1940s Art

Marc Chagall, Russian (1887 - 1985) - Les Ames Mortes Vignette Plate 1. Year: 1948, Medium: Etching on MBM, Image Size: 10 x 7.75 inches, Size: 15 x 11 in. (38.1 x 27.94 cm), Referen...

China ink drawing realized by Mino Maccari in 1930s. Not signed. Very good condition.

The Golden Gate Lithograph on wove paper watermarked GC, 1940 Signed in pencil by the artist (see photo) Publisher: Associated American Artists Edition: 189, unnumbered The image depicts The Golden Gate Bridge which connects San Francisco and Marin County, California References And Exhibitions: Illustrated: Adams, The Sensuous Life of Adolf Dehn, Fig. 13.17, page 324 Reference: L & O 325 AAA Index 391 Adolf Dehn, American Watercolorist and Printmaker, 1895-1968 Adolf Dehn was an artist who achieved extraordinary artistic heights, but in a very particular artistic sphere—not so much in oil painting as in watercolor and lithography. Long recognized as a master by serious print collectors, he is gradually gaining recognition as a notable and influential figure in the overall history of American art. In the 19th century, with the invention of the rotary press, which made possible enormous print runs, and the development of the popular, mass-market magazines, newspaper and magazine illustration developed into an artistic realm of its own, often surprisingly divorced from the world of museums and art exhibitions, and today remains surprisingly overlooked by most art historians. Dehn in many regards was an outgrowth of this world, although in an unusual way, since as a young man he produced most of his illustrative work not for popular magazines, such as The Saturday Evening Post, but rather for radical journals, such as The Masses or The Liberator, or artistic “little magazines” such as The Dial. This background established the foundation of his outlook, and led later to his unique and distinctive contribution to American graphic art. If there’s a distinctive quality to his work, it was his skill in introducing unusual tonal and textural effects into his work, particularly in printmaking but also in watercolor. Jackson Pollock seems to have been one of many notable artists who were influenced by his techniques. Early Years, 1895-1922 For an artist largely remembered for scenes of Vienna and Paris, Adolf Dehn’s background was a surprising one. Born in Waterville, Minnesota, on November 22, 1895, Dehn was the descendent of farmers who had emigrated from Germany and homesteaded in the region, initially in a one-room log cabin with a dirt floor. Adolf’s father, Arthur Clark Dehn, was a hunter and trapper who took pride that he had no boss but himself, and who had little use for art. Indeed, during Adolf’s boyhood the walls of his bedroom and the space under his bed were filled with the pelts of mink, muskrats and skunks that his father had killed, skinned and stretched on drying boards. It was Adolf’s mother, Emilie Haas Dehn, a faithful member of the German Lutheran Evangelical Church, who encouraged his interest in art, which became apparent early in childhood. Both parents were ardent socialists, and supporters of Eugene Debs. In many ways Dehn’s later artistic achievement was clearly a reaction against the grinding rural poverty of his childhood. After graduating from high school in 1914 at the age of 19—an age not unusual in farming communities at the time, where school attendance was often irregular—Dehn attended the Minneapolis School of Art from 1914 to 1917, whose character followed strongly reflected that of its director, Munich-trained Robert Kohler, an artistic conservative but a social radical. There Dehn joined a group of students who went on to nationally significant careers, including Wanda Gag (later author of best-selling children’s books); John Flanagan (a sculptor notable for his use of direct carving) Harry Gottlieb (a notable social realist and member of the Woodstock Art Colony), Elizabeth Olds (a printmaker and administrator for the WPA), Arnold Blanch (landscape, still-life and figure painter, and member of the Woodstock group), Lucille Lunquist, later Lucille Blanch (also a gifted painter and founder of the Woodstock art colony), and Johan Egilrud (who stayed in Minneapolis and became a journalist and poet). Adolf became particularly close to Wanda Gag (1893-1946), with whom he established an intense but platonic relationship. Two years older than he, Gag was the daughter of a Bohemian artist and decorator, Anton Gag, who had died in 1908. After her husband died, Wanda’s mother, Lizzi Gag, became a helpless invalid, so Wanda was entrusted with the task of raising and financially supporting her six younger siblings. This endowed her with toughness and an independent streak, but nonetheless, when she met Dehn, Wanda was Victorian and conventional in her artistic taste and social values. Dehn was more socially radical, and introduced her to radical ideas about politics and free love, as well as to socialist publications such as The Masses and The Appeal to Reason. Never very interested in oil painting, in Minneapolis Dehn focused on caricature and illustration--often of a humorous or politically radical character. In 1917 both Dehn and Wanda won scholarships to attend the Art Students League, and consequently, in the fall of that year both moved to New York. Dehn’s art education, however, ended in the summer of 1918, shortly after the United States entered World War I, when he was drafted to serve in the U. S. Army. Unwilling to fight, he applied for status as a conscientious objector, but was first imprisoned, then segregated in semi-imprisonment with other Pacifists, until the war ended. The abuse he suffered at this time may well explain his later withdrawal from taking political stands or making art of an overtly political nature. After his release from the army, Dehn returned to New York where he fell under the spell of the radical cartoonist Boardman Robinson and produced his first lithographs. He also finally consummated his sexual relationship with Wanda Gag. The Years in Europe: 1922-1929 In September of 1921, however, he abruptly departed for Europe, arriving in Paris and then moving on to Vienna. There in the winter of 1922 he fell in love with a Russian dancer, Mura Zipperovitch, ending his seven-year relationship with Wanda Gag. He and Mura were married in 1926. It was also in Vienna that he produced his first notable artistic work. Influenced by European artists such as Jules Pascin and Georg Grosz, Dehn began producing drawings of people in cafes, streets, and parks, which while mostly executed in his studio, were based on spontaneous life studies and have an expressive, sometimes almost childishly wandering quality of line. The mixture of sophistication and naiveté in these drawings was new to American audiences, as was the raciness of their subject matter, which often featured pleasure-seekers, prostitutes or scenes of sexual dalliance, presented with a strong element of caricature. Some of these drawings contain an element of social criticism, reminiscent of that found in the work of George Grosz, although Dehn’s work tended to focus on humorous commentary rather than savagely attacking his subjects or making a partisan political statement. Many Americans, including some who had originally been supporters of Dehn such as Boardman Robinson, were shocked by these European drawings, although George Grocz (who became a friend of the artist in this period) admired them, and recognized that Dehn could also bring a new vision to America subject matter. As he told Dehn: “You will do things in America which haven’t been done, which need to be done, which only you can do—as far at least as I know America.” A key factor in Dehn’s artistic evolution at this time was his association with Scofield Thayer...

