American Modern Art

"ELVIS BY ANDY WARHOL" is a photomosaic artwork by Destro. Destro has created large prints which are made up of many hundreds of smaller images. Archival photographic paper Framin...

* SPECIAL 1STDIBS PRICE A contemporary photograph of Guns N' Roses iconic "Appetite for Destruction" cassette tape. This is s the first release in the much anticipated series "The M...

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...

Sunbathing in Venice, 1954 - Venetian Sunbathing in Vintage Italian Fashion by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped C-Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. A...

A touch of Chagall and a lot of individuality in this singular work by American modernist artist Genevieve. A free spirit, Genevieve White, born 1913 in Idaho, left home at 14 to mov...

Paul Landacre 'Sultry Day', wood engraving, 1935. Edition 60, 1935; second edition of 150 (only 7 impressions printed); third edition 200, American Artists Group, 1937. Wien 170. Sig...

A Striking, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Ink Drawing of a Dancing Couple by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Depicting an embracing couple engaged in the classic, ...

David HOCKNEY Pool Diver, 1972 Original lithograph Signature printed in the plate On paper 101 x 64 cm (c. 40 x 26 inch) Made for the Olympic Games in Munich, 1972 REFERENCES : Bri...

Von Pantz Pool, 1985 - Nude Swimmer Portrait Laura Hawk Swimming Pool Water by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped C-Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. Vo...

Jhelum River in Kashmir, 1961 - Luxury Sailing Watercraft by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Digital C-Type print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. ...

Spring Break, 1950s - Bonita Springs Palm Beach Florida Students Spring Break by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped C-Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. ...

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

Saint Tropez Boucherie, August 1971 - Nude Women Portrait French Riviera Fashion by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. ...

Julio LE PARC (1928-) Diffraction (Transformation), 1988 Original lithograph, airbrush and stencil Signed in ink Numbered / 100 copies On black wove paper, 56 x 38 cm (c. 22 x 15 in...

Mid Century Monterey Foothill Pond in Summer Original Oil Landscape Painting by Louise Cunningham Bright summer scene of pond in Monterey foothills by Santa Cruz, California artist ...

A Whimsical 1950s Mid-Century Modern Abstract Portrait Study (Composite Drawings) by Noted Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A humorous and visually striking sheet of a...

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...

Beverly Hills Hotel, 1957 - Sunset Boulevard Hollywood California Landscape by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped C-Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. Be...

Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) Welcoming Jeers, 1997 Lithograph Printed signature in the plate On Arches vellum 76 x 56 cm (c. 29.9 x 22 in) Published by Galerie Enrico Navarra ...

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

Lounging in Bermuda - Sundowners by Swimming Pool Jill Council Photograph by Slim Aarons 16" x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. "Loun...

A Charming, Colorful 1950s Mid-Century Modern Harbor Scene of Martha's Vineyard by Notable Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Painted near the artist's studio and summe...

1926. Etching in sepia ink on Japon paper, 9 5/8 x 11 1/2 inches (245 x 292 mm), full margins with the lower margin slightly notched. Signed, titled and dated in pencil in the lower ...

Capri Holiday, 1958 - Snorkelling off Coast of Capri Island in Crystal Waters by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. 'C...

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

Original 1964 Los Angeles, California vintage travel poster. Professionally archivally linen-backed in mint condition. This is one of four ...

A Very Finely Drawn 1930s Figure Study of a Young Male Nude Model (Shoulder, Arm & Torso) by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). An early charcoal drawing...

A Fine, 1940s Mid-Cenrury Modern Academic Figure Study Drawing of a Standing Male Nude Model by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). An exceptionally well executed...

Night Shadows. 1921. Etching. Levin 82. 7 x 8 3/8 (sheet 10 x 13 7 1/16).s Series: Six American Etchings: The New Republic Portfolio, 1924. Edition approximately 500-600. Illustrate...

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 ...

RFD #1, 1937, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right, titled verso, 24 x 30 inches Iowa had Grant Wood. Missouri had Thomas Hart Benton. Kansas had John Steuart Curry. And, Neb...

The Original Coppertone Italian suntan lotion vintage poster is in small format. It is backed with archival linen and is in Grade A condition. It is ready to frame. Step Back in Time, One Tan at a Time! Elevate your space with a piece of pop culture history! This original Coppertone vintage...

Julie London - Portrait Julie London Jazz Singer Beverly Hills Hotel Hollywood by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. J...

Monte Carlo Hotel Pool, 1970 - Monaco Landscape Photography Swimming Pool by Sea by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. ...

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...

Lido Life, 1957 - Venice Lido Venice Lagoon Pool Italian Cultural Heritage by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped C-Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. Lid...

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

Will Beger and his contemporary-minimalist paintings, take on an entirely unique approach to southwest art. Influenced by his youth and inspired by nature, he effortlessly captures a...

This is a modernist-inspired painting, drawing influence from the bold creativity of 1950s, 60s, and 70s art. The composition features overlapping painter’s palette silhouettes, crea...

