents a similar tableau of rolling hills with a patchwork of fields. Like Wisconsin Landscape, this is an incredibly detailed and expressive depiction of a place close to the artist’s heart. This expressive landscape is certainly the result of many hours spent sketching people, animals, weather conditions and topography of Wisconsin as Curry traveled around the state. The backdrop of undulating hills and the sweeping horizon, and the emotions evoked by it, are emphatically recognizable as the ‘driftless’ area of south-central Wisconsin. But while the Metropolitan’s Wisconsin Landscape conveys a sense of uncertainty or foreboding with its dramatic spring cloudscape and alternating bands of light and dark, Sketching Wisconsin has a warm and reflective mood. The colors of the foliage indicate that it is late summer and Curry seems to look out at the viewer approvingly, as if satisfied with the fertile ground surrounding him. The landscape in Sketching Wisconsin is also revealing of what became one of Curry’s passions while artist-in-residence at UW’s School of Agriculture – soil conservation. When Curry was a child in Kansas, he saw his father almost lose his farm and its soil to the erosion of The Dust Bowl. Therefore, he was very enthusiastic about ideas from UW’s School of Agriculture on soil conservation methods being used on Wisconsin farms. In Sketching Wisconsin, we see evidence of crop rotation methods in the terraced stripes of fields leading down the hillside away from the Curry’s and in how they alternate between cultivated and fallow fields. Overall, Sketching Wisconsin has a warm, reflective, and comfortably pastoral atmosphere, and the perceived shift in Curry’s self-image that is evident in the portrait is a positive one. After his rise to favor in the art world in the 1930’s, and then rejection from it due to the strong beliefs presented in his art, Curry is satisfied and proud to be farmer in this self-portrait. Curry suffered from high blood...

A vibrant painting depicting an avenue lined with poplar trees in fall colors, prominently featuring a very large, centrally placed yellow poplar. Possibly an American poplar. The artist, Agda Holst, has employed a diverse palette of colors to the poplars, creating a dynamic and colorful composition. This oil on panel is signed and dated by Holst in 1948. The work exemplifies her use of color and form, characteristics that defined her artistic practice throughout her career. Agda Holst was a Swedish modernist painter known for her precise study of form, stylized compositions, and ability to merge structured geometry with expressive color. Her works, often still lifes, portraits, and figure studies, reflect a balance between naturalistic representation and modernist influences such as Cubism and New Objectivity. Holst's artistic journey began in 1907 at the Académie Colarossi in Paris, where she studied under Christian Krohg. Seeking further refinement, she moved to Munich between 1910 and 1911, studying with Julius Exter, known for his teachings in portrait and genre painting. In 1911–1912, she returned to Paris to study under Kees van Dongen, whose bold use of color and strong contrasts left a lasting impression on her work. The early 1920s marked another period of study in Paris, this time under André Lhote, who instilled in her a structured approach to composition and geometric clarity. Holst’s first public exhibition took place in 1916, when she displayed paintings in a bookstore...

Stunning desert landscape of red rocks and desert shrubs by California artist Olive Von Bergen (American, 20th Century). Signed “Olive Von Bergen” in ...

Portrait of a Man Smoking a Pipe in Oil on Masonite Detailed portrait of a man with a pipe by Heinz Robert Schubert (German, 1912-2001 approx.). A man wearing a short-brimmed hat is...

"Coney Island" Brooklyn NYC Amusement Park Mid-century American Scene WPA Modern Ludwig Bemelmans (1898 – 1962), “Coney Island" 35 x 27 inches Oil on board Signed lower right Origi...

#5-3302 Dog Hunting oil on canvas applied to a board ,displayed in a wood frame ,signed by Geyer. Image size 10.25 H x 13.50 W

Bill Crawford (1913-1982). Original illustration artwork depicting teams as they advance to the World Series. Depicted are representations of the St. Louis Cardinals and The Brooklyn...

Work on canvas Beige wooden frame 80.5 x 93.5 x 6 cm

Beatrix Sherman Hialeah Park Race Track, Florida, 1947 Signed lower right Oil on canvasboard 16 x 20 inches Beatrix Sherman (1894-1975), who changed her first name from Beatrice by...

