Guy Pène Du Bois Art
American, 1884-1958
Pène du Bois descended from French immigrants who settled in Louisiana in 1738 and was raised in a Creole household. He was born in 1984 in Brooklyn, NY and first studied with William Merritt Chase at the New York School of Art and later continued his training with Robert Henri. Pène du Bois was greatly impressed with Henri's credo that "real life" was subject matter for art and throughout his life a realist philosophy informed his art as well as his parallel career, art criticism. In 1905, Pène du Bois made his first visit to Paris where he painted scenes of fashionable people in cafes rendered in the dark tonalities and impasto associated with the Ashcan School. By 1920, he had achieved his mature style, which was characterized by stylized, rounded, almost sculptural figures painted with invisible brushstrokes. The subjects of his paintings were often members of society whom he gently satirized.
In 1924, Pène du Bois and his wife, Floy, left for France where they would remain until 1930. Returning to America showcases pictures the artist produced after this very productive period abroad. After five years of living in France, Pène du Bois was able to observe American life with fresh eyes. His work becomes more psychologically intense and less satirical. In Girl at Table a slender, blond is shown gazing at a small statue that she holds at arm's distance. The meaning is elusive, but a powerful sense of longing is evoked. Similarly, paintings such as Dramatic Moment and Jane are taut with unresolved dialogue. Both pictures depict mysterious interiors in which a lone woman anxiously awaits the denouement of a suspenseful scene. Other pictures, for example, Chess Tables, Washington Square and Bar, New Orleans, recall Pene du Bois's Ashcan origins in their depiction of urban entertainment.
During this period, landscape becomes an important subject for Pène du Bois. Girl Sketching and Girl in Deck Chair both situate the female subject in bucolic outdoor settings. Deserted Garden and Road under Hurricane Tree are pure landscapes.
A lesser known aspect of Pène du Bois's career is his involvement with the WPA projects. In 1937 Pène du Bois received a WPA mural commission to depict John Jay at His Home for the post office in Rye, N.Y. John Jay Study, which features Chief Justice John Jay's homestead, is a study for this series of still extant murals. In the 1950s, Pène du Bois's declining health substantially limited the number of pictures produced.to
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"Seaside (Amagansett Beach)" Guy Pène du Bois, American Realist Beach Scene
By Guy Pène Du Bois
Located in New York, NY
Guy Pene du Bois
Seaside (Amagansett Beach), 1939
Signed and dated lower left; artist label on the reverse: "Seaside CAT No 192"
Oil on canvas
16 x 20 inches
Pène du Bois descended...
Category
1930s Realist Guy Pène Du Bois Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Guy Péne du Bois Oil on Canvas Painting of the French Gardener, Dated 1929
By Guy Pène Du Bois
Located in New York, NY
Guy Pène du Bois, 1884 - 1958
French Gardener, 1929
Oil on canvas
Signed and inscribed:
Pere Martin/Guy Pène du Bois/1929
Provenance:
The Estate of Guy Pène du Bois
Below is an excerpt from Guy Péne du Bois diary titled 'Artists Say the Silliest Things':
“Our landlord and gardener, Pere Martin, who owned a considerable amount of land thereabouts, had been a butcher in the Batignolles section of Paris during the war. [WWI]. He was called hard and miserly in the neighborhood, a too shrewd bargainer, but he accepted two francs and hour, then eight cents in our money, to work the garden. He could be shrewd. When Kellogg was signing the peace pact in Paris, a sham battle of aeroplanes clouded the sky above us. Old Pere Martin rested on his hoe and pointed up, shrugging his shoulders with clownish
exaggeration, ‘Monsieur Kellogg.’ It typified the talk on war of the countryside. During the last one he had delivered a magnificent pot au feu...
Category
1920s Guy Pène Du Bois Art
Materials
Oil
Guy Pene du Bois WPA American Modernism Realism NYC Scene Oil Lawyers in Court
By Guy Pène Du Bois
Located in New York, NY
Guy Pene du Bois' "Two Figures in Courtroom" is a WPA era American scene oil painting created in a realistic style. Modernism at its best The work is framed by Heydenryk.
Pène du Bois descended from French immigrants who settled in Louisiana in 1738 and was raised in a Creole household. He was born in 1884 in Brooklyn, NY and first studied with William Merritt Chase at the New York School of Art and later continued his training with Robert Henri. Pène du Bois was greatly impressed with Henri's credo that "real life" was subject matter for art and throughout his life a realist philosophy informed his art as well as his parallel career, art criticism. In 1905, Pène du Bois made his first visit to Paris where he painted scenes of fashionable people in cafes rendered in the dark tonalities and impasto associated with the Ashcan School. By 1920, he had achieved his mature style, which was characterized by stylized, rounded, almost sculptural figures painted with invisible brushstrokes. The subjects of his paintings were often members of society whom he gently satirized.
In 1924, Pène du Bois and his wife, Floy, left for France where they would remain until 1930. Returning to America showcases pictures the artist produced after this very productive period abroad. After five years of living in France, Pène du Bois was able to observe American life with fresh eyes. His work becomes more psychologically intense and less satirical. In Girl at Table a slender, blond is shown gazing at a small statue that she holds at arm's distance. The meaning is elusive, but a powerful sense of longing is evoked. Similarly, paintings such as Dramatic Moment and Jane are taut with unresolved dialogue. Both pictures depict mysterious interiors in which a lone woman anxiously awaits the denouement of a suspenseful scene. Other pictures, for example, Chess Tables, Washington Square and Bar, New Orleans, recall Pene du Bois's Ashcan origins in their depiction of urban entertainment.
During this period, landscape becomes an important subject for Pène du Bois. Girl Sketching...
Category
1930s American Modern Guy Pène Du Bois Art
Materials
Paper, Oil, Board
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Pène du Bois descended from French immigrants who settled in Louisiana in 1738 and was raised in a Creole household. He was born in 1984 in Brooklyn, NY and first studied with William Merritt Chase at the New York School of Art and later continued his training with Robert Henri. Pène du Bois was greatly impressed with Henri's credo that "real life" was subject matter for art and throughout his life a realist philosophy informed his art as well as his parallel career, art criticism. In 1905, Pène du Bois made his first visit to Paris where he painted scenes of fashionable people in cafes rendered in the dark tonalities and impasto associated with the Ashcan School. By 1920, he had achieved his mature style, which was characterized by stylized, rounded, almost sculptural figures painted with invisible brushstrokes. The subjects of his paintings were often members of society whom he gently satirized.
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Guy Pène Du Bois art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Guy Pène Du Bois art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Guy Pène Du Bois in oil paint, paint, board and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Guy Pène Du Bois art, so small editions measuring 16 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Arthur Beecher Carles, Cecil Crosley Bell, and Luigi Lucioni. Guy Pène Du Bois art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $4,500 and tops out at $68,000, while the average work can sell for $55,000.