Skip to main content

George Hughes Figurative Paintings

American, 1907-1990
A native New Yorker, George Hughes studied at the Art Students League and the National Academy of Design. Some of his early work included fashion drawing, and there was a stint as a special designer in the automobile field in Detroit. For many years, Hughes was one of the most prolific painters of Saturday Evening Post covers; in addition, he painted many editorial illustrations for the Post and other publications, including McCall’s, Woman’s Day, American Magazine, Reader’s Digest, and Cosmopolitan magazines. Hughes was one of the originators and masters of the “sitcom” magazine cover, and through his efforts, readers would spend minutes rather than seconds looking at the covers. Also a painter, he exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, The Detroit Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago. In recent years he restricted his work to portraiture.
to
1
4
4
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
10
2
5
2
8
1
1
10
6
5
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
10
10
6
3
3
17
509
313
283
233
9
10
Artist: George Hughes
Eavesdropping on Grownups, Saturday Evening Post Cover
Eavesdropping on Grownups, Saturday Evening Post Cover

Eavesdropping on Grownups, Saturday Evening Post Cover

By George Hughes

Located in Fort Washington, PA

Signature: Signed Lower Left Original cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, December 2, 1950 The Post described, “One night Art Editor Stuart was having a party. His three boys came downstairs four times and were conducted back up by their mother. The next time they came down, Papa Stuart waxed excited, firmly conveyed them aloft himself, and they did not show up again. Stuart was warmly congratulated on his success as a father. When the party broke up, the youngest lad was found asleep on the stairs. Stuart claims that the older ones never did come down again, but this was probably because they merely went to sleep in their beds from natural causes. George Hugehes has painted some other people’s offspring, to get over the idea that children all over America are eager to improve their minds by listening to sophisticated conversation.” (The Saturday Evening Post, December 2, 1950, p. 3) Exhibited: Norman Rockwell Museum...

Category

1950s George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Sunday Afternoon Callers, Saturday Evening Post Cover, June 17, 1950
Sunday Afternoon Callers, Saturday Evening Post Cover, June 17, 1950

Sunday Afternoon Callers, Saturday Evening Post Cover, June 17, 1950

By George Hughes

Located in Fort Washington, PA

Medium: Oil on Masonite Signature: Signed 'Hughes-' Lower Left This work was published as the cover of the June 17, 1950 edition of The Saturday Evening Post. Literature: J. Cohn, ...

Category

1950s George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Readying for First Date, Original Cover for The Saturday Evening Post
Readying for First Date, Original Cover for The Saturday Evening Post

Readying for First Date, Original Cover for The Saturday Evening Post

By George Hughes

Located in Fort Washington, PA

A mother helps her son put on a tie in preparation for a formal party. Original cover for The Saturday Evening Post, October 16, 1948. George Hughes used his neighbors, the Rockwells, as models. The young man is Thomas Rockwell, the son of famed Norman Rockwell, and the mother is modeled after Thomas' actual mother and Norman's then-wife, Mary Rockwell...

Category

1940s George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Refinishing an Heirloom, Original Cover for The Saturday Evening Post
Refinishing an Heirloom, Original Cover for The Saturday Evening Post

Refinishing an Heirloom, Original Cover for The Saturday Evening Post

By George Hughes

Located in Fort Washington, PA

Saturday Evening Post, September 24, 1960, cover illustration. The present work was published as the cover illustration of the September 24, 1960 issue of The Saturday Evening Post....

Category

1960s George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas, Board

Highway Boat Ride, Original summer cover for The Saturday Evening Post, 1962
Highway Boat Ride, Original summer cover for The Saturday Evening Post, 1962

Highway Boat Ride, Original summer cover for The Saturday Evening Post, 1962

By George Hughes

Located in Fort Washington, PA

Original cover for The Saturday Evening Post magazine, published July 14-July 21, 1962 This 1962 Post cover by George Hughes evokes the carefree spirit of summer road trips. While m...

Category

1960s George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

High Score, This Week Magazine
High Score, This Week Magazine

High Score, This Week Magazine

By George Hughes

Located in Fort Washington, PA

Date: 1950 Medium: Oil on Canvas Signature: Signed Lower Center Contact for exact dimensions. High Score, By Frank Bennett, This Week Magazine, September 1...

Category

1950s George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Coming up Roses
Coming up Roses

Coming up Roses

By George Hughes

Located in Fort Washington, PA

Signature: Signed Lower Left, "Hughes" Medium: Oil on Masonite Framed 24.50" x 26.50" Original cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, June 8, 1957. The Post described, “...

