Bernard Harmon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1935. He was primarily a portrait painter and a well-loved teacher in the Philadelphia area. A graduate of the Philadelphia Museum School and Temple University’s Tyler School of Art, Harmon traveled extensively in Europe and South America.
Beloved by many, Harmon taught in the Philadelphia School District for 32 of his 54 years of life. Beginning his career as an art teacher at West Philadelphia High School in the early 1960s, he became one of the district's artists-in-residence, traveling from school to school to demonstrate for students how an artist works. Returning to the classroom, Harmon joined the art department at Central High School where he taught for 14 years and became an innovator in its art curriculum, developing a program offering advanced placement art classes to gifted students. In his final years Harmon became a supervisor, mentoring teachers and overseeing programs in the Philadelphia school system’s District #1.
During his short life Harmon taught college preparatory art classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, summer classes at the University of the Arts, and a Saturday program for gifted children at Drexel University.
Among Harmon's portraits were commissioned by Philadelphia Jazz organist Jimmy Smith and Mayor Richardson Dilworth. The artist was active in promoting African American artists throughout his lifetime. He organized many early shows such as the "Afro American Artists 1800–1969" at the Museum of the Philadelphia Civic Center in 1969, and was considered a Renaissance man by friends and colleagues for his interests not only in art but music and theater as well. Harmon was familiar and friends with many other African American artists such as Doc Thrash, Selma Burke, Paul Keene Jr., Allen Freelon and Charles Searles.
Harmon's work reflects his love of his students and friends. His art has a loose expressionist style that can be related to the work of Alice Neel. A 2016 exhibition at Gratz Gallery & Conservation Studio was one of the largest offerings of Bernard Harmon’s work in many years.
Find original Bernard Harmon paintings and other art on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by Gratz Gallery & Conservation Studio)
Green Landscape, Expressionist Painting by Philadelphia Artist
By Bernard Harmon
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Green Landscape" is a landscape painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon from 1955. The 18" x 24" oil on canvas features a spring or summer landscape, pain...
Oil, Canvas
Emile Albert Gruppe Bass Rocks 36x30
By Emile Albert Gruppe
Located in Dallas, TX
Emile Albert Gruppe (American, 1896-1978) Bass Rock, 1967 Oil on canvas 30 x 36 inches (76.2 x 91.4 cm) Signed lower right: Emile A. Gruppe Signed, dated, and titled on the stretcher...
Canvas, Oil
$1,067Sale Price|43% Off
H 25.6 in W 36.23 in
Mediterranean Village of Mallorca oil on canvas painting
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Artist: Bernat Sanjuan i Tarré (Barcelona, 1915 – Deià, Mallorca, 1979) Title: Mediterranean Village of Mallorca Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 65 × 92 cm (25.6 × 36.2 in) Framed:...
Canvas, Oil
$900
H 6 in W 8 in
"Canyon River" (2025), Original Expressionist Impasto Landscape, Oil Painting
By Sandra Pratt
Located in Denver, CO
"Canyon River" (2025) is a beautiful original impasto oil painting, created on linen panel by American artist Sandra Pratt, which depicts a vast forest, captured in an expressionisti...
Oil, Canvas
$9,487
H 15.16 in W 21.66 in
"Venice Twilight", 19th Century Oil on Canvas by Charles-Clément Calderon
Located in Madrid, ES
CHARLES - CLÉMENT CALDERON French, 1870 - 1906 VENICE TWILIGHT signed "C. Calderon" (lower right) oil on canvas 15-1/4 x 21-3/4 inches (38.5 x 55 cm.) ...
Canvas, Oil
Lofoton Morning, Norway
By Tom Irizarry Studio
Located in Booklyn, NY
Verified original work by Tom irizarry. Handmade oil paint made by artist, pigments on canvas, 16 x 20 inches. Morning view of Lofoton mountain range, Norway. 2024. 16 x 20 inches, o...
Canvas, Oil, Pigment
$630
H 12 in W 12 in D 2 in
"Secret Garden" (2023) by Leigh Ann Van Fossan, Original Oil Painting
By Leigh Ann Van Fossan
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Secret Garden" (2023) is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a path surrounded by colorful flowers and trees arching over. Van Fossan was born in...
Canvas, Oil
$20,000
H 25 in W 29 in D 2 in
Upper Delaware - American Landscape Painting. Moody Expressionist Landscape.
By John Fulton Folinsbee
Located in Marco Island, FL
A moody expressionist painting of the Upper Delaware River, done in the style that earned John Fulton Folinsbee his well-deserved reputation as an exceptional landscape painter of th...
Canvas, Oil
West End, colorful gestural abstract painting
By C. Dimitri
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Abstract cityscape indebted to Matisse's "View of Notre Dame."
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil, Permanent Marker
$1,200
H 21.46 in W 16.23 in D 2.37 in
Paul Collomb, Paris, Eiffel Tower, Invalides, The Beautiful View, Oil on Canvas
Located in Saint Amans des cots, FR
Oil on canvas by Paul Collomb (1921-2010), France, 1960s. The beautiful view. Measurements : with frame: 54.5x41.2 cm - 21.5x16.2 inches, without frame: 46x33 cm - 18.1x13 inches, fo...
Canvas, Oil
'Susan's Farm, ' by James Cobb, Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This oil on canvas by artist James Cobb depicts a typical rural farm setting. The rows of freshly planted groves are accented by Cobb's use of texture via h...
Canvas, Oil
$9,013
H 57.49 in W 44.89 in
Force de Vie Oil Painting on Canvas, Expressionist, 21st Century
By Evelyne Ballestra
Located in Miami, FL
Her work with signs, symbols and esoteric spirituality reflects her passion for the ancient past and represents a symbolic return to the ground from which we emerged. Her work creates a commentary about “beginnings” and the transmission of signs and emotions through visual elements evoking a spiritual essence to our scientific notion of etymology. After studying under Rolf Dürig...
Oil, Canvas
$3,000
H 41.74 in W 34.26 in D 1.38 in
Bories-en-Provence Village Near Gordes, Large Oil on Canvas
Located in Saint Amans des cots, FR
Oil on canvas by Paul Clement (1906-), France, 1967. Bories-en-Provence near Gordes. Measurements : with frame: 106x87 cm - 41.7x34.25 inches, without frame: 100x81 cm - 39.4x31.9 in...
Canvas, Oil