American Modern Art

A captivating, 1930s portrait painting of a young woman by famed Chicago artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). A sensitive, skilled portrait of a young female model, most likely h...

A Large, Captivating 1930s Modern Portrait of a Jamaican Man in a Linen Suit by famed Chicago artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). A skilled and colorful portrait of a black man seated in a white linen suit, most likely completed during Chapin's trip to Kingston, Jamaica in the 1930s. Chapin exhibited examples of his Jamaican paintings...

A contemporary photograph of the "Top Gun" soundtrack. This is s the first release in the much anticipated series "The Music" by pop Artists Destro These iconic tapes have become mor...

'Fern Forest III' is an Archival Inkjet Print by photographer Morgan Silk. It is available in this size of 17" x 24" in a limited edition of 25. 'Fern Forest III' is the second pr...

A charming, vibrant, early Mexican city street scene by famed Chicago Modern artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Depicting a quiet, picturesque view of the rooftops and cathedral...

A Fine 1930s, Modern Academic Figure Study Drawing of a Standing Male Nude Model by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). An exceptionally well executed, early 1930...

A Fine, Modern 1930s Academic Anatomical Figure Study Drawing of Male Arms by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A well executed, early 1930s charcoal study (a c...

In 1919, Stella experienced an artistic shift from depicting New York cityscapes to themes of nature as he reflected on his childhood in Italy. This shift is evident when we consider...

Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) Crowned T-Rex, 1997 Lithograph Printed signature in the plate On paper 76 x 56 cm (c. 29.9 x 22 in) Published by Galerie Enrico Navarra Authentica...

A Fine, Modern 1930s Academic Anatomical Figure Study of a Male Foot by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A well executed, early 1930s charcoal study highlighti...

Palm Springs Party, 1970 - Kaufmann House Swimming Pool Palm Springs Villa by Slim Aarons This Portrait by Swimming Pool at Kaufmann House is a sister image to the now SOLD OUT edit...

Valley House Gallery is honored to present a selection of paintings from the estate of American artist, John Hartell (1902-1995). John Hartell taught two disciplines at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York: freshman architecture and graduate painting. He was a much-loved professor there from 1930 until his retirement in 1967; one of his most illustrious students is the architect Richard Meier. As an artist, Hartell's first solo exhibition was in 1937 at Kleeman Gallery in New York. He exhibited at Kraushaar Galleries in New York for four decades, beginning in 1943. The Hartell Gallery at Cornell University, under the Sibley Dome, is named for him. In describing John Hartell, the artist Michael Boyd...

A Fine, Modern 1930s Academic Anatomical Figure Study Drawing of a Seated Young Male Nude Model by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). An exceptionally well execu...

A contemporary photograph of a BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN "BORN IN THE USA" cassette tape. This is s the first release in the much anticipated series "The Music" by pop Artists Destro These i...

A quiet, sunlit, vintage 1940s Mexican city street scene (Archway) by famed Chicago Modern artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Depicting a picturesque view of a colorful plaza ar...

A Fine 1930s, Modern Academic Figure Study Drawing of a Standing Male Nude Model by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). An exceptionally well executed, early 1930...

ANTON REFREGIER (1905 – 1979) DISCOVERY OF GOLD, 1949. Color serigraph. Signed and numbered in pencil, edition of 90. Image 23 ¼ x 21 ¾" Large sheet, 29 3/4 x 25 ¼”. Printed title...

A Fine 1930s, Modern Academic Figure Study Drawing of a Standing Male Nude Model by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). An exceptionally well executed, early 1930...

Henrietta Berk Taos Road, circa 1966 Signed lower left Oil on canvas 54 x 47 inches Provenance The artist The Carter Gallery, Los Angeles Phyllis and Stanley Goldberg, Palm Springs,...

A Dynamic, Avant-Garde, Mid-Century Modern Abstract Female Figure Study by Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A striking, black & white figural studio ink drawing on paper depictin...

