Skip to main content

Irving Norman Paintings

American, Lithuanian, 1906-1989

The Lithuanian-American artist Irving Norman was a social Surrealist who painted large-scale and highly detailed critiques of contemporary life with hopes that viewers would consider the consequences of their actions and change their behavior.

Influenced by the dire conditions of the Great Depression, Norman’s massive canvases feature armies of clone-like figures behaving in the clockwork manner in which they have been programmed. He moved from New York to Los Angeles in 1934 before helping to defend the Spanish Republic from the fascist Franco dictatorship.

Norman survived the Spanish Civil War and in 1939 settled on Catalina Island off the Southern California coast, where he began drawing and painting from the atrocities he had witnessed. In 1940, he moved to San Francisco and had a solo exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Art two years later. Norman then traveled to Mexico City and saw the murals of Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros before moving to New York City to study at the Art Students League from 1946 to 1947. He returned to San Francisco in the late 1940s. In 1988, fire destroyed Norman’s home, studio, artwork and personal papers.

Find original Irving Norman paintings and prints on 1stDibs.

(Biography provided by Heather James Fine Art)

to
3
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
3
3
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
3
4
793
754
753
663
3
3
Artist: Irving Norman
How Come, Surrealist Oil on Canvas Painting, 20th Century, Framed
How Come, Surrealist Oil on Canvas Painting, 20th Century, Framed

How Come, Surrealist Oil on Canvas Painting, 20th Century, Framed

By Irving Norman

Located in Palm Desert, CA

"How Come" is a Modern surrealist oil on canvas painting by Irving Norman in 1968. The artwork is 90 x 60 inches and 91 1/4 x 61 1/2 x 1 5/8 inches with the fram, weighing less than ...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Irving Norman Paintings

Materials

Oil

Snapshots
Snapshots

Snapshots

By Irving Norman

Located in Palm Desert, CA

"Snapshots" is a modern surrealist oil on canvas painting by Irving Norman in 1986. The artwork is 40 x 90 inches and 41 3/8 x 91 1/4 x 1 5/8 inches with the frame, weighing less than 50 lbs. It is signed and dated lower right, "I.N. '68". Norman's surrealist paintings transport viewers into dystopian realms where human figures meld with machinery, creating haunting landscapes of industrialized chaos and existential reflection. This painting uses a series of vignettes or "snapshots" of human couples in various states of health and vigor. The grotesque nature of some of the bodies is juxtaposed in the bright swimsuits as children play under an ominous sky...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Irving Norman Paintings

Materials

Oil

Man and Time Surrealist Oil on Canvas Painting, Signed, 20th Century
Man and Time Surrealist Oil on Canvas Painting, Signed, 20th Century

Man and Time Surrealist Oil on Canvas Painting, Signed, 20th Century

By Irving Norman

Located in Palm Desert, CA

"Man and Time" is an American surrealist oil on canvas painting by Irving Norman in 1986. The artwork is 58 x 30 inches and 59 1/8 x 31 1/8 x 1 1/2 inches with the frame, weighing le...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Irving Norman Paintings

Materials

Oil

Related Items
Destiny's Path, Hawaii - Surreal Mid Century Hawaiian Figurative Abstract
Destiny's Path, Hawaii - Surreal Mid Century Hawaiian Figurative Abstract

Destiny's Path, Hawaii - Surreal Mid Century Hawaiian Figurative Abstract

By Marguerite Blasingame

Located in Soquel, CA

Destiny's Path, Hawaii - Surreal Mid Century Hawaiian Figurative Abstract Symbolistic and romantic 1940s surreal figurative of pastel orange figure journeying down path by Margueri...

Category

1940s Surrealist Irving Norman Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Mid-20th Century Magical Realism, Surrealist Painting, Cleveland School Artist
Mid-20th Century Magical Realism, Surrealist Painting, Cleveland School Artist

Mid-20th Century Magical Realism, Surrealist Painting, Cleveland School Artist

By Paul Riba

Located in Beachwood, OH

Paul Riba (American, 1912-1977) Untitled Oil on panel Signed lower right 30 x 18 inches 39.25 x 27.25 inches, framed Paul Riba was a painter of Magic Realism. He explored the unrea...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Irving Norman Paintings

Materials

Oil

Egg in the Cage, Surrealist Oil Painting, Signed, 1983, 50x40 cm
Egg in the Cage, Surrealist Oil Painting, Signed, 1983, 50x40 cm

Egg in the Cage, Surrealist Oil Painting, Signed, 1983, 50x40 cm

Located in Roma, IT

Oil on canvas realized in 1983. Signed and dated. A striking and contemplative surrealist composition depicting an empty birdcage suspended before an arched opening overlooking a s...

