John Steuart Curry Portrait Paintings

American, 1897-1946

Born in Dunavant, Kansas on November 14, 1897, John Steuart Curry became the youngest member of the famed "Benton-Wood-Curry trio" of Regional Painters of the early 20th-century American Scene movement. He gained a national reputation for his rural Kansas scenes. The artist focused on people who were down-to-earth, plain spoken, and self-reliant, and who made a living through hard physical labor. Curry executed murals dealing with land settlement and racial justice, and his works reflecting these themes are in the Capitol Building in Kansas, the University of Wisconsin, the United States Department of the Interior, and the United States Department of Justice. The artist quit high school and attended the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design. He transferred to the Art Institute of Chicago. Curry married Clara Derrick in 1923. He studied in Paris in 1927. He was not impressed by the modernist American painters, many of whom were adopting the 'isms' of French contemporary artists. Curry was determined to paint American subjects without European models and to celebrate patriotism, regional pride, and the common man. He settled in Westport, Connecticut. In 1928, he painted Baptism in Kansas. The painting was heralded nationally as work of a new American genre. It was exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery of Art biennial where it met critical acclaim. In 1931, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney bought it for her museum. Tornado over Kansas was unveiled in 1929 before the stock market crash and provided the city with the romance of man versus nature theme. In 1933, it received second prize at the Carnegie International Exhibit. In 1930, he had his first one-man exhibition at the Whitney Studio Club. His work of the 1930s contains themes of work, family, and land-- demonstrating the peace, struggle, and perseverance that Curry believed was the essence of American life. In 1934 he married Kathleen Shepard. The United States government selected him to paint murals for the Department of Justice and the Department of Interior. He was appointed Artist-in-Residence in the College of Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin in 1936. He was a member of the Art Students' League and won prizes including: Purchase prize, North West Print Maker, fifth annual Exhibition, 1933; second prize, Thirty-first International Exhibition, Carnegie Institute, 1933; gold medal, PAFA, 1941; prize, Artists for Victory Exhibition, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1941. Exhibitions include: “A Celebration of Rural America,” 2007, Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History; “Collective Images: the sketchbooks of John Steuart Curry, 2002, Worcester Art Museum; “Illusions of Eden: Visions of the American Heartland,” 2000, Columbus Museum of Art; “The American Century: Art and Culture 1900-2000,” Whitney Museum of American Art; and “John Steuart Curry: Inventing the Middle West,” 1998, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum. He died in Madison, Wisconsin in 1946.

Artist: John Steuart Curry

John Steuart Curry"Portrait of Kathleen Curry, the Artist's Wife" John Steuart Curry, 1938

$55,000

"Portrait of Kathleen Curry, the Artist's Wife" John Steuart Curry

By John Steuart Curry

Located in New York, NY

John Steuart Curry Portrait of Kathleen Curry, the Artist's Wife, 1938 Signed and titled "Kathleen" lower left Oil on canvas 55 x 34 inches Provenance The artist Kathleen Curry, the...

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1930s American Modern John Steuart Curry Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Walter Burt AdamsA Contemplative 1940s Modern Studio Portrait, Seated Young Female Ballet Dancer, 1941

$1,100

H 24.5 in W 20.5 in D 1.5 in

A Contemplative 1940s Modern Studio Portrait, Seated Young Female Ballet Dancer

By Walter Burt Adams

Located in Chicago, IL

A Contemplative 1940s Modern Studio Portrait of a Seated Female Ballet Dancer by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Walter Burt Adams (Am. 1903-1990). The painting a is well executed, i...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern John Steuart Curry Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Walter Burt AdamsA Striking, Post-War Modern Studio Portrait of a Seated Young Male Nude Model, 1970

$1,400

H 24.75 in W 18.5 in D 2 in

A Striking, Post-War Modern Studio Portrait of a Seated Young Male Nude Model

By Walter Burt Adams

Located in Chicago, IL

A Striking, Colorful Post-War Studio Portrait of a Seated Young Male Nude Model by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Walter Burt Adams (Am. 1903-1990). The painting a is well executed,...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern John Steuart Curry Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Hayes LyonHayes Lyon “Portrait of Bessy Lyon" 1945 American Modern Oil Painting, 1945

$1,550Sale Price|51% Off

H 35.25 in W 29.25 in D 1.75 in

Hayes Lyon “Portrait of Bessy Lyon" 1945 American Modern Oil Painting

By Hayes Lyon

Located in Denver, CO

An intimate and beautifully observed 1945 American Modern portrait by Colorado painter Hayes Lyon (1901–1987), depicting the artist’s wife, Bessy Lyon. Executed in oil on canvas, the...