Lake Tarryall, a 1941 lithograph by Adolf Dehn (1895-1968) was made while he was teaching in Colorado. A native of Waterville, Minnesota, Dehn attended the Minneapolis School of Art ...

The Artist's Apartment Mid-Century Fauvist Interior Scene Original Oil on Canvas Vibrant interior scene by Santa Cruz California artist Frances Rinaldo (American, b. 1943). A bright...

James Lesesne Wells, 'Sisters', linocut, edition not stated but small, 1928. Signed, titled, and annotated 'imp' in pencil. A fine impression on off-white wove Japan paper, with wide margins (1 7/8 to 3 3/4 inches), in excellent condition. Printed by the artist. Very scarce. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Image size 8 3/16 x 6 3/4 inches (208 x 171 mm); sheet size 13 1/2 x 10 3/4 inches (343 x 273 mm). Exhibition and Literature: 'Narratives of African American Art and Identity: The David C. Driskell Collection,' The Art Gallery at the University of Maryland, extensive touring exhibition, 1998-2000. Collections: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution (Anacostia Community Museum). ABOUT THE ARTIST “Wells is more than an artist with a deep concern for his fellow man. He carries many of his themes a step further into an apocalyptic world, a world of revelation and shifting lights. … He works on large blocks in a bold free style. … His work has a vigor, therefore, that is not often used in the medium today.” —Jacob Kainen (painter, critic, and collector) from Richard J. Powell’s 1986 essay Phoenix Ascending: The Art of James Lesesne Wells. James Lesesne Wells was an American painter, printmaker, educator, and pioneering figure of the Harlem Renaissance, whose work established a vital connection between African heritage, modernist form, and African American cultural identity. Known for his innovative use of linoleum and woodblock printing, Wells played a key role in shaping 20th-century African American art and inspired countless students throughout his lengthy career as a teacher at Howard University. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Wells' early exposure to the arts came through church and community, where African American cultural traditions were central. He pursued formal artistic training at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania (earning a B.A. in 1924), followed by studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Barnes Foundation, where he encountered European modernists as well as traditional African sculpture, which profoundly influenced his style. Wells moved to New York in the late 1920s, swiftly immersing himself in the lively artistic and intellectual scene of Harlem. There, he became associated with artists, writers, and thinkers of the Harlem Renaissance, contributing to the growth of Black cultural identity. Considered a mentor to many famed artists of the Harlem Renaissance, Wells served as director of a summer art workshop in Harlem where his assistants included Charles Alston, Jacob Lawrence, and Palmer Hayden...

A captivating, Modern 1930s portrait painting of a young woman in a black sweater by famed Chicago artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). A skilled and expressive portrait of a sty...

A Compelling, 1951 Mid-Century Modern Portrait of a Young Man by Noted Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Artwork size: 12 x 9 1/2 inches. Artwork is unframed, matted/...

A Large, Compelling Mid-Century Modern Figurative Painting by New York Artist, Gerrit Hondius, Titled "Equestrienne & Clown". Artwork size: 30 x 24 inches (Oil on Masonite); Frame...