This engraving is from an edition of 60. It is signed and dedicated. A farmyard scene with barn, chicken and ox. It is in excellent condition and is a fine impression. There is a stain in the lower bottom margin away from the image and well below the mat line Wilfred Fairclough...

"Animated Discourse" WPA Mid-Century American Scene Modernism Realism Figurative. Chris Ritter (American, 1906 – 1976) "Animated Discourse," 19 x 24 (sight). Watercolor on paper. Si...

This elegant 1948 original travel poster by Henry William promotes BEA – British European Airways, the airline that would later become part of British Airways. Created in the early years of commercial aviation’s post-war expansion, the poster captures the optimism and modernity associated with air travel at the dawn of the jet age. The design presents a stylised map of the British Isles, over which a fleet of aircraft flies in formation, visually suggesting speed, connection, and a new era of European mobility. The small open window revealing a London landmark subtly links the national identity of Britain with the promise of international horizons. Stylistically, the poster reflects the refined modernism of late-1940s graphic design. Clear geometry, soft yet confident colour blocks, and simplified forms replace pre-war ornamentation. The calm blues and greens evoke sky and sea, while the bold red BEA lettering anchors the composition with corporate strength and clarity. Rather than relying on dramatic imagery, Henry William constructs a vision of reliability and elegance, perfectly aligned with the aspirations of a public rediscovering leisure, travel, and technological progress after years of conflict. Beyond its role as advertising, this poster stands today as a historical document of early post-war aviation culture. It reflects a moment when airlines were not only transporting passengers, but shaping dreams of freedom, discovery, and a newly interconnected Europe. With its balanced composition and confident modern style, this BEA poster...

"Homme de L'Ouanergui Portant le Tabban" translated to "Man of The Ouanergui Carrying the Tabbane" is plate number 25 in Jean Besancenot's stunning por...

Charming mid century folk art painting of an autumn valley by Farris (American, 20th Century)Signed "Farris" lower left. Tag on verso from Ohio frame shop ...