A Charming 1940s Watercolor of Mexico with Cathedral and Rooftops by Noted Chicago Artist, Rudolph T. Pen. Most likely completed during the artist's trip to Mexico in 1944 after rec...

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...

Original “Never So Few” vintage linen-backed movie poster, NSS 59/348. Very clean and bright, with original theater-issued fold marks touched up. Grade A-. Ready to frame. Nev...

Dale Nichols, 'Partners', lithograph, edition 250, 1950. Signed in pencil. A fine, richly-inked impression, on cream wove paper; the full sheet with margins (7/8 to 1 5/8 inches); tw...

Samuel Chamberlain, 'Manhattan Old and New', drypoint, 1929, edition 100, Chamberlain and Kingsland 81. Signed, titled, and numbered '81/100' in pencil. Titled and annotated '30.00' in pencil, in the artist's hand, bottom margin. Matted to museum standards, unframed. A superb, finely-detailed impression, with selectively wiped plate tone, on heavy Rives cream wove paper; full margins (1 1/2 to 2 1/4 inches), in excellent condition. The subject of the print is the lower Manhattan cityscape just before the Depression. Image size 8 3/4 x 6 13/16 inches (222 x 173 mm); sheet size 12 3/4 x 10 inches (324 x 254 mm). Impressions of this work are held in the collections of the National Gallery of Art and the Zimmerli Art Museum. ABOUT THE ARTIST 'There is something about the atmospheric vibrancy of an etching which imparts a peculiar and irresistible life to architectural drawing...A copper plate offers receptive ground to the meticulously detailed drawing which so often appeals to the architect'. —Samuel Chamberlain, from the Catalogue Raisonné of his prints. Samuel V. Chamberlain (1896 - 1975), printmaker, photographer, author, and teacher, was born in Iowa. His family moved to Aberdeen, Washington in 1901, and in 1913, Chamberlain enrolled in the University of Washington in Seattle, where he studied architecture under Carl Gould. By 1915, he was enrolled in the School of Architecture of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. With the United States' involvement in the First World War, Chamberlain sailed to France, where he volunteered in the American Field Service. In 1918, he was transferred to the United States Army to complete his tour of duty. After the war, he returned to Boston and resumed his architectural studies, which he eventually discontinued, working for a few years as a commercial artist. Chamberlain received the American Field Service Scholarship in 1923, which he used to travel to Spain, North Africa, and Italy. In 1924 he was living in Paris, where he studied lithography with Gaston Dorfinant and etching and drypoint with Edouard Léon, publishing his first etching the following year. In 1927, he studied drypoint with Malcolm Osborne...

Mury (Mury Rabin) Man Receiving Himself, c. 1960s Softground monoprint Sight: 16 1/2 x 18 1/4 in. Framed: 23 1/8 x 25 1/8 x 7/8 in. Titled lower right, signed lower left Graphic ar...

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 contemporary photograph of a NOTORIOUS B.I.G. "LIFE AFTER DEATH" cassette tape. This is s the first release in the much anticipated series "The Music" by pop Artists Destro These ...

R2D2 from the original Kenner release of the Star Wars toys in May of 1977 This is pre release is the first release in the much anticipated series "The Toys" These iconic figures hav...

A Fabulous, Abstract 1960s Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Sleeping Female Nude by Noted Chicago Artist, Rudolph Pen. A sensuous, intimate studio depiction of a sleeping nude femal...

Otto Kuhler, 'The Gateway to the New World', etching (artist's proof), edition 16, 1926, Kennedy 25. Signed in pencil and annotated 'Japan Silk Paper - Trial Proof - Ltd. Ed. Del. et...

Original, Linen backed New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival poster from 1983. A fun image with a crawfish holding an umbrella with streamers. 1983 JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL PRO-MO ...

Title: French Gouache Painting of Pueblo Bread Baking in Taos New Mexico by Emile GALLOIS (1882-1965, French) Signed: Yes Medium: Original gouache painting on thick unframed paper, S...

Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) Venus, 1940 Signed Clarence H. Carter and dated 40. (ur) Oil on canvas 40 x 27 inches 48 x 35 inches, framed Canvas is slightly warped...

Watercolor and pencil on buff wove watercolor paper, 10 x 8 inches (255 x 203 mm). In good condition with overall minor toning. Some watercolor paint splatters on the verso, contem...

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

Catherine Wilke, 1980 - Bronze Model Poses Drinking Cocktail by Sunbathers by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Premium Collection Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Pr...

A Lively, Colorful 1950s Mid-Century Modern Floral Still Life Painting by Notable Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Full of color, with wonderful brushwork, the painti...

Artist: Thelma Speed Houston – American (1914-2000) Title: Trafalgar Year: unknown Medium: Watercolor on heavy watercolor paper Sheet size: 18 x 24 inches Signature: Signed lower lef...

Palm Springs Riders, 1970 - Desert Landscapes in Southern California Hills 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Digital C-Type print. Edition of 150. Printed Later....

Pool at Lake Tahoe - Sierra Nevada Pine Trees American Landscape Photography by Slim Aarons 16" x 16" print on 16" x 20" paper. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150....