American Modern Art

Charles Quest, 'Still Life', 1947, wood engraving, edition 8. Signed, dated, and numbered '3/8' in pencil. Titled and annotated 'wood engraving' in the bottom left margin. A fine impression, on off-white wove paper, with full margins (1 to 2 inches), in excellent condition. Scarce. Matted to museum standards, unframed. ABOUT THE ARTIST Charles Quest, painter, printmaker, and fine art instructor, worked in various mediums, including mosaic, stained glass, mural painting, and sculpture. Quest grew up in St. Louis, his talent evident as a teenager when he began copying the works of masters such as Michelangelo on his bedroom walls. He studied at the Washington University School of Fine Arts, where he later taught from 1944 to 1971. He traveled to Europe after his graduation in 1929 and studied at La Grande Chaumière and Academie Colarossi, Paris, continuing to draw inspiration from the works of the Old Masters. After returning to St. Louis, Quest received several commissions to paint murals in public buildings, schools, and churches, including one from Joseph Cardinal Ritter, to paint a replica of Velasquez's Crucifixion over the main altar of the Old Cathedral in St. Louis. Quest soon became interested in the woodcut medium, which he learned through his study of J. J. Lankes' A Woodcut Manual (1932) and Paul Landacre's articles in American Artist magazine ‘since no artists in St. Louis were working in wood’ at that time. Quest also revealed that for him, wood cutting and engraving were ‘more enjoyable than any other means of expression.’ In the late 1940s, his graphic works began attracting critical attention—several of his woodcuts won prizes and were acquired by major American and European museums. His wood engraving entitled ‘Lovers’ was included in the American Federation of Art's traveling print exhibition in 1947. Two years later, Quest's two prize-winning prints, ‘Still Life with Grindstone’ and ‘Break Forth into Singing’, were exhibited in major American museums in a traveling show organized by the Philadelphia Print Club. His work was included in the Chicago Art Institute's exhibition, ‘Woodcut Through Six Centuries’, and the print ‘Still Life with Vise’ was purchased by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1951 he was invited by artist-Curator Jacob Kainen to exhibit thirty wood engravings and color woodcuts in a one-person show at the Smithsonian's National Museum (now known as the American History Museum). Kainen's press release praised the ‘technical refinement’ of Quest's work: ‘He obtains a great variety of textural effects through the use of the graver, and these dense or transparent grays are set off against whites or blacks to achieve sparkling results. His work has the handsome qualities characteristic of the craftsman and designer.’ At the time of the Smithsonian exhibition, Quest's work was represented by three New York galleries in addition to one in his home town. He had won 38 prizes, and his prints were in the collections of the Library of Congress, the Chicago Art Institute, the Metropolitan Museum, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In cooperation with the Art in Embassies program, his color woodcuts were displayed at the American Embassy in Paris in 1951. Recognition at home came in 1955 with his first solo exhibition in St. Louis. Press coverage of the show heralded the ‘growth of graphic arts toward rivaling painting and sculpture as a major independent medium’. An exhibition of his prints at the Bethesda Art Gallery in 1983 attracted Curator Emeritus Joseph A. Haller, S.J., who began purchasing his work for Georgetown University's collection. In 1990 Georgetown University Library's Special Collections Division was the recipient of a large body of Quest's work, including prints, drawings, paintings, sculpture, stained glass, and his archive of correspondence and professional memorabilia. These extensive holdings, including some 260 of his fine prints, provide a rich opportunity for further study and appreciation of this versatile and not-to-be-forgotten mid-Western American artist...

Christmas Swim - Christmas Tree in Swimming Pool with Tinsel and Star by Slim Aarons features Slim Aarons' wife, Rita 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition o...

These recently discovered 1983-84 oversize pastels on archival papers were created working quickly, in pastel. The series shows the last existing obs...

A ca. 1935 painting of a boxing match in Mexico by artist Francis Chapin. Image size: 12" x 28". Framed size: 15 1/2" x 31 1/2". Provenance: Estate of the artist. Francis Chapin, affectionately called the “Dean of Chicago Painters” by his colleagues, was one of the city’s most popular and celebrated painters in his day. Born at the dawn of the 20th Century in Bristolville, Ohio, Chapin graduated from Washington & Jefferson College near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before enrolling at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1922. He would set down deep roots at the Art Institute of Chicago, exhibiting there over 31 times between 1926 and 1951. In 1927 Chapin won the prestigious Bryan Lathrop Fellowship from the Art Institute – a prize that funded the artist’s yearlong study trip to Europe. Upon his return to the United States, Chapin decided to remain in Chicago, noting the freedom Chicago artists have in developing independently of the pressure to conform to pre-existing molds (as was experienced by artists in New York, for example). Chapin became a popular instructor at the Art Institute, teaching there from 1929 to 1947 and at the Art Institute’s summer art school in Saugatuck, Michigan (now called Oxbow) between 1934 – 1938 (he was the director of the school from 1941-1945). Chapin’s contemporaries among Chicago’s artists included such luminaries as Ivan Le Lorraine Albright...

