Schomer Lichtner

'Field' original abstract linocut in black by Wisconsin artist Schomer Lichtner

n.d.

'Winter Silhouettes,' a small and delicate print, is an original offset lithograph by the Milwaukee artist Schomer Lichtner. The composition displays registers of foliage, emerging from the white of the paper as though emerging from the snow-covered ground. The artwork is thus plays with the materials of printmaking; the paper is both the support and the primary indication of the season. The subtle texture of the tooth of the paper also adds life to the image, giving the snow a wind-swept, creature trodden surface. The free forms of the grasses and leaves resemble the lyrical mid-century works of the French artist Henri Matisse, which combined with these material concerns demonstrate Lichter's modern sensibilities. 3.75 x 2.75 inches, image 5.5 x 4.5 inches, paper 10 x 8 inches frame Signed and dated in the stone, lower right Framed to conservation standards in a shadow-box style mounting, using 100 percent rag matting, museum glass, and housed in a cherry wood moulding Overall excellent condition; some toning to edges of paper; some minor abrasions to frame Milwaukee artist Schomer Lichtner was well known for his whimsical cows and ballerinas and abstract imagery. He and his late wife Ruth Grotenrath, both well-known Wisconsin artists, began their prolific careers as muralists for WPA projects, primarily post offices. Lichtner also painted murals for industry and private clients. Schomer was a printmaker and produced block prints, lithographs, and serigraph prints. His casein (paint made from dairy products) and acrylic paintings are of the rural Wisconsin landscape and farm animals. He became interested in cows when he and Ruth spent summers near Holy Hill in Washington County. According to David Gordon, director of the Milwaukee Art Museum, Schomer Lichtner had a tremendous joie de vivre and expressed it in his art. Schomer Lichtner was nationally known for his whimsical paintings and sculptures of black- and white-patterned Holstein cows and elegant ballerina dancers. Lichtner also painted all sorts of combinations of beautiful women, flowers and country landscapes. James Auer, former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel art critic, said that his art eventually "exploded into expressionistic design elements with bold, flat areas of color and high energy that anticipated Pop Art." Auer went on to describe Lichtner’s work as full of "wit, vigor and virtuosity." As early as 1930, Lichtner’s work was shown at the prestigious Carnegie International Exhibition in New York and at museums throughout the Midwest. As a student, he was a protégé of another icon of 20th century American art, Gustave Moeller. Lichtner and his wife, Ruth Grotenrath (1912-1988), are celebrated as Milwaukee’s first couple of painting and are regarded as major Wisconsin artists. Lichtner’s impressive production, perseverance, longevity, and positive approach to his life and art made him and his work distinctive and much loved by his many admirers. His work is currently represented in collections at the Milwaukee Art Museum, the John Michael Kohler Art Center, the West Bend Museum, and in the collections of many individuals. Books on the lives and art work of both Lichtner and Grotenrath are in progress and it is anticipated that they will be published next year. Schomer Lichtner passed away on May 9, 2006 at the age of 101. He continued to amaze and create with his whimsical paintings of ballerinas...

"Country Church" is an original linoleum print by Elsa E. Ulbricht. A front facing view of a country church is proudly replicated within this print. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Image:7" x 5" Framed: 15.25" x 13.25" Painter, Teacher When she directed The Milwaukee Handicraft Project, Elsa Ulbricht...

Any work by Tobias Musicant is terrific. These New Jersey-made, mid-century near abstractions are generally scarce. The pieces I know are master works of American Modernism. Cubist c...

"Trees in Ranchitos II" is a stunning 1975 color lithograph by renowned modernist artist Andrew Michael Dasburg (1887-1979). This collectible artwork, initialed in the lower right, captures the serene beauty of the New Mexico landscape, reflecting Dasburg’s signature blend of Post-Impressionism and Cubist influences. Presented in a custom frame measuring 30 ½ x 36 ¼ inches. Image size is 16 ½ x 23 ¼ inches. About the Artist: Born France, 1887 Died New Mexico, 1979 Born in Paris, France, Andrew Dasburg immigrated to New York City in 1892, where his talent was recognized early. He studied at the Art Students League of New York, training under Robert Henri, Kenyon Cox, and Birge Harrison. In 1908, Dasburg traveled to Paris, where he encountered the works of Henri Matisse and Paul Cézanne, igniting his lifelong passion for modernism. He later settled in Woodstock, NY, immersing himself in the avant-garde art scene alongside Morgan Russell...