Items Similar to Sephardic Jew Fez Hat Jewish Shtetl Americana Judaica Lithograph WPA Yiddish Art
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 10
William GropperSephardic Jew Fez Hat Jewish Shtetl Americana Judaica Lithograph WPA Yiddish Art
About the Item
Hand signed in pencil and numbered with Roman numerals 8/24. A very small edition.
Old Lower East Side of New York or East European Shtetl. Yenta gossips in the kitchen peeling. humorous Yiddish art.
The New-York born artist William Gropper was a painter and cartoonist who, with caricature style, focused on social concerns, and was actively engaged in support of the organized labor movement throughout his career. This original color lithograph print is done in the iconic style of the artist's oeuvre.
Born to Harry and Jenny Gropper in 1897, William was raised in New York City's Lower East Side. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Romania and Ukraine, and young William grew up in relative poverty, watching his family struggle to achieve that sought-after American dream. His father, a bright and college-educated man, was unable to find employment that worthy of his intellect. His mother, meanwhile, worked as a seamstress from home. Coupled with the devastating loss of an aunt to the infamous Triangle Factory fire of 1911, significant childhood factors created the foundation that led to Gropper’s exploration of the American experience.
Early on, Gropper displayed an extraordinary, natural skill for art. By 1912, he was already studying under the instruction of George Bellows and Robert Henri at the Ferrer School in Greenwich Village. During his time at school, Gropper was also awarded a prestigious scholarship to study at the National Academy of Design. However, he refused to fit into convention and was swiftly expelled from the Academy. After his expulsion, Gropper returned home to help financially by assisting his mother and taking a shop position. However, he didn't abandon art academia and soon presented a portfolio to the New York School of Fine Art which earned him a scholarship for study.
Gropper obtained his first significant job as a cartoonist for the New York Tribune in 1917. While working as a staff cartoonist for the Tribune, he also contributed drawings to publications like Vanity Fair, New Masses, The Nation, and Freiheit. His interest in the welfare of the American worker, class inequality, and social injustice was central in his work. After publishing the graphic novel Alley Oop in 1930, Gropper's illustration career extended well into the decade. However, he was never exempt from controversy, and his 1935 Vanity Fair cartoon; prompted anger from the Japanese government.
As an involved labor organizer and Social Realist activist, Gropper continued to bring attention to his radical reputation with visits to the Soviet Union and Poland. However, his concern with European politics and U.S. social causes didn't slow down his artistic career, and by the late 1930s, he had produced significant murals for American cities like Washington D.C. His 1938 mural Construction of a Dam was commissioned for the Department of the Interior and represents the Social-Realism style that depicts experiences of the worker and everyday societal life. Measuring at a staggering 27ft by 87ft, the piece portrays muscular, robust American laborers scaling rocky hillsides, building infrastructure, and operating heavy machinery. The mural feels undeniably American with golden scenery, denim blues, and steely gray colors. Gropper fits perfectly into Social-Realism because the style exhibits an illustrative flair with strong lines and simple, bold hues.
The inspiration for Construction of a Dam sprang from his 1937 travels to the poverty-stricken Dust Bowl area. The trip was sponsored by a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, and his drawings of the Grand Coulee and Boulder Dams were featured in The Nation. These drawings eventually led to the creation of the acclaimed mural. Gropper continued to produce more Social-Realist oil paintings and to frequent Europe for inspiration. Fascinated by American Folklore, he channeled that interest into his 1946 painting William Gropper's Americana: It's Folklore. The piece features a U.S. map packed with folklore characters, labor, violence, railroads, mining, and other historical symbols and events. While seemingly uncontroversial by today's standards, the piece caught the attention of the famous Senator Joseph McCarthy who was chairman of the Senate Committee of Government Operations. McCarthy believed the piece was inspired by Communist philosophy, and Gropper was called before the Subcommittee on Investigations in 1953; however, he refused to testify.
Gropper landed exhibitions at London's Piccadilly Gallery and at La Galería del Frente Nacional des Artes in Mexico City. He was included in the show “American Modernism – Paintings from the Dr. and Mrs. Mark S. Kauffman Collection,” American painters became increasingly involved in avant-garde developments in Europe. Different styles from international sources developed concurrently, making the years between the World Wars a dynamic period of artistic exchange and cathartic change. Faced with the fast-moving, machine-driven technology of the 20th century, American artists began to explore different ways of representing the world: through the influences of Cubism, structurally fracturing the picture plane into angular prisms, and through the expressionist application of bold, unnaturalistic color. Collectively, these first American modernist experiments with abstraction were to change the direction of the art world. Artists included are Philip Evergood, Lyonel Feininger, William Gropper, Robert Gwathmey, Walt Kuhn, Jack Levine, John Marin, Reginald Marsh, Fletcher Martin, William Meyerowitz, Abraham Rattner, Ben Shahn, Moses and Raphael Soyer, Abraham Walkowitz, and Max Weber. Turning his attention to decorative arts, he produced stained glass windows for Illinois' Temple Har Zion in 1966. Up until his death in 1977, the American master remained active in the Social-Realism style and committed to labor and injustice issues. Today, William Gropper is a highly recognized artist with permanent collections at the Smithsonian Institution, The National Gallery of Art, Princeton University, and the William J. Clinton Presidential Library.
- Creator:William Gropper (1897 - 1977, American)
- Dimensions:Height: 14 in (35.56 cm)Width: 11 in (27.94 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:good. minor wear commensurate with age. this was never framed and is being sold unframed.