Limited Edition series of Classic a couple Porsche Targa within Palm Springs California. Mid Century Modern Design Architecture. Photography by Tom Blach...

Clinton Hill (1922-2003), created quintessential mid-century images. He lived in SoHo, New York, and was a frequent Gallery visitor. Born in Idaho and raised on a working ranch, ...

Charles Burdick (1924 - 2016) Untitled (Reclining Nude) Oil on paper (?) Sight: 7 x 10 1/4 in. Framed: 14 x 16 1/4 x 3/4 in. Signed lower right: Burdick Excellent midcentury style r...

NYC Subway Mid 20th Century American Modernism WPA Realism, Student of TH Benton Trew Hocker (1913-1963) New York Subway 36 x 48 inches Oil on Masonite Signed and dated ’47 upper left The white gold frame, signed Richard Tobey...

Waiting from the Kent Bicentennial Portfolio Will Barnet, American (1911–2012) Date: 1975 Offset Lithograph (unsigned as issued) Image Size: 11.25 x 11 inches Size: 17 x 14 in. (43.1...

Original. The Adventures of Captain Africa #3 vintage movie poster. Linen-backed and ready to frame. Original issued theater fold marks restored. A condition with excellent color. Printed in 1955. NSS: 55/3802. This is an original theatrical movie poster printed by the National Screen Service. About: Trapper Nat Coleman and government agent Ted Arnold come upon a plot to take over an African nation. Its leader, Caliph Abdul el Hamid, has been exiled from his country and replaced by a look-alike usurper allied with an unnamed foreign power. The Caliph intends to return, but enemy agents Boris and Greg are out to stop him. Captain Africa a...

Kelly Ludwig Television Americana Archival Pigment Print Year: 2024 Visible Size: 11.5 x 15.5 inches Framed: 18 x 22 inches Signed: On Label COA provided *Black frame with standar...

Donald Vogel’s paintings reflect his interest in seeking beauty in life and in sharing pleasure with his viewers. Vogel entreats us to "rejoice and celebrate each new day, knowing it...

A fine impression of this very popular image with full margins (smaller on top and bottom) published by Associated American Artists.

The Gargoyle and His Quarry, Notre Dame. 1920. Etching.Fletcher 90. 7 1/8 x 5 1/4 (sheet 10 1/2 x 9 1/16). Gargoyle series #1. Edition 75. A rich impression printed on 'FJHead&Co' c...

Framed Size: approx 17 3/4 x 20 3/4 inches Fred Conway (1900-1973) "Golf Bags, Caddy with Golf Bag on His Back" Pen/Ink/Watercolor on Paper Site Size: approx. 10 x 13 inches Framed Size: approx. 17 3/4 x 20 3/4 inches A member of the faculty of the Washington University Art School from 1929 to 1970, Frederick Conway...

Industrial Mid-20th Century WPA Modern Men Working American Scene Social Realism George Pearse Ennis (American, 1884-1936) "Forging a Gun Tube #1...

Frederick Pomeroy "Napa Valley Landscape" c. 1960s Watercolor on paper 17"x14" brown wood frame float mount over linen mat Signed in paint lower ...

Mid Century Oil Landscape of Santa Clara Valley Before Silicon Valley 1947 Original oil painting depicting a landscape of Santa Clara Valley orchards, prior to the Silicon Valley bo...

New York, circa 1940 Etching with aquatint in colors on cream laid paper with a partial watermark and a deckle edge, 11 3/4 x 8 1/4 inches (297 x 208 mm), full margins. Minor mat to...

When I think of where McCauley fits into American art, as a contemporary painter, sculptor and naturalistic interpreter, I place him in the same philosophical tribe as Walton Ford, A...

Blue Seas, 1984 - Yachts and Watercraft in Water off Corsican Coastline by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. Blue Seas, 1984 is a beautiful Limited Edition Estate Stamped Digital C-Type print from 20th Century photographer Slim Aarons. A view of the crystal clear waters off the Mediterranean island of Cavallo, Corsica. From August 1984. The world of Aarons’s photographs...

