Florence C. Sandfort

Mid Century Still Life -- Antiques and Apples

1952

Idyllic still life with fruit by American artist Nancy Taylor (20th century). A lush grave vine is perched atop a bowl of apples and pears. Two more apple...

Mid century modern still life of fruit basket and cobalt blue plate with rich, velvety surface treatment done in oil pastel by Mary Reeves (American...

Jean Claude Aujame (French, 1905 – 1965) Nature Morte aux pommes Signed and dated ‘Aujame 62’ (lower right) Oil on canvas 23.1/2 x 32 in. (60 x 81.3 cm.)

A strong modernist oil painting depicted in the mid Century by Russian painter Michael Baxte. Mostly known for his abstracted figures on canvas or street scenes, this piece is a wonderful representation of his bold still life paintings, with expressive use of color, shape, and form. Later in his career, Baxte explores Expressionism, infusing both European and North American stylistic trends. This piece is from later in his career, but we can feel this underlying style throughout. Art measures 15 x 11 inches Frame measures 22 x 19 inches Michael Posner Baxte was born in 1890 in the small town of Staroselje Belarus, Russia. For the first half of the 19th century, it was a center of the Chabad movement of Hasidic Jews, but this group was gone by the middle of the 19th century. By the time the Baxte family immigrated to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish population numbered only on the hundreds. The native language of the Baxte family was Yiddish. It is likely that the death of Michael Baxte’s father triggered the family’s immigration. Three older brothers arrived in New York between 1903 and 1905. Michael and his mother, Rebecca, arrived in 1907. By 1910 Michael, his mother, and brother, Joseph, were living in New Orleans and may have spent some time on a Louisiana plantation. Around 1912, Michael Baxte returned to Europe to study the violin. In 1914 he, his mother, and Joseph moved to New York City. Meanwhile, in Algeria, a talented young woman painter, Violette Mege...