Balcomb Greene Paintings

American, 1904-1990

Balcomb Greene has been described as "an iconoclast, a painter who has refused to conform to the latest artistic trends." This comment was apt, for Greene was an independent-minded artist who followed his own aesthetic inclinations regardless of what was in vogue among critics and the public. At the outset of his career, he eschewed Depression-era realism in favor of a cutting-edge geometric abstract style that set him apart from the mainstream art establishment and from many of his fellow abstractionists. During the 1940s, when non-representational painting came into fashion, he began to incorporate the human form into his work, creating enigmatic figure paintings in which variations of light and shadow played a vital role in creating mood. A turning point in his career occurred in 1931, when Greene and his wife, Gertrude Glass Greene, traveled to Paris to further their understanding of vanguard art and literature. Although Greene intended to write novels in his Montparnasse studio, he soon found himself drawn to the art world and decided to become a painter. He was especially inspired by the example of Piet Mondrian, Juan Gris and the Abstraction-Creation painters, who sought to eliminate all references to nature, literature and anecdote by focusing on pure abstraction. Greene returned to the United States in 1932, going on to develop his own hard-edged abstract style, creating what he referred to as "straight line, flat paintings." In 1937, he became a founding member and first chairman of Abstract American Artists, established to promote the cause of abstraction in national art circles. In the 1930s, Greene found employment with the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. He created an abstract mural for the Federal Hall of Medicine at the World's Fair of 1939. In 1940, Greene began studying art history at New York University, going on to receive a master's degree in 1943. During this period, his aesthetic approach changed as he abandoned the crisply rendered and brightly colored forms of his geometric work in favor of the figure shown against a backdrop of fragmented planes. He went on to create paintings, often naturalistic depictions of the female nude, that were characterized by an expressionist handling of paint and a limited palette of whites, greys and other muted tones that derived from his interest in photography. In 1947 Greene purchased some land on Montauk Point, Long Island. With the exception of a trip to Paris in 1958-60, he spent most of his time on Long Island, where he was one of the pioneers of the East End art colony. Inspired by the proximity of the ocean, he painted a number of marines, using dynamic brushwork to evoke the energy and spirit of the sea. Greene taught aesthetics and art history at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh (1942-47), where his students included Andy Warhol and Philip Pearlstein.

Artist: Balcomb Greene

Balcomb Greene"Composition" Balcomb Greene, Geometric Abstract, Early Modernist Composition, 1936

$45,000

"Composition" Balcomb Greene, Geometric Abstract, Early Modernist Composition

By Balcomb Greene

Located in New York, NY

Balcomb Greene Composition, 1936 Signed Balcomb Greene on verso upper stretcher bar Signed on backing board: Balcomb Greene Oil on canvas 30 1/4 x 46 inches Provenance: The artist A...

Category

1930s Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Nicholas Evans"For Granted I." (quiet, floral, soft, natural, abstract, antique French linen), 2024

$390

H 13 in W 9.45 in D 0.79 in

"For Granted I." (quiet, floral, soft, natural, abstract, antique French linen)

By Nicholas Evans

Located in Paris, IDF

"For Granted I.", 2024, Paris, France "For Granted I." is a quiet, rich and cerebral abstract painting using a subtle but powerful color palette of brown, magenta, purple, green and...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Canvas

Nicholas Evans"Rosa Pristina" (contemporary, original, abstract, floral, pink flora, natural), 2025

$530

H 15.75 in W 11.82 in D 0.79 in

"Rosa Pristina" (contemporary, original, abstract, floral, pink flora, natural)

By Nicholas Evans

Located in Paris, IDF

ROSA PRISTINA Latin for "earliest rose" or "pristine rose," captures a bloom suspended forever between full vitality and delicate decay. The painting is an abstract elegy to the rose...

Category

2010s Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Dye, Oil, Plaster, Cotton Canvas

Nicholas Evans"Many For The Empath" (abstract, flora, fauna, roses, oil painting, green, pink), 2026

$850

H 16.15 in W 13 in D 0.79 in

"Many For The Empath" (abstract, flora, fauna, roses, oil painting, green, pink)

By Nicholas Evans

Located in Paris, IDF

MANY FOR THE EMPATH 2026 Paris, France This complex and layered floral painting of an abundant, overflowing bouquet presents an energetic and mesmerizing subject. This original mixe...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Oil Crayon, Dye, Cotton Canvas, Ink, Oil, Acrylic

Nicholas Evans"Some Surmount" (abstract, dynamic, flora, blue sky, clouds, fauna, blush, pink), 2024