"Industrial Cityscape, Chicago" WPA Modernism Mid-Century Cityscape 20th Century Aaron Bohrod (American 1907 – 1992) Industrial Cityscape 20 x 16 inches Oil on board Signed lower ri...

A Charming 1950s painting titled "Oak Bluffs, Mass." (Martha's Vineyard) by notable artist Francis Chapin. artwork size: 8" x 10". Framed size: 12 3/4" x 15". Provenance: Estat...

This painting is part of our exhibition Charles Goeller: A Wistful Loneliness. Oil on canvas, 29 x 24 inches, Signed lower left Price Upon Request

"Coney Island" Brooklyn NYC Amusement Park Mid-century American Scene WPA Modern Ludwig Bemelmans (1898 – 1962), “Coney Island" 35 x 27 inches Oil on board Signed lower right Origi...

Venetian Canal, c. 1910-11 Tempera on board Signed lower right 24 x 30 inches 30 x 36 inches, framed Frank Nelson Wilcox (October 3, 1887 – April 17, ...

Diptych. This two sheet color woodcut was created by Antonio Frasconi in 1951. Edition 8. Each image size 19 7/16 x 16 7/16" (49.4 x 418 cm) plus margins. Signed and titled in p...

Heavy Impasto Portrait of Chief Crazy Horse by Harald Dry Schmidt Abstract expressionist portrait of a man by California artist Harald "Harry" Dry Schmidt (American, 1933-1979). The...

Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) King Tut No. 2, 1968 Gouache on paper Signed and dated upper right 11.25 x 8.25 inches 25.5 x 20.5 inches A surrealist mid-century fig...

Hatay is a visual artist, photographer, healer and a former Rock and Roll photojournalist. the yellow photocopied poster/info sheet is not included. Born in Scotland of a Hungarian...

Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) Rockefeller Center, 1962 Acrylic and sand on scintilla Signed and dated lower left 25 x 20 inches Clarence Holbrook Carter achieved a ...

Bay Area Cubist Figure in Oil on Canvas by Ellis Hopkins (American, b. 1952). This vibrant cubist-inspired composition depicts a seated figure abstracted into interlocking planes o...

The vibrant French Quarter is brilliantly depicted in "Bourbon Street in New Orleans" by California-based artist Pablo Cucaro in a rich palette of chestnut, Tiffany Blue and black. S...

(Note: This work is part of our exhibition Connected by Creativity: WPA Era Works from the Collection of Leata and Edward Beatty Rowan) Fresco, 20 x 16 inches unframed, 22 x 18 inch...

This stunning exhibition poster was created for Louis Comfort Tiffany – Artist for the Ages, a show honoring the visionary craftsmanship of one of America’s most celebrated designers...

Portrait of William James (39) John F. Leonard American (1921–1987) Date: 1949 Oil on Board Size: 16 in. x 12 in. (40.64 cm x 30.48 cm)

Original vintage poster: Chicago to Europe Fly SAS. Book your trip - NOW! Scandinavian Airlines System. Original linen-backed, excellent condition. This early SAS poster features the Eiffel Tower; the Roman Colosseum, the Arch of Triumph...

Alexander CALDER (after) Tree with Blue and Red Fruits Lithograph poster Printed signature in the plate 80 x 50 cm (c. 32 x 20 in) INFORMATION : Lithograph created for the Calder e...

"View from the Park" is a stunning oil on canvas painting by Charles Ragland Bunnell (1897-1968), showcasing the serene beauty of a Colorado landscape. The artwork captures a peacefu...

Charles Elmer Harris (Beni E. Kosh), Untitled (African Idol), watercolor, c. 1950s. Estate stamped verso, 'Beni E Kosh COLLECTION' and numbered '570' in ink. A fine, spontaneous wat...

A small, colorful Modernist landscape painting by Harold Haydon, depicting "Western View from Sun Deck on Ajax Mt., Aspen, Colo.", dated 1955. Image siz...