Category

1950s George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

(Untitled)
(Untitled)

(Untitled)

By George Hughes

Located in Fort Washington, PA

Medium: Oil on Board Dimensions: 18.00" x 23.75 Signature: Signed Lower Right

Category

Mid-20th Century George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Crying on Santa's Lap, Original Christmas cover for The Saturday Evening Post
Crying on Santa's Lap, Original Christmas cover for The Saturday Evening Post

Crying on Santa's Lap, Original Christmas cover for The Saturday Evening Post

By George Hughes

Located in Fort Washington, PA

Original Christmas holiday cover for The Saturday Evening Post, published December 6, 1958 We’re thrilled to announce the acquisition of an original 1958 Christmas cover for The Sat...

Category

1950s George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Future President, Saturday Evening Post Cover
Future President, Saturday Evening Post Cover

Future President, Saturday Evening Post Cover

By George Hughes

Located in Fort Washington, PA

Approximate Date: 1948 Medium: Oil on Board Signature: Signed Lower Left Size: 20" x 16", Framed: 26" x 22" Original cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, September 25 1...

Category

1940s George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Related Items
Interior J&L Works, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania American Industrial Scene Painting
Interior J&L Works, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania American Industrial Scene Painting

Interior J&L Works, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania American Industrial Scene Painting

Located in Marco Island, FL

An interior scene of industrial America where workers kept the production of steel going in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This detailed and atmospheric painting shows the hard work and ...

Category

20th Century American Realist George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Chess Players WPA Depression Era Mid-20th Century American Scene Realism Modern
Chess Players WPA Depression Era Mid-20th Century American Scene Realism Modern

Chess Players WPA Depression Era Mid-20th Century American Scene Realism Modern

By Mervin Jules

Located in New York, NY

Chess Players WPA Depression Era Mid-20th Century American Scene Realism Modern. Signed upper right and verso 8 x 10 inches oil on board. BIO The son of a men's haberdasher, Mervin ...

Category

1930s American Realist George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"Old Mystic, Connecticut" Reynolds Beal, Atmospheric Sunset, Impressionist Scene
"Old Mystic, Connecticut" Reynolds Beal, Atmospheric Sunset, Impressionist Scene

"Old Mystic, Connecticut" Reynolds Beal, Atmospheric Sunset, Impressionist Scene

By Reynolds Beal

Located in New York, NY

Reynolds Beal Old Mystic, Connecticut, 1900 Estate stamp on the reverse Oil on artist board 6 3/8 x 9 3/8 inches Provenance The artist Estate of the artist Royal Galleries, New Jers...

Category

Early 1900s American Impressionist George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

An Artist Working in the Studio 1930
An Artist Working in the Studio 1930

An Artist Working in the Studio 1930

Located in Stockholm, SE

This intimate studio interior from 1930 belongs to the more psychologically engaging side of Carlo Hornung Jensen’s oeuvre. A seated woman has paused beside her easel and turned towa...

Category

1930s Realist George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

A Fabulous 1950s Mid-Century Modern Portrait of a Seated Woman, "Southern Belle"
A Fabulous 1950s Mid-Century Modern Portrait of a Seated Woman, "Southern Belle"

A Fabulous 1950s Mid-Century Modern Portrait of a Seated Woman, "Southern Belle"

By Francis Chapin

Located in Chicago, IL

A Fabulous 1950s Mid-Century Modern Portrait of a Seated Woman, "Southern Belle" by Noted Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). A colorful Southern painting depicting a ...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Preparing the Boat: Mid-20th Century Impressionist Oil Painting
Preparing the Boat: Mid-20th Century Impressionist Oil Painting

Preparing the Boat: Mid-20th Century Impressionist Oil Painting

Located in Fredericksburg, VA

Preparing the Boat" by Clara Belle Owen is a luminous impressionist depiction of a young boy approaching a grand sailboat, ready to prepare it for an impending journey. The painting ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Impressionist George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"River Town New Hope PA, Bucks County" Impressionist Pastoral Scene Oil Painting
"River Town New Hope PA, Bucks County" Impressionist Pastoral Scene Oil Painting

"River Town New Hope PA, Bucks County" Impressionist Pastoral Scene Oil Painting

By Christopher Willett 1

Located in New York, NY

A charming Impressionist summer pastoral scene depicting the New Hope town near the lake in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. This piece is executed in an intimate yet energetic manner. Ch...

