American Realist Art

A walk through any major museum will reveal paintings that depict or legitimate only certain kinds of experience. Despite the good intentions of critical theorists questioning the va...

Lionel S. Reiss (1894 - 1988) Lobstermen in Gloucester, Massachusetts, circa 1943 Watercolor on paper Sight 17 1/2 x 23 inches Signed lower left Provenance: Private Collection, Las Vegas, Nevada In describing his own style, Lionel Reiss wrote, “By nature, inclination, and training, I have long since recognized the fact that...I belong to the category of those who can only gladly affirm the reality of the world I live in.” Reiss’s subject matter was wide-ranging, including gritty New York scenes, landscapes of bucolic Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and seascapes around Gloucester, Massachusetts. However, it was as a painter of Jewish life—both in Israel and in Europe before World War II—that Reiss excelled. I.B. Singer, the Nobel Prize winner for Literature, noted that Reiss was “essentially an artist of the nineteenth century, and because of this he had the power and the courage to tell visually the story of a people.” Although Reiss was born in Jaroslaw, Poland, his family immigrated to the United States in 1898 when he was four years old. Reiss's family settled on New York City’s Lower East Side and he lived in the city for most of his life. Reiss attended the Art Students League and then worked as a commercial artist for newspapers and publishers. As art director for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he supposedly created the studio’s famous lion logo. After World War I, Reiss became fascinated with Jewish life in the ‘Old World.’ In 1921 he left his advertising work and spent the next ten years traveling in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Like noted Jewish photographers Alter Kacyzne and Roman Vishniac, Reiss depicted Jewish life in Poland prior to World War II. He later wrote, “My trip encompassed three main objectives: to make ethnic studies of Jewish types wherever I traveled; to paint and draw Jewish life, as I saw it and felt it, in all aspects; and to round out my work in Israel.” In Europe, Reiss recorded quotidian scenes in a variety of media and different settings such as Paris, Amsterdam, the Venice ghetto, the Jewish cemetery in Prague, and an array of shops, synagogues, streets, and marketplaces in the Jewish quarters of Warsaw, Lodz, Krakow, Lublin, Vilna, Ternopil, and Kovno. He paid great attention to details of dress, hair, and facial features, and his work became noted for its descriptive quality. A selection of Reiss’s portraits appeared in 1938 in his book My Models Were Jews. In this book, published on the eve of the Holocaust, Reiss argued that there was “no such thing as a ‘Jewish race’.” Instead, he claimed that the Jewish people were a cultural group with a great deal of diversity within and between Jewish communities around the world. Franz Boas...

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This piece depicts the colorful Rainbow Gardens area near Las Vegas. While sheltering in place, artist Crystal DiPietro found peace and solace in these hills ...

Elizabeth Zanzinger's (US based) "Market Flowers V" is a masterfully created realistic oil still-life. This painting measures at 12 x 12 inches, and is framed in a thin black frame ...

Chris Forrest, American (1946 - ) - Bob White Quails II, Year: Circa 1980, Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 300, AP XL, Image Size: 22 x 18 inches, Siz...

Rod Goebel was a post-impressionist / impressionist painter of landscape, still life and figure who made his mark in Taos, New Mexico. After receiving his degree from the University of New Mexico, Goebel studied at the Colorado Institute of Art in 1968 1969, graduating in Advertising Design. He later studied at the Ramon Froman School of Art. Goebel was a charter member of the Taos Six Society of Artists with Ron Barsano, Robert Daughters, Walt Gonske, Julian Robles...

A major oil painting from American Realist painter Sarah Lamb. A unique, antique weathervane in the form of a brass grasshopper is the subject of...

Lorna Patrick, American - Kiva, Medium: Screenprint, Signed and Numbered in Pencil, Edition: CXXIII/CLXV, Image Size: 35 x 24 inches, Size: 42 x 34 in. (106.68 x 86.36 cm), Fra...

Artist: Andrew Wyeth (1917–2009) (after) Title: Brinton’s Mill Year: 1962 Medium: Lithograph on velin paper Paper Size: 13 x 17 inches (33 x 43.2 cm) Condition: Well preserved, consi...

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I really enjoy combining realism with very impressionistic, almost abstract brushwork. The areas of this painting that are loosely interpreted are meant to e...

Duane Bryers, American (1911 - 2012) - Blanket Signals, Year: 1979, Medium: Lithograph, Signed and Numbered in Pencil, Edition: 300, AP, Image Size: 22.5 x 18 inches, Size: 25 i...