Gustave Baumann, 'Taos Placita', color woodcut, 1947, edition 125. Baumann 132. Signed, titled, and numbered '20-125' in pencil; with the artist’s Hand-in-Heart chop. A superb, richly-inked impression, with fresh colors, on fibrous oatmeal wove paper; the full sheet with margins (2 to 3 1/8 inches); slight rippling at the left sheet edge, in excellent condition. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Image size 9 5/8 x 11 1/4 inches (244 x 286 mm); sheet size 13 1/4 x 17 inches (337 x 432 mm). Collections: Harwood Museum of Art, New Mexico Museum of Art, Phoenix Art Museum, Scottsdale Art Museum, Wichita Art Museum. ABOUT THE ARTIST Gustave Baumann (1881-1971) was a renowned printmaker and a leading figure of the American color woodcut revival whose exquisite craftsmanship and vibrant imagery captured the essence of the Southwest. "A brilliant printmaker, Baumann brought to the medium a full mastery of the craft of woodworking that he acquired from his father, a German cabinetmaker. This craftsmanship was coupled with a strong artistic training that resulted in the handsome objects we see in the exhibition today. After discovering New Mexico in 1918, Baumann began to explore in his woodblock prints of this period the light. color, and architectural forms of that landscape. His prints of this period are among the most beautiful and poetic images of the American West." —Lewis I. Sharp, Director, Denver Art Museum Baumann, the son of a craftsman, immigrated to the United States from Germany with his family when he was ten, settling in Chicago. From 1897 to 1904, he studied in the evenings at the Art Institute of Chicago, working in a commercial printmaking shop during the day. In 1905, he returned to Germany to attend the Kunstwerbe Schule in Munich, where he decided on a career in printmaking. He returned to Chicago in 1906 and worked for a few years as a graphic designer of labels. Baumann made his first prints in 1909 and exhibited them at the Art Institute of Chicago the following year. In 1910, he moved to the artists’ colony in Nashville, Indiana, where he explored the creative and commercial possibilities of a career as a printmaker. In 1915, he exhibited his color woodcuts at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, winning the gold medal. Among Baumann’s ongoing commercial activities was his work for the Packard Motor Car Company from 1914 to 1920 where he produced designs, illustrations, and color woodcuts until 1923. In 1919, Baumann’s printmaking work dominated the important exhibition of American color woodcuts at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Twenty-six of his prints were included, far more than the works of any other artist. A set of his blocks, a preparatory drawing, and seven progressive proofs complemented the exhibition. That same year, Baumann worked in New York and, over the summer, in Provincetown, Massachusetts. His airy images of Cape Cod employed soft, pastel colors and occasionally showed the influence of the white-line woodcut technique. Many of his Chicago artist friends had traveled to the southwest, and Baumann became intrigued by their paintings, souvenirs, and stories of an exotic place named Taos, New Mexico. In the summer of 1918, he spent the summer in Taos sketching and painting before visiting Santa Fe. Paul Walter, the director of the Museum of New Mexico, offered him a studio in the museum's basement. Inspired by the rugged beauty of the Southwest—the vibrant colors and dramatic landscapes of the region became a central theme in his work, influencing his artistic style and subject matter for the remainder of his career. Later in the decade, he traveled to the West Coast and made prints of California landscape. Baumann's prints became synonymous with the Southwest, capturing the spirit of its place in America's identity with a unique sense of authenticity and reverence. His iconic images of desert vistas, pueblo villages, and indigenous cultures served as visual tributes to the region's rich cultural heritage, earning him a dedicated following among collectors and curators alike. A true craftsman and artist, Baumann completed every step of the printmaking process himself, cutting each block, mixing the inks, and printing every impression on the handmade paper he selected. His dedication to true craftsmanship and his commitment to preserving the integrity of his artistic vision earned him widespread acclaim and recognition within the art world. About the vibrant colors he produced, Baumann stated, “A knowledge of color needs to be acquired since they don’t all behave the same way when ground or mixed...careful chemistry goes into the making of colors, with meticulous testing for permanence. While complicated formulae evolve new colors, those derived from Earth and metal bases are still the most reliable.” In the 1930s, Baumann became interested in puppet theater. He designed and carved his own marionettes and established a little traveling company. From 1943 to 1945, the artist carved an altarpiece for the Episcopal Church of the Holy Faith in Santa Fe. In 1952, a retrospective exhibition of his prints was mounted at the New Mexico Museum of Fine Arts. Throughout his prolific career, Baumann executed nearly four hundred color woodcuts. Baumann’s woodcuts...

Elegant floral still life of a beautiful spring bouquet in an antique ivory soup tureen by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Forbes (Dallam) (American, 1875-1933). Exhibition placard on verso signed "Elizabeth Forbes...