Category

1980s Surrealist Irving Norman Paintings

Materials

Oil

Untitled, Nude Surreal Figures Together Slovenian French Oil Painting
Untitled, Nude Surreal Figures Together Slovenian French Oil Painting

Untitled, Nude Surreal Figures Together Slovenian French Oil Painting

By Heinrich Maryan Frama

Located in Surfside, FL

Genre: Surrealism Subject: Abstract Medium: Oil Surface: Canvas Country: France In this surreal composition by Heinrich M. Frama the artist clumps a group of figures towards the mid...

Category

20th Century Surrealist Irving Norman Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Large, Unique Abstract Surrealist Oil Painting in the Chicago Imagist Tradition
Large, Unique Abstract Surrealist Oil Painting in the Chicago Imagist Tradition

Large, Unique Abstract Surrealist Oil Painting in the Chicago Imagist Tradition

Located in Chicago, IL

A Unique, Unusual and Striking Abstract Surrealist Painting Completed in the Chicago Imagist Tradition by Notable Artist, Stanley Dean Edwards (Am. Born 1941). Titled "The Last Living Face in Pompeii", the painting is oil and acrylic on canvas presented in its original frame. The artwork shows a unique synthesis of Post-War Surrealist influences, including the avant-garde Italian artist Enrico Baj and the vibrant palette of the Chicago Imagist school, namely Ed Paschke and his contemporaries. The collage-like references in the composition recall the artwork of sculptor H.C. Westermann and others experimenting with assemblage, found objects and the integration of inanimate objects. Artwork size: 38 1/2 x 32 inches; Framed size: 39 1/4 x 33 1/4 inches. Signed "Edwards", lower right; signed, titled and dated on reverse. Provenance: The Artist; Private Collection, Chicago, IL (circa 2010). Born 1941 in Joliet, Illinois, Stanley Dean Edwards moved to Chicago early in life to pursue his life as an artist. His mother was a Chicago public school teacher, and his father was a Methodist minister. He studied painting and design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), receiving a BFA in 1967. While at SAIC, Edwards was influenced by Vera Berdich's printmaking classes and Daniel Massen's design classes. After a brief stay in New York (1967-1970), where he was profoundly shaken by urban rioting and general upheaval of this time, Edwards returned to Chicago and later set up a studio in the Pilsen Neighborhood. Edwards is primarily a figurative painter whose work is informed by both Surrealism and Constructivism. Early hard-edge paintings from the mid-1960's feature a series of screaming babies set in brightly colored environments. These works offer religious suggestions, as the infants are paired with ecclesiastical figures presented atop an altar. Other protagonists of his series include dogs and faceless men. (1) In the early 1960's, Stan Edwards was part of a diverse group of artists that included George Kokines, Ray Siemanowski, Michael Hurson and Peter Holbrook among others. These artists and Edwards were part of that decade's vanguard and their work was included in an exhibition titled, "Twelve Chicago Artists" at the Walker Art Center. The curator was Jan Van der Marck. Edwards called his paintings of babies, dogs and erotic torsos from that period "image painting" because they were taken not from the model stand but cast off photo images. One painting from this period, Infant in Altar IV, is a 60" x 60" an oil and acrylic painting and was loaned by the National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian to the Museum of Contemporary Art for its fifty year retrospective titled, "Art in Chicago, 1945 to 1995." The painting is part of the Martha Jackson memorial collection at the National Museum of American Art. (2.) Recent paintings, which Edwards calls "Icons for a New Era: Assembled Art Imagery," feature iconic images composed of items from popular culture; witty titles often allude to the materials from which they were made. The found objects, vibrant colors, and slick presentations of his works indicate their relationship to and a continuation of Pop art. Both humorous and sinister, Edwards' paintings reflect the psychological uneasiness associated with the close of the twentieth century. (3.) One painting of this series titled Surveyor is a 66" x 60" oil and acrylic painting and appears in the book Humor in Art by Nicholas Roukes, published by Davis Inc. The book is widely used as a text for art and design projects. (4.) In October of 2002 Edwards presented a retrospective exhibition of his work at the Illinois Institute of Art where he taught art and design in the foundation program. His lecture and exhibition were presented as part of "Chicago Artist's Month" sponsored by the Department of Cultural Affairs for the City of Chicago. In 2004 Edwards completed a major commission for the new Veterans' Administration building in Chicago. The commission centered on patriotic themes and one large 6 and 1/2' x 10' painting is dedicated to prisoners of war. Five others are 48" x 48" and depict the military branch seals, and four paintings 32" x 32" are based on 19th century patriotic engravings. Stan Edwards, who retired from the Illinois Institute of Art in 2009, lives and works in Chicago, Illinois. Sources: (2. & 4.) Press release (1. & 3.) "Art in Chicago 1945 1995, MCA.) COLLECTIONS: Selected corporate & institutional collections National Museum of American Art/Smithsonian Corcoran Gallery of Art Ceco Corporation Crain Communications Thrall Railcar Company American Hospital Association Plyzynski & Associates, Inc. NYC North American Jet Corporation Ball State University Illinois Institute of Art at Chicago State University of New York Harris Bank & Trust Dallas Theater Center Electronic Media Magazine Johnson Controls Central National Bank of Cleveland Associates Commercial Corporation Corporate Art Source Veterans' Administration Commission, Chicago, 2004 Ten site specific paintings Siemens Corporation COLLECTIONS: Selected private collections Walter & Dawn Clark Netsch Beatrice "Buddy" Mayer Douglas Ross Larry Aronson Marc & Ilana Platt Phil & Joan Krone Craig & Janet Duchossois Sally Fairweather Shirley Hardin Brian Boyer Pritzker collection James Speyer collection Michael Greany Ed & Lindy Bergman Collection Leigh Block Collection Professor Harold Platt Professors Lew Erenberg & Susan Hirsch Dr. David Gross Professor Mihaly Csiksentmihalyi Dr. Paula Young Dr. & Mrs. Imre Hidvegi EXHIBITIONS: Selected exhibitions Biennial Drawing Exhibition, Art Institute of Chicago, 1962 Momentum II, Lexington Hall, University of Chicago, 1964 The Sunken City Rises, Hermann Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology,1964 Eye on Chicago, Hermann Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology, 1964 29th Corcoran Biennial, 1965, Washington, D.C. Inaugural exhibition, Fairweather-Hardin, 1965 Society for Contemporary Art, Art Institute of Chicago, 1965 12 Chicago Painters...