This historically interesting Post Impressionist town landscape oil painting is by noted Slade School trained artist Bertram Nicholls. Painted in 1940, the location is the Somerset t...

Work on canvas Frame in molding and beige gray wood 50 x 63 x 6 cm

Nicey painted American modernist portrait oil painting. Framed. Oil on board. Image size, 8H by 10L.

Artist: Margaretha E. Albers, American (1881 - 1977) Title: Corlears Hook Year: circa 1940 Medium: Oil on Board, signed Size: 12 in. x 16 in. (30.48 cm x 40.64 cm) Frame: 14.5 x...

Cecil Chichester Woodstock in Winter, circa 1947 Signed lower left Oil on artist's board 12 x 16 inches Provenance Private Collection, Rhinebeck, New...

Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed.

ARCHES OF THE SEA Size: 59 x 51 cm (including frame) Oil on board A mid-century modern painting that features a dreamlike coastal landscape, defined by its geometric abstractions an...

"Money Lender" WPA American Scene Social Realism Modernism Mid Century Mervin M Jules (1912-1994 "The Money Lender" 15 1/2 x 20 1/2 inches Oil on board, c. 1940s Signed lower left F...

A classic still life in the style of Cezanne with fruit, wine jug and antique tea towel situated on a galvanized metal topped table by D. (Dorothy) Mil...

This Untitled Abstract Composition in Oil on Canvas signed Joe Stefanelli is a gem of Mid-Century American Abstraction. This painting brilliantly exemplifies the approach and movemen...

A beautiful Modern figure painting of two bathers in a boathouse by noted Chicago Modern artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Painted at the Ox-Bow School of Saugatuck, Michigan ...

Signed by Artist Lower Left The present work was published on the cover of the September 4th, 1948 edition of The Saturday Evening Post. An accompanying “Keeping Posted” article about Norman Rockwell’s process behind the painting was printed on page 10 inside the issue. (Image above) The Post described, “Boston baseball fans saw a strange spectacle at Braves’ Field early this summer. As the stands filled, two respectable-looking men stood on the field staring at the spectators. Every now and then they would point to someone, run up into the stands and invite the man or woman to sit in a box above the dugout. Then the thinner of the two would contort his face into an expression of wild delight or disgust and invite the spectator to do the same, while a photographer made pictures. The explanation is on our cover. The two suspicious characters were Kenneth Stuart, the Post’s art editor and the artist, Normal Rockwell. For a detailed description of how Boston...

Rafael de Soto - Village street - Oil on canvas Oil measurements 41x33 cm. Without frame.

'The Fisherman', oil on board, by Gabriel Vié (circa 1940s). This artwork depicts a solitary man fishing in a river surrounded by abundant foliage. He is p...

"Union Square" NYC American Scene Social Realism Modernism WPA Mid-20th Century Agnes Hart (American, 1912-1979) "Union Square, New York City" Sight: 14 1/2 x 21 1/2 inches Gouache...

Mid Century California Mountaintops Forest Landscape by Joseph Frey Beautiful and serene mid-century landscape of snowy California mountaintops by listed California artist Joseph Fr...

Georges-Noël Béraud (1912-1972) Pseudonym : Marc Aldine Oil on canvas signed low right with pseudonym Marc Aldine View of Venice Golden frame Size canvas : 55 X 81 cm - Size frame : ...

Windmill. Middle of 1940s, oil on cardboard, 54x65 cm Harijs Veldre (Bullis till 1947) (1927.8.III – 1999.6.V) Harijs Veldre learned in Riga school of applied arts (1942 – 43), in s...

5140 Oversized Antique French oil painting depicting a Frenchman in an interior scene Framed

1663 Over sized oil painting pf a parting couple during the Civil War

Artist: George Grosz, German (1893 - 1959) Title: Aroused Year: 1940 Medium: Oil on Paper, signed l.r. Paper Size: 24 x 18 in. (60.96 x 45.72 cm) Frame Size: 36 x 30 inches Prove...