A strong modernist oil painting depicted in 1927 by Russian-American painter Ben Benn. With a highly recognizable modern style, fast brush stroke and expressive use of color, shape, ...

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 striking, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Surrealist architectural scene / set design by notable French stage, costume and fashion designer, Andre Delfau (1914-2000). Titled "Britannicus...

Michael Lyne (1912-1989) The Necessary Ingredients Signed lower left Oil on canvas Canvas size - 20 x 40 in Framed size - 25 x 45 in 'The Necessary Ingredients' is a charming and c...

A charming, vibrant, early Mexican city street scene by famed Chicago Modern artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Depicting a quiet, picturesque view of the rooftops and cathedral...

A charming, vibrant, 1930s Modern Mexican city street scene by famed Chicago Modern artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Depicting a picturesque view of a quiet square in the hist...

Original travel poster: Egypt - Fly TWA; artist David Klein, size 25" x 40"; archival linen backed and ready to frame. Excellent condition. NO damage, no restoration. Note that...

A quiet, sunlit, vintage 1930s American Scene city park scene with a fountain by famed Chicago Modern artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Depicting a picturesque landscape comple...

A Fine 1930s, Art Deco Modern Academic Figure Study Drawing of a Seated Male Nude Model by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). An exceptionally well executed earl...

Original, linen backed, Visit Washington State - Diamond Jubilee vintage poster (1889 - 1964), excellent condition. This poster would be produced pri...

“The Champ, 1942” by Theodore Fried (1902-1980) This important portrait by Hungarian-American artist Theodore Fried depicts the legendary boxer Joe Louis aka “The Brown Bomber” and ...

Massive cat blocking traffic Bangkok Thailand acrylic artwork Acrylic Painting on canvas One of a kind artwork Size: 80 × 100 × 3 cm (unframed) The artwork is titled and signed on ...

A Mid-Century Modern 1950s abstract ink drawing by notable Chicago artist, Harold Haydon. A wonderful example of Hayden's experimentation with continuous line drawing. Ink on paper...

"Untitled" portrays a young female nude in an intimate setting within the artist's studio. This painting is done in the classical vein of full portraiture. The model, however, is not posed quietly, but is engaged with a person or object off the frame, or, perhaps in an interior monologue with herself. Regardless of which, the viewer's attention is not only attracted to the beauty of the model's figure, but the intention of her actions. Charles Pompilius...

Fly Fishing, Saranac Lake. 1889. Etching, aquatint and burnishing. Goodrich 104. 14 1/4 x 20 5/8; sheet 18 1/2 x 24 1/2. Edition unknown but quite possibl...

A Very Finely Drawn Mid-Century Modern Figure Study of a Standing Young Male Nude Model (Torso) by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A well executed stu...

A Fine, Modern 1930s Academic Anatomical Figure Study of a Male Model (Study of Hands and Feet) by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A well executed, early 1930...

August Frederick Biehle (1885-1979) Farm in Berlin Heights, c. 1930 Oil on masonite Signed lower right 22 x 30 inches 27.75 x 36 inches, framed A versatile painter who worked in a v...

Bob Dylan, Mondo Scripto - Set of 6 Framed Artworks, 2020 Somerset 300gsm paper and framed in charcoal pine and spruce wood 102.9 x 74.9 cm (40.5 x 29....

Gelatin silver print mounted on board, 9 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (241 x 190 mm) from the Roland Butler Collection, Press Agent, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (1930s-1960s) Ro...

This lithograph by artist Ron Adams depicts the renowned printer Robert Blackburn in his workshop in NYC. Blackburn was involved with every major player of the Harlem Renaissance alo...

An important early Mexican city street scene by famed Chicago Modern artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Titled "Tourists in Taxco", the watercolor was exhibited at the Museum of...

A dynamic 1930s, WPA era industrial scene watercolor of a steel mill and factory workers by notable Chicago Modern artist, Harold Haydon. A wonderful example of early Twentieth Cent...