Simon’s automotive illustrations have been featured in Road & Track, Sports Car International, Automobile, Thoroughbred and Classic Cars, Classic and Sportscar, and Vintage Motorsport magazines. Favorite projects document automotive racing history, and he has designed over 60 original automotive racing posters for such clients as UNOCAL, Michelin, BF Goodrich, SVRA’s Bahama Vintage Grand Prix, and a series of Monterey Auction posters. Simon designed and illustrated the cover of the Indianapolis 500...

Mel Hunter, American (1927 - 2004) - Quarter Horse, Year: 1974, Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 500, Size: 22 in. x 29.5 in. (55.88 cm x 74.93 cm), De...

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Artist Marie-Eve Champagne paints a gold ore on a pale teal background. The subject opposes the contrasting hue, putting each aspect o...

Boldly unique in the field of wildlife art are the paintings of artist and naturalist Peter Darro. His rare ability to achieve meticulous accuracy in his subjects, without sacrificin...

Linda Lillegraven was born at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1948. She received her BA in art from San Diego State University in 1970, and a BS in zoology, also from San Diego State, in 1...

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"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage," says artist David Shepherd. He presents a vibrant, realistic piece of a face covered in vibrant flowers. A prismatic light...

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A realistic cityscape in the early morning unfolds in artist Nick Savides' work. He pictures Lafayette Street, just north of East Houston, in NoHo without the...

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I saw this pair zooming around my house, cawing wildly on some crow mission," says artist Emil Morhardt. "One would think that Common Crows are black, but in ...

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A quiet riverside scene, with lush greens and leisurely moving water. Just above the treeline, billowing clouds linger before revealing a soft blue sky. "I fi...

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Artist McGarren Flack paints a pineapple frosted cookie on a solid white background. “Who doesn't like sweets?” asks McGarren. In his Sweets series, he dr...

Painting size: 30 x 40 in. Frame size: Frame: 37 3/4 x 47 3/4 in. Signed lower right Born in January of 1947, David Bareford began his study of art in high school in Warren, New Jer...

This painting is part of our exhibition American Coast to Coast: Artists of the 1930s Knight’s Lodging, 1941, oil on canvas panel, signed and dated lower left, 16 x 20 inches, exhi...

This artwork titled "Ride Em Vaquero" c.1980 is an original color lithograph on wove paper by American artist Vic Herman, 1919-1999. It is hand signed and numbered 73/300 in pencil by the artist. The image size is 8.5 x 22 inches, sheet size is 21.5 x 28 inches. It is in excellent condition, has never been framed. About the artist: Vic Herman was born in Fall River, Massachusetts. When Herman was one-year-old his father, who played in the famous Paul Whiteman band, moved the family to Los Angeles where they settled in the Mexican district of the city where young Vic grew up. He attended classes, through junior high school, in all Mexican-American schools, learned to speak Spanish, and grew to love his Mexican-American neighbors and their culture. Says Herman, "If the many peoples of Mexico, when seeing my exhibitions, accept my paintings as authentic in telling the story of their daily lives, and if the peoples of the United States understand the dignity, culture and arts of the Mexican peoples, They refer to him affectionately as "Papa Victorio. Having chosen his subject, Herman next proceeds to capture his or her likeness with a careful pencil drawing-with or without the subject's knowledge. brought home in this manner. A remarkable feature of Herman's method is his interpretation of mixed media. For Herman this means combining any number of different media such as oil, watercolor, casein, acrylic, tempera, pencil, pastel or India ink; once he used as many as eight. In 1969, during the bicentennial celebration of the founding of San Diego, Herman was awarded a Medallion of Honor for his part in furthering good relations between Mexico and the United States. Recently, he has been proposed as a candidate for the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest honor Mexico can grant to a foreigner for promoting better cultural relations between Mexico and his country, Mexico SELECTED ONE-MAN EXHIBITIONS California Museum of Science and Industry, Los Angeles Lincoln Center Gallery of Fine Arts, New York United States Embassy Gallery, Mexico City Westchester County Art Center, New York David E. Field Gallery, New York Palace of Fine Arts, Mexico City Galeria of Contemporary Arts, Beverly Hills Spanish Monastery Gallery, Miami World's Fair Spanish Pavilion Gallery, St. Louis Chicago Press Club Gallery, 1973 & 1976 Civic Center Gallery, San Diego Mexican Consulate General Gallery, Phoenix Gimbels Department Store Gallery James Aldrich Gallery, Houston, Texas Thackery Gallery, San Diego Foreign Correspondent Gallery, Mexico City 1965 & 1967 La Jolla Art Association Gallery, La Jolla, California Municipal Gallery, Veracruz, Mexico Lawrence W. Hellman Gallery, Indianapolis, Indiana Galeria Misrachi, Mexico City San Diego Art Institute Gallery, San Diego Galeria Instituto de ARtes, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico Bullocks Department Store Gallery, Sherman Oaks, California Municipal Gallery, Monterrey, Mexico Municipal Gallery, Zacatecas, Mexico Famous Baar Gallery, St. Louis United States Consulate General Gallery, Tijuana, Mexico May Company Department Store Galleries Art Students League, New York California Expo. Gallery, Del Mar, California Galeria Instituto Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico United States Information Service Gallery, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico University of Sonora Gallery, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico Mexican Consul General Gallery, Boston Mexican Consul General Gallery, Los Angeles Mexican Consul General Gallery, New York Theodore Greene Gallery, New Rochelle, New York Miami City Convention Center Gallery, Miami, Florida Cheremoya Arts Council Gallery, Hollywood, California Arizona State University Gallery, Tempe, Arizona Balboa Fine Arts Gallery, San Diego, California SELECTED IMPORTANT COLLECTIONS 'The Vic Herman Collection' '-Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Library, Hyde Park, New York General & Mrs. Omar Bradley-Beverly Hills, California The Estate of the late Rube Goldberg-New York City Senator & Mrs. George Murphy-Beverly Hills, California Mr. & Mrs. Fred Waring-Shawnee-on-Delaware, Pennsylvania Dr. & Mrs. Eugenio V. Pesqueira (Mexican Consul General-NYC) The Estate of the late Mayor of New York, Fiorello LaGuardia...