James Houston McConnell, 'Sister Kate', color serigraph, 1947, edition 24. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered '24' in pencil. Annotated '10.00 - 19 colors - 24 copies - #24' in pencil. A fine impression, with vibrant, fresh colors, on heavy tan wove paper, with full margins (11/16 to 1 1/2 inches). Tack holes in the four margin corners, well away from the image, otherwise in excellent condition. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Scarce. Another of McConnell's mid-century modernist, jazz-inspired serigraphs, 'Combo', is featured in the British Museum's 2008 publication (and traveling exhibition) 'The American Scene: Prints from Hopper to Pollock'. ABOUT THE IMAGE "I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate", often simply "Sister Kate", is an up-tempo jazz dance song, written by Armand J. Piron and published in 1922. The lyrics of the song are narrated in the first person by Kate's sister, who sings about Kate's impressive dancing skill and her wish to be able to emulate it. She laments that she's not quite "up to date", but believes that dancing like "Sister Kate" will rectify this, and she will be able to impress "all the boys in the neighborhood" like her sister. Over the years this song has been performed and recorded by many artists, including Frances Faye and Rusty Warren, a 1959 version by Shel Silverstein...

Catch Up by the Pool, 1970 - Swimming Pool Party at Kaufmann House Palm Springs by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. ...

Both of Arms' Lake Como images were mostly printed in color. is a rarer black and white impression, John Taylor Arms was born in Washington, DC. He studied architecture at the Massa...

A ca. 1940s graphite on paper mural study of a Chicago city scene by notable Modern artist Rudolph Weisenborn. Artwork size: 12 1/2" x 9 1/4". Archivally matted to 18" x 16". Provenance: Estate of the artist. Rudolph Weisenborn was born in Strassburg, Germany in 1881, but was orphaned at the age of nine. He was taken-in by Mid-Western farmer Thomas Westaby and spent his early years in Wisconsin, Iowa and North Dakota. Weisenborn first attended the University of North Dakota in 1898, then the Students School of Art in Denver. Various accounts have him working out west as a gold miner and cowboy. Around 1912, he settled in Chicago and worked as a window designer for Marshall Field’s. Weisenborn is best known as the founder of the Chicago No-Jury Society of Artists. The group was founded because many artists could not get their work accepted into the mainstream Art Institute shows. Weisenborn is quoted as saying that he harbored feelings of disdain for any jury and that his own paintings were frequently rejected by conservative jurors. He was also involved and helped found other radical artist’s groups such as the Salon des Refuses, Cor Ardens and Neo-Arlimusic. In 1936, he helped found the New York-based American Abstract Artist’s Group. He created the only abstract mural for the 1933 Century of Progress Exhibition in Chicago and also worked for the Federal Arts Project in the Easel Division. His WPA murals can be found in Crane Technical High School and Nettlehorst Elementary School in Chicago, IL. In 1945, Chicago businessman Herman Spertus...

A Captivating, Mid-Century Floral Still Life of Red Roses by Rudolph T. Pen. Wonderful colors and brushwork, and executed with the unique, Modern, sloped perspective for which Pen's...

'The Orange Point', color serigraph, edition 54, c. 1940. Signed, titled, and annotated 'Ed/54' in pencil. A fine impression, with fresh colors, on buff wove paper; the full sheet wi...

Jason Dailey Red Grain Bins Archival Pigment Print Year: 2024 Visible Size: 9.5 x 9.5 inches Framed: 12.875 x 12.875 inches Signed: On Label COA provided *White frame with standard ...

The Spire -- New York. 1985. Etching and drypoint. 14 1/2 x 11 (sheet 22 1/2 x 18). Trial proof of the second third, prior to the edition of 100. Printed on Rives cream wove paper, on the full sheet with deckle edges. A rich impression in pristine condition, housed in an archival sleeve. This etching has never been matted. Provenance: the artist's estate. Titled, annotated 'third state - trial proof' and signed in pencil. A dramatic view of the Chrysler Building. Painter and printmaker Lawrence Nelson...

Christmas Traffic - American Christmas Tree Traffic at Night with Car Lights by Slim Aarons 16 x 16" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. 1st ...

Original vintage travel poster: Chicago - Fly TWA. UP UP and Away Trans World Airline. Artist: David Klein. Size 25" x 40" Dated 1960's. ...

A Dynamic, 1960s Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Concert Violinist by Noted Chicago Artist, Rudolph T. Pen. Pen was recognized for his unique, Modern style of abstract figure paint...

Original Radio Radiola vintage French antique poster. Archival linen-backed and in very good condition. Bright and vibrant. Artist: Rene Ravo....

For a print that's nearly one hundred years old it feels very contemporary. Signed in pencil; titled in lower margin in pencil.

John Melville Kelly, 'Kanani (Hawaii)', drypoint, 1946. Signed, titled and annotated 'No 36' in pencil. A superb impression, in dark brown ink, on ...

