Adolf Dehn

Boulder Dam

1946

Brooklyn Waterfront Lithograph, 1931 Signed, titled, and dated in pencil by the artist Edition: Undetermined (very small), plus artist's proofs Printed by Meister Schulz, Berlin Provenance: Estate of the artist Virginia Dehn, the artist's widow Dehn Quests Bibliography: Lumsdaine and O'Sullivan 152 Illustrated: Adams, The Sensuous Life of Adolf Dehn, Fig. 9.14, page 213 (This impression) 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...

Coolidge Dam, Arizona Gelatin silver print, (1938), printed later, circa 1980 Unsigned A lifetime printing by Brett Weston, supervised by his father Edward Edition of 5 or 6 examples...

Niagara Falls Lithograph, 1931 Signed lower right (see photo) Titled/edition lower left. (see photo) Edition of 25 Provenance: the Estate of the Artist Condition: Excellent Image si...

Western Hills Viaduct Under Construction Drypoint, June 1931 Signed in pencil lower right (see photo) Initialed and dated in the plate lower right above pencil signature (see photo) From: Cincinnati Series, 1930-1931, 8 plates, this No. 5 Small edition, not specified From Greenfield Hill Condition: Excellent Image/Plate size: 8 1/2 x 15 1/4 inches Sheet size: 11 1/4 x 18 1/2 inches Louis Conrad Rosenberg 1890-1983 An American architectural etcher...

This original 1940s grayscale watercolor by Charles Ragland Bunnell captures a semi-abstracted view of the Golden Cycle Mill in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Rendered in subtle blacks and grays, this striking WPA-era landscape melds industrial subject matter with a modernist aesthetic. The piece exemplifies mid-20th-century American regionalism, blending expressive abstraction with historical significance. The painting measures 8 1/8 x 9 5/8 inches (sight size) and is showcased in a custom black frame measuring 18 x 19 ½ x 1 ⅜ inches, making it an elegant addition to any collection of American art or industrial landscapes. The Golden Cycle Mining and Reduction Company was a vital part of Colorado’s early 20th-century mining boom, located in what is now Old Colorado City. Bunnell’s work documents this industrial heritage through a modernist lens, offering a unique narrative of regional development. About the Artist: Charles Ragland Bunnell (1897–1968) was a key figure in Colorado’s art scene and a pioneer of American Modernism and abstraction. Trained at Broadmoor Art Academy, he combined American Scene painting with abstract forms. Bunnell contributed to New Deal art...

"Silver Mine, Russell Gulch (12/25)" is a captivating black and white lithograph by American artist Arnold Ronnebeck. The piece features a mining scene in Russell Gulch, Colorado, wi...

Detailed industrial landscape of an open-pit mine by Joseph Yeager (early-mid 20th Century) on heavy bond watercolor paper with ragged edges. Signed "Joe Yeager" in the lower right corner. No frame. Joseph "Joe" Yeager (American, 20th Century) was raised in Cleveland Ohio, where he went to art school at night and started his art career at 19. He was a commercial artist for the Cleveland Press...

This artwork titled "Maroon Lake, Colorado" 1945 is an original lithograph on paper by noted American artist Adolf Arthur Dehn, 1895-1968. It is hand signed, dated, titled, numbered ...