This early 1960s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features cricketers on the pitch, Belfast, 1962. This is an estate stamped and hand numbered edit...

Artist: Gregory Sumida – American (1948- ) Title: Untitled Year: 1972 Medium: Watercolor on heavy watercolor paper Image Size: 21.5 x 29.5 inches. Framed Size: 31 x 38.5 x inches Si...

Artist: Stanley Borack, American (1927 - ) Title: The Sentry's Vigil Year: 1977 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed and dated l.r. Size: 22 x 27 inches Frame: 33 x 37 inches

Among the many accolades I would grant Dean Cornwell, the one that rises to the top would be that he is one of America's greatest portrait painters. With a few strokes, he captures h...

Four Sheep in the Field, Realist, Light/ Shadow Oil Painting 36" x 24" Farm The third and fourth photos show thow this painting will look after being professionally taken by 2/23...

Highly detailed watercolor of an amaryllis blossom by Joe Yeager (American, early-mid 20th Century). Signed "Joe Yeager" in pen under one of the petals. Pre...

An oil painting by Terry Elkins (b. 1951 / Vicksburg, Mississippi) of the vast blue sky above the Atlantic Ocean, at Sagg Main Beach in Sagaponack, NY. A slender crescent moon floats...

THOMAS HART BENTON (1889-1975) COMING ROUND THE MOUNTAIN (MISSOURI MUSICIANS) 1931 (Fath 4) Lithograph, signed in pencil. Although Fath indicates an edition of 75, it is numbered ...

"Song of Portofino" features a colorful harbor scene with rich blues and golds leading to the sparkling Mediterranean sea, and is a quintessential example of Tom Swimm's enhanced realism. This colorful hand pulled 96 color serigraph exhibits all of the bold colors and strong composition that Swimm is known for. It is hand signed by the artist in an edition of 240 including Proofs. Born and raised on the East Coast, he had a successful career as an advertising commercial artist in New York, then resettled in southern California with his wife and son in 1982. Inspired by the light and landscape of the West Coast, he renewed his passion for painting and was accepted for his first exhibition in the Festival Of Arts in Laguna Beach, California in 1988. His paintings soon became recognizable for their exceptional use of light and color -- a style that he continues to develop with each new work. To quote the artist: “Light is the most important aspect of my work, offering the ultimate challenge and reward. To capture its elusive qualities on canvas offers great personal satisfaction, and it’s what I thrive on artistically.” To seek inspiration, the artist travels extensively, working from photos and sketches that he uses for reference, then creates his original oils...

This artwork titled "Iris at Dusk" 1980 is an original color woodblock print with embossing by American artist Daniel Joshua Goldstein, b.1950....

Luigi Lucioni: 1900-1988. Very well listed American Painter and etcher. He has Auction results as high as $4600 for an etching. This adding is most likely a barn in Vermont.. It meas...