Bernard CATHELIN Nude with Bouquet of Flowers Original stone lithograph Signed in pencil Numbered / 75 ex With dedication to the painter Guy Bardone On Arches vellum 39 x 31 cm (c. 16 x 12 in) REFERENCES : Catalog raisonne Cathelin lithographs...

The bus is delayed and the night is cold and rainy as a lone woman raises her umbrella to brave the shadowy walk home after giving up on her ride She has just left the bus shelter a...

Edward Zutrau Untitled, 1956 Signed and dated on the reverse Oil on linen 40 x 82 inches Edward Zutrau (1922–1993) was an American painter whose career spanned from the 1940s throu...

A Fine, Expressive 1930s Modern Figure Study Drawing of a Seated Male Nude Model by Famed Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). A wonderful, early example of Chapin's figu...

A colorful, 1930s American Modern figure study watercolor of a standing young male nude model by notable Chicago Institute of Design artist, Eugene Dana. Watercolor on paper, dating...

Lovers - Nude Couple in Bed - Figurative Composition in Acrylic on Paper Expressive depiction of a nude couple by Byron Richard Rodarmel (American, 1932-2007). A couple is intertwin...

MORTON DIMONDSTEIN (NY 1920 - LA 2000) MARKET IN ERONGARICUARO 1954 Serigraph, silkscreen. Signed titled and dated in pencil. Image 10 ¼ x 25 ½ inches. Large full sheet 17 1/4 x 30...

A lively 1950s Mid-Century Modern Western landscape painting with cowboys wrangling cattle by famed Chicago artist, Francis Chapin. Most likely a working study for a larger painting...

Costa Rica! Still Life with Guitar, Fruit, Wine, and Newsprint in Oil on Canvas Still life in a semi-cubist style by Irene Pattinson (American, 1909-1999). On a reddish-purple table, there is a plate with two apples, a bottle of wine, and an acoustic guitar. The guitar's headstock is shown extending from where the neck meets the body, implying a cubist interpretation of the scene. At the back of the still life arrangement, there is a (collage) newspaper with "Costa Rica!" in the headline. At the left of the composition, there is a curtain or cloth draped across part of the scene. Signed "Irene Pattinson" on verso. No frame. Canvas size: 32"H x 24"W Irene Pattinson (American, 1909-1999) studied at the California School of Fine Art (now The San Francisco Art Institute), San Francisco State College and The Marion Hartwell School of Design. She was President of the San Francisco Woman Artists Association 1955-56. Provenance:The Artist, Estate of Irene Pattinson: David Carlson; Estate of Larry Miller Fine Art, Robert Azensky Fine Art Solo Exhibitions: Lucien Labaudt Gallery 1955; San Francisco Museum of Art, 1961 (39 works) Selected Group Exhibitions: San Francisco Art Association Annual 1948, 54, 55; San Francisco Woman Artists, 1957-1960; Oakland Art Museum Annual, 1951, 58; California Palace of the Legion of Honor, 1960; Richmond Art Center, 1955, 56, 57, 58; San Francisco Art Institute 1959, 60. The Art Bank of the San Francisco Art Association, 1958, 59, 60, 62, 63; Winter Invitational, California Palace of The Legion of Honor, San Francisco, 1960; Fourth Winter Invitational, California Palace of The Legion of Honor, San Francisco, 1963; Awards: First Place, San Francisco Woman Artists Assoc., 1957, 1959; San Francisco Art Festival 1957;Literature: San Francisco Art Institute - A catalog of the Art Ban 1962/63; San Francisco and the Second Wave: The Blair Collection Exhibitions: 1963 The Art Bank of the San Francisco Art Association, San Francisco, CA 1963 California Palace of The Legion of Honor: Forth Winter Invitational, San Francisco, CA 1962 The Art Bank of the San Francisco Art Association, San Francisco, CA 1961 San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco, CA 1960 California...