Mayan Trio Lithograph, 1950 Signed in pencil lower right (see photo) Edition 250 for Associated American Artists Publsihed 1950 Reference: AAA Cat.: 1950‑05; 1958‑01 AAA Index 1087 Condition: Excellent Image size: 13 x 9 1/2 inches Francisco Dosamantes (b. October 4, 1911 - d. July 18.1986) was a Mexican artist and educator who is best known for is educational illustrations and graphic work against fascism. He was a founding member of the Taller de Gráfica Popular and the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana. Life Francisco Dosamantes was born in Mexico City on October 4, 1911. His father was Daniel Dosamantes who was a builder, interior decorator and painter. He was not registered into the civil registry until he was about twenty years old on March 6, 1939. His mother’s name is not listed on the certificate. As a child, he demonstrated a strong interest in drawing and color, influenced by his father and his uncle Juan. The Mexican Revolution occurred while he was a young child and he stated that he remembered events such as soldiers on horses charging as well as the execution of rural farm workers. He attended primary and high school in Mexico City but stated that his education was irregular and deficient. He then entered the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas, where he studied for five years. Initially, however, he was disappointed with the inexperience of the young professors and he left for a short time to study on his own. During this time, some of the dissatisfied professors organized the 30 30 group against the academic system of the school and which whom he sympathized. The effort gained the attention of established artists such as Diego Rivera who intervened. He died on Mexico City on July 18, 1986 Career After he graduated, he worked with the cultural missions of the Secretaría de Educación Pública in Oaxaca, Michoacán, Guerrero, Colima, Coahuila and Chihuahua (state) from 1932 to 1937 then again from 1941 to 1945. He stated that this experience was vital to his conscience as he worked with rural farm workers and others he stated were worthy of dignity and respect, but victims of deceit and exploitation. When he returned to Mexico City, he gave classes in high schools from 1937 to 1941. In 1945 he founded and directed the Taller Escuela de Dibujo y Pintura “Joaquín Claussell” in Campeche, Campeche. Dosamantes was a politically and culturally active artist with most of his work and affiliations related to such. He was a member of the Liga de Escritores y Artistas Revolucionarios from 1934 to 1938. He was a founding member of the Taller de Gráfica Popular, serving as administrator in 1940 and remaining a member until his death except for one short hiatus. He created posters for conferences about fascism and Nazism such as Alemania bajo bayonetas (Germany under bayonets) in 1938. In 1940 he became the secretary general of the Sindicato de Maestros de Artes Plásticas. He was also a member of the Sociedad para el Impulso de las Artes Plásticas en 1948, a founding member of the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana in 1949 and a member of the Frente Nacional de Artes Plásticas from 1952. He painted a number of murals in rural areas of Mexico generally when he was there on cultural missions. His main mural is at the former home of José María Morelos in Carácuaro, Michoacán, but there are a number at various rural schools. These were all painted between 1941 and 1946. As a book illustrator he mostly worked for the Secretaría de Educación Pública working on books for literacy campaigns. He exhibited his works, which included engravings, oils, tempuras and lithographs in Mexico and abroad. His first individual exhibition was in 1930 at the Galeria de Arte Moderno in Mexico City. His major exhibitions include the Excelsior Gallery in Mexico City in 1932, various exhibitions in New York, Washington, Philadelphia and Los Angeles in 1937; the Nelson Gallery of Art in Kansas City, Missouri in late 1947, and the Gallery of Mexican Art in...

A curious ca. 1950s watercolor of railroad freight car, titled "Canadian National RR at Antigonish" by artist Rita Duis. Image size: 14 3/4" x 22". Matted size: 20" x 28". Artis...

A charming, colorful 1930s painting of a young woman knitting by famed Chicago Modern artist, Francis Chapin. A harmonious palette of cheerful yellows, reds and blues, where a young...

Original “Watch Out .. Point the Muzzle in a SAFE Direction” vintage National Rifle Association of America vintage poster. Printed in 1946 on a thick cardboard stock. Excellent ...

Original “Is that Gun LOADED?” vintage National Rifle Association of America vintage poster. Archival linen backed in excellent condition, mint, and ready to frame. Printed in 1946 on a thick cardboard stock. Excellent condition, vibrant green and reds. 22 x 14 inches. NO paper loss, no tears. These are images of the exact poster you will receive. The poster shows a careless man incorrectly holding a rifle pointing towards another person. The men’s camping gear...