Work on canvas

Eve Nethercott, American (1925 - 2015) - Seaside (P5.6), Year: 1947, Medium: Watercolor on Paper, Size: 13 x 20 in. (33.02 x 50.8 cm), Description: The versatility of Eve Net...

George Platt Lynes Photograph #10 of dancer Francisco Moncion 1949. George Platt Lynes rare original vintage 1949 gelatin silver photograph of dancer Francisco Moncion. Stamped on verso - GEORGE PLATT LYNES. Photo is 7 3/4 x 9 1/2 inches, glossy finish in excellent condition. This photograph is #10 from a collection of 12 different poses in this series taken in Platt Lynes's NYC studio in 1949 (as per the NY Public Library archives). The cloud backdrop is recognizable in other Platt Lynes photographs. Moncion was a personal friend of Platt Lynes and this photograph is from Moncion's personal photographic collection. George Platt Lynes (1907–1955), was a gregarious American portrait, dance, fashion, and male nude photographer whose career spanned the late 1920s through the early 1950s. From age eighteen, Lynes entered the cosmopolitan world of the American expatriate community in Paris when he became acquainted with the salon of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. He began photographing authors like Stein, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Colette and soon established himself as one of the premier fashion photographers in the Condé Nast stable, documenting the ballet companies of George Balanchine/Lincoln Kirstein, and pursuing a private obsession with seductive images of young male nudes rarely published in his lifetime. Platt Lynes photographs are in the collections of every major art museum and university archive including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Yale Art Museum, and the Smithsonian. Francisco Moncion (July 6, 1918 – April 1, 1995) was a charter member of the New York City Ballet. Over the course of his forty year career, choreographers George Balanchine, and Jerome Robbins in the New York City Ballet created 22 major roles for Moncion including the Dark Angel in Orpheus, Death in La Valse, Prince Ivan in Firebird, and the Boy in Afternoon of a Faun. He was also a choreographer and a talented painter who exhibited alongside Miro, Picasso and Carrado Cagli. Moncion was a popular model for many famed mid-century (late 1930s, 1940s - 1950s) figure photographers including Platt Lynes, Carl van Vechten, Maurice Seymour...

This serene subject, the Lambs' Creel relates to Minna Citron's mural project focusing on the Tennessee Valley Authority. It was such a new ...

Beautiful jazz poster of the 40's for Chil' Debeer and his orchestra signed by P. Verger. Discs Urania Printed by Harfort in Paris

Marc Chagall, Russian (1887 - 1985) - Les Ames Mortes Vignette Plate 11, Year: 1948, Medium: Etching on Arches, Image Size: 9.25 x 7.25 inches, Size: 15 x 11 in. (38.1 x 27.94 cm),...

Moïse Kisling (1891-1953) - Bouquet de giroflées Oil on canvas from 1948. Unique work. Dimensions of work: 41 x 33 cm. Hand signed. Accompanied by certificate by Marc Ottavi fro...

Hand signed. Artist’s Proof. Very good conditions.

Antique American modernist abstract oil painting by Arnold Aaron Friedman (1874 - 1946). Oil on canvas. Signed on verso. Framed.

This compelling original French political poster from 1947 features a striking portrait of General Charles de Gaulle, urging citizens to vote for the newly founded Rassemblement du P...

Signed lower left, 'Hortense M. Gordon' for Hortense Crompton Mattice Gordon (Canadian, 1886-1961) and dated 1949. Previously with: Dominion Gallery of Montreal (stamp, verso). Phot...

Circa 1940 Signed lower left Sight size 19 x 26 in Overall 27.5 x 34.5 in original period frame

A group of people at the Embassy Club in London during World War II 1941. (Photo Bert Hardy) A beautiful Limited Edition (ed size 300) silver gelatin fibre darkroom print made ...

This original vintage World War II propaganda poster, Our Good Earth – Keep It Ours!, features artwork by celebrated American Regionalist painter John Steuart Curry and was published...

Precision Training Means Precision Bombing' is an American WWII poster created for training purposes. It shows a then state-of-the-art bomber plane completing a successful factory bo...

Laszlo Willinger Vivien Leigh, 1940 Original vintage photograph from the original negative Hand signed, framed Sheet dimensions: 12 x 9 inches Framed dime...

Le Lagon III (Lagoon) Henri Matisse (After) French (1869–1954) Portfolio: Jazz Date: Of Original: 1947 Year Printed: 1983 Lithograph Size: 15.25 x 23.5 in. (38.74 x 59.69 cm) Fram...