Category

1990s Surrealist Irving Norman Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic, Oil

Walking Creature: Contemporary Surreal Figurative Abstract, 2005
Walking Creature: Contemporary Surreal Figurative Abstract, 2005

Walking Creature: Contemporary Surreal Figurative Abstract, 2005

By Michael William Eggleston

Located in Soquel, CA

Walking Creature, Contemporary Surreal Figurative Abstract by Michael William Eggleston Bold and imaginative contemporary figurative abstract by San Francisco artist Michael William...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Irving Norman Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Ronde Surrealist Oil Painting on Canvas, Signed, Mid-20th Century
Ronde Surrealist Oil Painting on Canvas, Signed, Mid-20th Century

Ronde Surrealist Oil Painting on Canvas, Signed, Mid-20th Century

By Claude Benard

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Ronde, Signed Oil Painting By French artist Claude Benard, (1926 - 2016) Signed by the artist on the lower left hand corner, titled verso Oil painting on canvas, unframed Canvas size...

Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Irving Norman Paintings

Materials

Oil

Triumph Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Triumph Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang

Triumph Figurative Surrealism Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang

By Tigran Hovumyan

Located in Granada Hills, CA

Tigran Hovumyan Figurative Surrealist Oil Painter Artwork Title: Triumph Medium: Original Oil on Linen Dimensions: 40" x 32" x 1" (101 x 81 x 3 cm) Year: 2024 Unframed, Stretched o...

Category

2010s Surrealist Irving Norman Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Soothsayer: framed surrealist oil painting, figures with bird, feathers, spirits
Soothsayer: framed surrealist oil painting, figures with bird, feathers, spirits

Soothsayer: framed surrealist oil painting, figures with bird, feathers, spirits

By Rachel Romano

Located in Bryn Mawr, PA

This is a signed, original oil painting by PA-based surrealist artist, Rachel Romano. It depicts a central figure wearing feathers with a mourning child and dead bird. Shadowy figure...

Category

2010s Surrealist Irving Norman Paintings

Materials

Oil, Linen

Keeper of the Red Thread: framed oil painting, abstract landscape, figure, birds
Keeper of the Red Thread: framed oil painting, abstract landscape, figure, birds

Keeper of the Red Thread: framed oil painting, abstract landscape, figure, birds

By Rachel Romano

Located in Bryn Mawr, PA

This is a signed, original oil painting by PA-based artist, Rachel Romano. It depicts a central figure in a white cloak surrounded by small white flowers and holding a long, red thre...

Category

2010s Surrealist Irving Norman Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil, Panel

Unexplicable (teal art apricot lady brown vintage earth tone nostalgia fur coat

Unexplicable (teal art apricot lady brown vintage earth tone nostalgia fur coat

By Rudolf Kosow

Located in Quebec, Quebec

keywords; surrealism, fruit, ripe fruit, humour, apricot, fur coat lady, uncanny, lady, vintage, earth tones, oil painting, figurative painting, str...

Category

2010s Surrealist Irving Norman Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Irving Norman paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Irving Norman paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Irving Norman in oil paint, paint, canvas and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the post-war style. Not every interior allows for large Irving Norman paintings, so small editions measuring 38 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Alexander Calder, Nathan Oliveira, and Inji EFFLATOUN. Irving Norman paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $125,000 and tops out at $800,000, while the average work can sell for $170,000.