This artwork titled "An Old Friend" c. 1985 is an original sepia etching by American artist Scott Fitzgerald. It is hand signed, titled and numbered 5...

Jimmy Abeita B. 1947 painting is oil on canvas Image 9x12 Overall with frame 15x18 inches Signed lower right Housed in original Frame Gallery labels: Adobe Gallery and Brandywine gal...

Delicate watercolor, pen and ink floral study of a cyclamen blending into line drawing, with brilliant attention to detail and a signature delicate style, by California artist Debora...

"Perfect Autumn Day" with glowing water reflections of a wooden boats tied up to the dock is a quintessential example of Tom Swimm's enhanced realism. This co...

Bruce Barton Penney American, born 1929 Barn on a Hill Oil on board 25 by 30 in, w/ frame 30 ¼ by 35 in Signed lower right, dated 64 Born Laconia, New Hampshire. Addresses: Kennebu...

Vintage American realist etching on paper by Chicago artist James Swann (1905 - 1985). It is hand signed in pencil by the artist. Framed. Measuring: 8 by 10 inches overall and 4 by 6...

Lorna Patrick, American - Approaching Storm of Taos Pueblo, Year: 1981, Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 295, Size: 31 x 42 in. (78.74 x 106.68 cm),...

Artist: Lowell Blair Nesbitt, American (1933 - 1993) Title: Two Yellow Irises on Sage I Year: 1980 Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 200 Image Size: 22.5 x ...

Noel Daggett, American (1925 - 2005) - A Helping Nose, Year: Circa 1980, Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 300, AP 40, Image Size: 19 inches x 25.5 inch...

High schoolers picnic on the beach at Bonita Springs, Florida, 1955. Slim Aarons Spring Break Black and White Photography Slim Aarons Estate Edition Nu...

Wet Paint by Norman Rockwell, (1894 - 1978) Date: 1982 Medium: Collotype Poster Size: 29 in. x 23 in. (73.66 cm x 58.42 cm) Publisher: Circle Gallery Printer: Jaffe Press

1930s Zeppelin Over San Francisco Landscape Bright and evocative 1938 painting of burning Zeppelin by Ethel Grace Arpin Harlo Lynn (American 1881-1960). This was original painting w...

Dr. Rowland S. Russell PhD. writes about his experience directly witnessing Greg's practice as a “plein air” artist: Whether he’s portraying quiet scenes from Brooklyn’s Prospect Park or the Botanical Gardens, intriguing remnants of New York’s varied industry (grain silos...

In addition to having his work in museums and fine corporate collections, Alabama artist Donny Finley showed for years at prestigious Bryant Galleries on ...

In the 1880’s Smith made a trip to Italy, which added a whole new dimension to his work. His tight style was highly suited to the depiction of the majestic architecture and complex c...

Sex and violence take center stage in this mid-1960s men's magazine interior story illustration. This action-packed narrative of a G.I. close-up gun battle incorporates five peak m...

This refined composition by Will Barnet, titled Atalanta, was created in 1976 as part of the official licensed art program for the 1976 Summer Olympics. The series brought together l...

Lorna Patrick, American - Portal with a View, Year: 1981, Medium: Screenprint [Signed and Numbered in pencil], Edition: 295, Size: 31 x 42 in. (78.74 x 106.68 cm), Description: ...

Sunset Goose Allen Friedman, American Date: 1979 Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition of 200, AP 45 Image Size: 24 x 18 inches Size: 29.5 in. x 22 in. (74.93 cm x 55.88 cm)

Wonderful color photograph of the roller coaster at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk by California artist Deborah Eddy (American, b. 1943). Titled "Blue R...

Duane Bryers, American (1911 - 2012) - Blue Harmonica, Year: 1979, Medium: Lithograph, Signed and Numbered in Pencil, Edition: 300, AP, Image Size: 17.5 x 22 in., Size: 21.5 in....

Robert Sarsony Oil on gesso and masonite board. Hand signed lower left. Labels verso give artist, title "Paper Box", year 1971 and medium. Bears label from ACA Gallery. Dimensions...

Flatiron NYC Cityscape Mid-20th Century WPA American Scene Drawing Modern w/c Bertram Hartman (1882 - 1960) Flatiron, NYC Pastel on paper, c. 1940s 19 x 14 1/2 inches Signed lower ...

Riccardo Magni: 1886-1964. Well listed artist born in Italy and studied in Paris before moving to United States in the 1930s. He has an auction result high of $6625 for a smaller por...

This late 1950s landscape photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features a group of people snorkelling off a small boat in Malta. This is an estate stamped and h...