Watercolor drawing on paper realized by Mino Maccari in 1940s. Hand signed lower right. Very good condition.

Oil on canvas painting by the well known Russian/American artist, Nahum Tschacbasov. Done with a thick impasto paint the artist portrays the powerful yet colorful nature of the general...

Paper Size: 41 x 27 inches ( 104.14 x 68.58 cm ) Image Size: 39 x 25.25 inches ( 99.06 x 64.135 cm ) Framed: No Condition: D: Heavy signs of wear, Torn, Damaged. SOLD AS IS. Price...

Andre JACQUEMIN Sculptures in Paris Original etching Printed signature in the plate On Arches vellum 30 x 25 cm (c. 12 x 10 inch) Printed in Haasen workshop in 1943 Excellent condi...

L'uomo nel Pozzo is the eleventh issue of the collection "Concilium Lithographicum" curated by Dora Broussard and printed in Rome by the Istituto Grafico Tiberino in 1946. Composed ...

This silver gelatin contact print with margins (4 x 4 7/8 in) is signed in ink and numbered '7' in pencil on the front of the mount. Credited, titled and dated on gallery label affix...

Presenting a wonderful oil on heavy jute canvas, "The Artists Studio." The painting depicts an artist preparing his canvases for painting. "The Artist...

Signed lower right, 'A. K. Skeele' for Anna Katharine Skeele (American, 1896-1963); titled, verso, 'Taos Yard' (visible from front, lower left) and painted circa 1945. Born in Ohio ...

Third Class Carriage (Down South), c. 1942 - 45, oil on canvas, 24 x 29 inches, labels verso read: "Painting by Mervin Honig [with address included]" and inscribed verso: "Title: Thi...

India's Nehru (Jawaharlal Nehru) is featured on the cover of Time Magazine, when Time was the most prestigious and important go-to resource for world news. Nehru is shown in 1942, wh...

Chia ink and watercolor drawing on paper realized by Maccari in 1940s. Hand signed in pencil lower right. It depicts Giovanni Gentile in the middle of the sea, while his philosophi...

The Forest is an etching print on paper realized in the 1940s by Paulette Humbert. Hand-signed on the lower. Numbered on the lower left, a rare edition of 7/11 prints. Very Good c...

Dimension with frame : 51 x 43.5 x 4 cm This intimate oil on board, signed E. Chambon and dated 1942, is a striking portrait by Swiss painter Émile Chambon...

This 1942 original travel poster, designed by Herman Verbaere, was commissioned by the Belgian National Railway (SNCB) to promote Ghent (Gand) as a premier travel destination accessi...

Work on canvas Golden wooden frame 58 x 50 x 5 cm

THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE, James Cagney, having black eye applied by makeup artist Perc Westmore, on-set, 1941/ Everett Collection. 20x16 " inches paper siz...

Artist: Roger Etienne, French/American (1922 - ) Title: Portrait of a Girl Year: 1949 Medium: Gouache On Paper, signed and dated Size: 20 x 16 in. (50.8 x 40.64 cm) Frame Size: 29 x ...

To see our other original vintage travel posters, many of which are from Switzerland, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the poster you want. Donald Brun...

A vibrant, MidCentury Modern 1940s summer landscape painting of a Vermont river by notable Chicago artist, Harold Haydon. A picturesque, quiet scene painted near the artist's longti...

Artist: Byron Browne (after), American (1907 - 1961) Title: Sousaphone Player in Marching Band Year: circa 1940 Medium: Collotype, signed in the plate Image Size: 26.5 x 20.5 in. (67...

This vibrant original poster created by E. Gaillard for the 1949 Carnaval de Nice perfectly captures the joy, elegance and festive spirit of one of Europe's most celebrated winter ev...

The idyllic atmosphere of this country scene falls within a couple of styles one being regionalism, an American realist modern art movement that included paintings, murals, lithographs, and illustrations depicting scenes of rural and small-town America primarily in the Midwest and frequently associated with Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton. The other style is romanticism wherein the scene depicted is a more desired or dramatic version of what actually is. “Untitled (Winter Road)” is a quiet country scene depicting a road leading into the distance either going to or coming from a local farm. The snow does not particularly seem fresh suggesting a melt and the coming of spring. This piece has been professionally reframed with acid-free matting and conservator glass. In a 1952 Detroit Free Press article, entitled “Artist Explains His Work,” Culver was asked why he painted the way he did. He stated: “I try to ‘see’ though not too exactly; I try to think though not too ponderously; I feel emotion yet I try not to become overwrought. I interpret rather than describe, and design rather than depict. I work with values, not light and shade; hence, when I am successful, I achieve substance rather than three-dimensional form, and this satisfies me as being wholly sufficient. In my work I wish to be serious without becoming a bore, exuberant without being frivolous, humorous without being silly. I believe that good paintings are conceived, not contrived; and I am interested in art much more than in pictures.” Charles...