Erik Ortvad (Danish, 1917 - 2008) Abstract Landscape, 1946 Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower right 32 X 37.5 inches 35 x 40.5 inches, framed Born in 1917 in Copenhagen, Erik Ortvad was a surrealist painter and a founding member of the COBRA art...

Donald Vogel’s paintings reflect his interest in seeking beauty in life and in sharing pleasure with his viewers. Vogel entreats us to "rejoice and celebrate each new day, knowing it...

This striking British Post Impressionist portrait oil painting is by noted Manchester artist Harry Rutherford. Painted circa 1940, the portrait is of a dark haired young woman in a f...

Finely painted American impressionist chicken grazing landscape oil painting. Framed. Oil on board. Image size, 9H by 11L.

3893 French Impressionist oil on artist board set in a gilt wood frame Image size 14.25x14.25"

Very impressive and amazing mid 1900s abstract expressionist oil painting. Oil on canvas. No signature found. Framed.

Signed figures in cityscape oil on canvas circa 1940 by sought after French impressionist painter Jules Rene Herve. The piece depicts a view of a crowded stall selling paintings besi...

Work on cardboard Molding frame in plaster and gilded wood 68 x 60 x 8 cm

Striking abstract acrylic painting of a nude male figure in a reclining pose and surrounded by vivid flames by Beugnet, circa 1950. Original artwork on paper displayed on a white...

Henri Pierre Fortier, Untitled (Autumn Landscape), gouache, c. 1940s. Signed in ink. Inscribed 'To my Friend CLINTON R. MULFORD'. A fine, painterly watercolor, with rich, layered colors, on heavy dark brown drawing paper with approximately 1/4 inch margins; an unfinished figurative sketch...

Abstract Gouache on Paper by Minnesota/Chicago artist Richard Koppe (1916-1073). Simply titled “Woman,” the work is an excellent composition by the artist created 1941. The painting ...

Work on canvas Dimensions with frame 58 x 66 x 5 cm This painting depicts three massive draft horses, majestically posed in an open field, under a soft, cloudy sky. The artist captur...

A dramatic mid-century western figurative action scene depicting a shootout in an old western town by Randy Steffen (American, 1917-1977), 1947. Several ...

#5-2758a Circa 1940's oil seascape on wood plaque,signed lower right by J.Niannino

3966 Antique Amsterdam canal scene set in a vintage wood frame Image size 11.5x8.5"

Landscape. 1942. Oil on cardboard, 36.5x47.5 cm Alfejs Bromults (1913.3.IV - 1991.11.I) His first professional education was at National University a...

Bathers 1940s Mid 20th Century American Scene Social Realism WPA Modern Ashcan Marion Gilmore (1909-1984) Bathers 15 1/2 x 19 1/2 inches oil on canvas boar...

This is a very stylized and powerful portrait by the noted artist Frank Anderson Trapp. It is dated 1940, and is very much in the modern style of French painters Ferdinand Leger...

Listed vintage oil painting of rolling waves in Gloucester, MA. This work was created by listed female artist Regina Gates. Regina Martin Gates was born in 1896 in Watervliet, Alban...

5160 Antique winter landscape oil painting Framed . Image size 15.5x19.5" Signed H.Katz 1945

1664 Antique oil painting of a blacksmith shop in the south Image size 17.5x 23.5" Framed

Artist: Pál Fried (Hungarian, 1893-1976) Title: "Hortense (Ballerina)" *Signed by Fried lower left Circa: 1940 Medium: Original Oil Painting on Canvas Framing: Framed in a light gold...

Carl Frederick Gaertner (American, 1898-1952) Rocky Cove, 1947 Oil on canvas Signed lower left 24 x 30 inches 31 x 37 inches, framed Carl Gaer...

Work on cardboard Golden wooden frame 51 x 43.5 x 4 cm

Ethel Rosetta Davis was born in Hardin County, Tennessee in 1897. She studied art in Birmingham, Alabama. Davis married and located to Tuscumbia a...

Nicely painted early 1900's oil painting. by Richard Hook. Great color and composition. Nicely framed.

Rustically charming watercolor on brown paper of an impressive oak tree by German artist Karl Teodor, 1943. Unsigned. Original vintage one-of-a-kind artwork on paper displayed on a ...