$500

H 16.15 in W 13 in D 0.79 in

"Some Surmount" (abstract, dynamic, flora, blue sky, clouds, fauna, blush, pink)

By Nicholas Evans

Located in Paris, IDF

SOME SURMOUNT 2024 Paris, France This charming painting on canvas visually represents the notion of being unshackled from a burden, and an ascension from a darker place. A black, e...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas, Acrylic

Nicholas Evans"Wraiths Petals" (abstract, dark, flora, floral landscape, black, pink, green), 2024

$550

H 16.15 in W 10.63 in D 0.79 in

"Wraiths Petals" (abstract, dark, flora, floral landscape, black, pink, green)

By Nicholas Evans

Located in Paris, IDF

WRAITHS, PETALS 2024 Paris, France "Wraiths, Petals" is a dark, flora, atmospheric painting that blends organic forms with abstraction. Created using a mix of oil paint, oil stick, ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Oil Crayon, Dye, Cotton Canvas, Ink, Oil, Acrylic

Stan SpornyUntitled, unknown

$2,650

H 23 in W 23 in D 3 in

Untitled

Located in Berlin, MD

Stanley Sporny (American 1946 - 2008) A view into a stream with overhanging branches reflected in the water. A beautiful oil painting that explores the stream bottom as well as the ...

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Impressionist Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Nicholas Evans"Doves for the Dorians I" (pink, green, white, Greek warrior. sword, painting), 2023

$450

H 16.15 in W 13 in D 0.79 in

"Doves for the Dorians I" (pink, green, white, Greek warrior. sword, painting)

By Nicholas Evans

Located in Paris, IDF

The Dorians played a significant role in the development of the Greek city-states during the Bronze Age -- and Doves are widely recognized as symbols of peace, primarily in the bibli...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Dye, Oil, Acrylic

Nicholas EvansHoly Split II Mixed Media Painting on Canvas, Abstract Landscape, 2026, 2026

$1,434

H 21.66 in W 18.12 in D 0.79 in

Holy Split II Mixed Media Painting on Canvas, Abstract Landscape, 2026

By Nicholas Evans

Located in Paris, IDF

HOLY SPLIT II 2026 Paris, France HOLY SPLIT II is an ethereal mixed medium painting on canvas depicting a surreal dreamlike rift in a serene landscape. Abstract fuchsia forms sugges...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Pencil

Nicholas Evans"An Urgent Man" (Abstract, Black & White, Figurative Oil Painting, Neutral Tone), 2020

$850

H 21.66 in W 18.12 in D 0.79 in

"An Urgent Man" (Abstract, Black & White, Figurative Oil Painting, Neutral Tone)

By Nicholas Evans

Located in Paris, IDF

AN URGENT MAN 2020 Paris, France Oil and acrylic on canvas portray a ‘derbyed’ man attempting to shed the weighted armor of his obligations and persona. A very loose nod to the character from René Magritte’s 1964 painting, ‘The Son of Man...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Nicholas Evans"Habitual II" (flora, rich, cerebral, abstract, black & white, antique canvas), 2023

$1,750

H 25.6 in W 21.26 in D 1.38 in

"Habitual II" (flora, rich, cerebral, abstract, black & white, antique canvas)

By Nicholas Evans

Located in Paris, IDF

"Habitual II", 2023, Paris, France This rich and cerebral abstract painting uses a subtle but powerful color palette of brown, pink, and white oil paints and wood stain to create visual texture and depth. The artist selected a French, antique postal...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil Crayon, Oil Pastel, Oil

Nicholas Evans"Habitual I" (flora, rich, cerebral, abstract, black & white, antique canvas), 2023

$1,750

H 25.6 in W 21.26 in D 1.38 in

"Habitual I" (flora, rich, cerebral, abstract, black & white, antique canvas)

By Nicholas Evans

Located in Paris, IDF

"Habitual I", 2023, Paris, France This rich and cerebral abstract painting uses a subtle but powerful color palette of brown, pink, and white oil paints and wood stain to create visual texture and depth. The artist selected a French, antique postal...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Balcomb Greene Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil Crayon, Oil Pastel, Oil

Nicholas EvansHoly Split I Mixed Media Original Painting on Canvas, Abstract Landscape, 2026, 2026

$1,434

H 21.66 in W 18.12 in D 0.79 in

Holy Split I Mixed Media Original Painting on Canvas, Abstract Landscape, 2026

By Nicholas Evans

Located in Paris, IDF

HOLY SPLIT I 2026 Paris, France HOLY SPLIT I is an ethereal mixed medium painting on canvas depicting a surreal dreamlike rift in a serene landscape. Abstract fuchsia forms suggesti...

Category