- Gallery Location:Surfside, FL
- Reference Number:Seller: 1851stDibs: LU38214193982
William Gropper
William Gropper was a painter and cartoonist who, with caricature style, focused on social concerns. Gropper was born on December 3, 1897, in New York. William Gropper was a student of Robert Henri and George Bellows at the Ferrer School from 1912–15. During the 1930s, working as a part of the Federal Arts Project, he produced some of the most gripping social protest works of the Great Depression. His subjects included industrial strikes, especially in coal mining and steel-production centers. Gropper did much illustration-cartoon work for the New York Tribune newspaper, Vanity Fair magazine and the politically left-wing publication, New Masses. Some of his other pieces focused on the hypocrisy of government figures, especially members of the United States Senate. Gropper died on January 6, 1977, in Manhasset.
About the Seller
4.9
Platinum Seller
Premium sellers with a 4.7+ rating and 24-hour response times
Established in 1995
1stDibs seller since 2014
1,747 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 2 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Surfside, FL
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllPortrait Woman Original French Mourlot Modernist Lithograph 1951 Francoise Gilot
By Françoise Gilot
Located in Surfside, FL
Rare vintage limited edition Stone Lithograph printed at Mourlot in Paris. this is from a signed and numbered portfolio but the individual sheets are not hand signed and numbered.
F...
Category
1950s Modern Portrait Prints
Materials
Lithograph
Portrait head of a woman, Original French Mourlot Modernist Lithograph 1950s
By Françoise Gilot
Located in Surfside, FL
Rare Original limited edition lithograph, printed by Mourlot in Paris, France on vélin du Marais watermarked paper. this is not signed as issued. This is from a signed and numbered p...
Category
1950s Modern Figurative Prints
Materials
Lithograph
Hiding Head Original French Mourlot Modernist Lithograph, 1950s Francois Gilot
By Françoise Gilot
Located in Surfside, FL
Francois Gilot, (1921-) studied English Literature at Cambridge University, and then,
encouraged by her father, studied international law, though she
secretly also took art lessons a...
Category
1950s Modern Portrait Prints
Materials
Lithograph
1959 Israeli Yosl Bergner Modernist Color Woodcut Woodblock Print
By Yosl Bergner
Located in Surfside, FL
Abstract Composition, 1959 Silkscreen Lithograph "Phoenix".
This was from a portfolio which included works by Yosl Bergner, Menashe Kadishman, Yosef Zaritsky, Aharon Kahana, Jacob Wexler...
Category
1950s Modern Figurative Prints
Materials
Lithograph, Screen
Jewish Shtetl Hasidic Wedding Dance Judaica Lithograph Yiddish Social Realism
By William Gropper
Located in Surfside, FL
Hand signed in pencil and numbered with Roman numerals 8/24. A very small edition.
Old Lower East Side of New York or East European Shtetl. Jewish Shtetl Hasidic Klezmer Musicians. ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Prints
Materials
Lithograph
Women, Dishes, Shtetl Americana Judaica Lithograph WPA Social Realist Artist
By William Gropper
Located in Surfside, FL
Hand signed in pencil and numbered with Roman numerals 8/24. A very small edition.
Old Lower East Side of New York or East European Shtetl. Orthodox Jewish Rabbi having a glass of t...
Category
Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Prints
Materials
Lithograph
You May Also Like
Joyfulness. 2006. Paper, lithography, 72x54.5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Joyfulness. 2006. Paper, lithography, 72x54.5 cm
Flamenco dancer in black and white colors
Category
Early 2000s Modern Figurative Prints
Materials
Paper, Lithograph
$388 Sale Price
20% Off
To reach. Flamenco dancer. 2006. 3/10. Paper, lithography, 72x54.5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
To reach. Flamenco dancer. 2006. 3/10. Paper, lithography, 72x54.5 cm
Dancing woman figure
Category
Early 2000s Modern Figurative Prints
Materials
Paper, Lithograph
Caught in hand. Dancer. 2006. Paper, lithography, 72x54.5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Caught in hand. 2006. Paper, lithography, 72x54.5 cm
Flamenco dancer in black and white colors
Category
Early 2000s Modern Figurative Prints
Materials
Paper, Lithograph
$388 Sale Price
20% Off
J.A.M. Whistler with the White Lock.
By Thomas Robert Way
Located in Storrs, CT
J.A.M. Whistler with the White Lock. c. 1895. Lithograph. Gallatin 131. 8 1/8 x 5 1/2 (sheet 10 X 6 3/4). A tonal impression printed on fine wove paper. Signed in pencil.
Category
19th Century Modern Portrait Prints
Materials
Lithograph
Study for Self-portrait - Original Lithograph by Raoul Dufy - 1930s
By Raoul Dufy
Located in Roma, IT
Study for Self-portrait is an original lithograph realized by Raoul Dufy in 1930s.
Good conditions.
No signature.
Raoul Dufy (3 June 1877 – 23 March 1953) was a French Fauvist pai...
Category
1930s Modern Figurative Prints
Materials
Lithograph
$477 Sale Price
24% Off
Study for Self-portrait - Original Lithograph by Raoul Dufy - 1930s
By Raoul Dufy
Located in Roma, IT
Study for Self-portrait is an original lithograph realized by Raoul Dufy in 1930s.
Good conditions.
No signature.
Raoul Dufy (3 June 1877 – 23 March 1953) was a French Fauvist pai...
Category
1930s Modern Figurative Prints
Materials
Lithograph