Carlos Ruano Llopis (1878-1950) Original Vintage Bullfighting Poster June 1947 107cm x 53cm Carlos Ruano Llopis was born in 1878 in Orbs, Spain w...

Presenting a rare early oil painting from the, "WPA" period, 1941, by American artist Ron Blumberg, “The Farmer” After his classical training in Paris, Blu...

Watercolor drawing realized by Mino Maccari in 1940s. Hand signed lower right. With another watercolor drawing on rear. Very good condition except for a central fold.

Image dimensions: 28x18 cm. Edition of only 30 prints, numbered and hand signed. Excellent conditions. This artwork is shipped from Italy. Under existing legislation, any artwork in...

This piece is an original photograph shot by George Hurrell in 1941 and printed at a later date. This image depicts Rita Hayworth, an American actress an...

The print is signed and dated in pencil on the front of the mount; titled, dated, stamped and labelled on the back of the mount. This rare vintage enlargement comes from the Museum...

A Windmill In Portugal by Toni Frissell A woman takes a break in a wheat field next to an old windmill, Portugal 1946. (Toni Frissell) Limited signature stamped edition print 30 x ...

Jamaican Shoreline by Toni Frissell A man pulls his boat ashore onto a coastline in Jamaica. This personal work was done while Frissell was in Jamaica at this time for a fashion sho...

This captivating work depicts a rural mountain landscape with a timeless allure. Using a palette of earthy, nuanced colours, the artist succeeds in creating an atmosphere that is bot...

This is an original hand signed (I believe it is also hand colored but i am not positive) Artists Proof Lithograph of a Circus scene. This depicts a trapeze artist an acrobat on the ...

Marital portrait is a modern artwork realized by Alberto Savinio in 1948. Pencil on paper. Hand signed by the artist and dedicated to Raffaele Carrieri. Certificate of authenticity by Ruggero Savinio...

A Autograph Letter Signed by Filippo de Pisis accompanies a b/w photographic portrait (cm 11 x 9) of the young Italian artist, with his Basque-hat on his head, smoking a pipe and with his parrot on his shoulder. This composition, in perfect condition, is mounted under passepartout, plexiglass, and gilded frame (cm 40.5 x 2 x 54.5). The manuscript is addresses to Gaetano Chiurazzi. Venice, January 20th 1947. One page, single-sided. On letterhead paper “Ne nous embarbouillons pas dans les métaphores” (Balzac). cm 23 x 14.5. In 16°. In Italian. Signed “F. de Pisis”. Excellent condition, except for usual folds. Perfectly readable An affectionate greeting letter written with a rapid calligraphy by the artist had just returned to Italy, to Venice, after a short stay in Paris, with the first symptoms of a disease that will lead him to death. The artist writes to his friend, the Italian gallerist, Gaetano Chiurazzi (Naples,1899- Rome,1967), best-known as "Tanino". This letter will be delivered to Tanino by a great admirer and collector of de Pesis. A manuscript demonstrates how de Pisis spent his life: between Rome, Paris and Venice, living a very extravagant lifestyle; he had a pet parrot named Coco, and in Venice he was one of a handful of residents at the time who used a gondola. He had two personal gondoliers on 24-hour duty, who wore black-and-gold livery. Filippo de Pisis (born Luigi Filippo Tibertelli, Ferrara 1896 – Brugherio 1956) When he was 20 years old, the young painter from Ferrara had a meeting that changed his life. During his military service, he met the "Dioscuri", the brothers De Chirico and then Carrà. He was sure impressed by their way of seeing painting and, at the beginning, shared the metaphysical style. After a short stay in Rome and Paris, at the beginning of the 1920's, he started to rework his style, made of suggestions and original subjects, where the pictorial line is fragmented and, therefore, defined by Eugenio Montale as "fly-paw painting". The friendship with Julius Evola...

Work on canvas