Category

20th Century American Impressionist George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

An Intimate, Colorful Modern Portrait of a Young Woman Reading by Francis Chapin
An Intimate, Colorful Modern Portrait of a Young Woman Reading by Francis Chapin

An Intimate, Colorful Modern Portrait of a Young Woman Reading by Francis Chapin

By Francis Chapin

Located in Chicago, IL

A Colorful, Intimate Modernist Portrait of a Young Woman Reading by Notable Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). A wonderfully painted studio work dating from the 1930s. ...

Category

1930s George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"The Ballerina" Figure with Chanel Gown French Haute Couture Oil Canvas Painting
"The Ballerina" Figure with Chanel Gown French Haute Couture Oil Canvas Painting

"The Ballerina" Figure with Chanel Gown French Haute Couture Oil Canvas Painting

By Cindy Shaoul

Located in New York, NY

Exploring the purity of the feminine form and the drama of French haute couture, artist Cindy Shaoul creates a dialogue between the figurative and the abstract. Her spirited compositions are both dramatic and invigorating, capturing the fleeting moment of innocence swept up in bold color and seemingly controlled movement. "The Ballerina" demonstrates a whimsical expression of femininity and formality; a stunning display of understated grandeur. It is as if the shape's only purpose is to hold the magnificent pallet. This piece is signed lower left by the artist and is painted oil and on canvas and it comes housed in a contemporary white floater wood...

Category

2010s Abstract George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Man Fishing with Children Playing at a River Side in the English Countryside
Man Fishing with Children Playing at a River Side in the English Countryside

Man Fishing with Children Playing at a River Side in the English Countryside

By John Haskins

Located in Preston, GB

Man Fishing with Children Playing at a River Side in the English Countryside by 20th Century British Artist Art measures 28 x 20 inches Frame measures 33 x 25 inches Reframed in the highest quality black wooden moulding John Haskins...

Category

20th Century Realist George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Sailors and Mermaids
Sailors and Mermaids

Sailors and Mermaids

Located in Bryn Mawr, PA

Ralph Cahoon Jr.'s whimsical paintings are not only lighthearted and charming, they are also the hallmark of his creativity and imagination. His playful approach to painting and info...

Category

Mid-20th Century Folk Art George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Orange
Orange

Piers PhiloOrange, 2021

$439

H 9.06 in W 9.06 in D 0.2 in

Orange

Located in Deddington, GB

Orange by Piers Philo [2021] original Oil paint on board Image size: H:23 cm x W:23 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:23 cm x W:23 cm x D:1cm Sold Unframed Please note that insit...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Previously Available Items
Learning to Ride a Bike by George Hughes
Learning to Ride a Bike by George Hughes

Learning to Ride a Bike by George Hughes

By George Hughes

Located in New Orleans, LA

George Hughes 1907-1990 American Learning to Ride a Bike Oil on board The great illustrator George Hughes found his place in the hearts and homes of families nationwide with his humorous and nostalgic renderings of American life. American illustrators like Hughes had the challenge of creating an image that expressed an entire story without any written description. They were a narrative that unfolded on a single canvas and clearly expressed the everyday human experience that almost all could relate to. This oil on masonite, entitled Learning to Ride a Bike, was created for the July 12, 1954 cover of the Saturday Evening Post. Hughes’s composition captures both the simple joys of childhood and of parenting. On a quiet suburban street, a father runs alongside his young son’s accelerating bike, bearing a focused and startled expression as he guides the handlebars. In stark contrast to the father’s trepidation, his son could not be more delighted; he grins from ear to ear with widened eyes, and his feet are no longer resting on the pedals. In the background, a woman in a long red dress...

Category

20th Century George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Two Women with Baby Carriages
Two Women with Baby Carriages

Two Women with Baby Carriages

By George Hughes

Located in Fort Washington, PA

Signature: Signed Lower Left This illustration by George Hughes (1907-1990) was painted for the Saturday Evening Post but never published.

Category

1950s George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Table Talk
Table Talk

George HughesTable Talk

Sold

H 22 in W 32 in

Table Talk

By George Hughes

Located in Fort Washington, PA

Medium: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 22.00" x 32.00" Signature: Signed Upper Right

Category

Mid-20th Century George Hughes Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

George Hughes figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic George Hughes figurative paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by George Hughes in oil paint, paint, board and more. Not every interior allows for large George Hughes figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 1 inch across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of John Ford Clymer, Philip Evergood, and Coby Whitmore. George Hughes figurative paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $3,900 and tops out at $228,500, while the average work can sell for $185,000.