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1940s American Modern John Steuart Curry Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Walter Burt AdamsA Striking Modern 1920s Art Deco Portrait of a Young Woman (Oberteuffer Class), 1929

$1,600

H 21.25 in W 17.25 in D 1.5 in

A Striking Modern 1920s Art Deco Portrait of a Young Woman (Oberteuffer Class)

By Walter Burt Adams

Located in Chicago, IL

A Striking 1920s Art Deco Modern Portrait of a Young Woman by Notable Chicago Artist, Walter Burt Adams (Am. 1903-1990). A well executed, early student work depicting a stylish youn...

Category

1920s American Modern John Steuart Curry Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Walter Burt AdamsA Striking Modern Studio Portrait of a Seated African American Male Nude Model, 1976

$1,200

H 18.5 in W 14.5 in D 2 in

A Striking Modern Studio Portrait of a Seated African American Male Nude Model

By Walter Burt Adams

Located in Chicago, IL

A Striking, Colorful Post- War Modern Studio Portrait of a Seated African American Male Model by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Walter Burt Adams (Am. 1903-1990). The painting a is ...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern John Steuart Curry Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Walter Burt AdamsA Large, Striking 1940s Modern Portrait of a Seated Young Woman in Green Blouse, 1946

$1,400

H 33.5 in W 26.5 in D 1.25 in

A Large, Striking 1940s Modern Portrait of a Seated Young Woman in Green Blouse

By Walter Burt Adams

Located in Chicago, IL

A Striking 1940s Modern Portrait of a Young Woman by Notable Chicago Artist, Walter Burt Adams (Am. 1903-1990). A large, well executed, figurative work by the artist, depicting a young woman fashionably dressed in a green blouse anddpatterned scarf seated in profile in a muted studio interior. Titled "Portrait of Ms. Anderson, Student at Northwestern U." the painting exemplifies the artist's adept and practiced skill at portraiture, and was completed at the painting class of the artist's friend and instructor, Arnold Turtle, in Evanston, Illinois Artwork size: 30 x 23 inches, oil on canvas, accompanied with the original Modernist frame (Framed size: 33 1/2 x 26 1/2 inches). Signed "Walter Burt Adams" and dated "46" lower right. Provenance: Estate of the artist. Walter Burt Adams was a dedicated painter of the American Scene and a singular personality among his peers in the Chicago Modern Art community. His no-nonsense manner, devotion to his craft and sardonic sense of humor characterize a man whose paintings capture life in and around Chicago between the early 1920s and the late 1970s. Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin just after the turn of the last century, Walter Burt Adams spent his childhood in Fargo, North Dakota and began his artistic education there through a correspondence cartooning class as a boy. After finishing high school in Fargo, Adams moved to Chicago in 1922 in order to enroll at the school of the Art Institute of Chicago. Adams’ instruction at the school with artists such as George Oberteuffer, Frederick V. Poole, Charles Wilimovsky...

Category

1940s American Modern John Steuart Curry Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Joan TidwellMid-Century Modern Man - Portrait in Oil on Canvas, 1960s

$1,500Sale Price|40% Off

H 22 in W 30 in D 0.75 in

Mid-Century Modern Man - Portrait in Oil on Canvas

Located in Soquel, CA

Subtle and moody portrait of a Pensive man by Joan Tidwell (American, 1930-2002). The sitter in the portrait is a middle-aged man looking slightly downwards, wearing a collared shirt. This piece is completed in a tan and green palette, creating a somber feeling. Of particular note are the confident, thick brushstrokes - each one is well-placed in the modernist style. Similar in some ways to Picasso's portraits. Signed "Joan Tidwell" on verso Unframed. Canvas size: 30"H x 22"W oan Gay Tidwell (American, 1930-2002) was born and raised in Hollywood, CA, where she had some success as a child actor. Later, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Washington with a Master's Degree in English Literature and Drama. Tidwell moved to the Bay...

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1960s American Modern John Steuart Curry Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

William SchwartzLandscape with Artist. Mid-Century Chicago Modernist Oil Painting.

$9,500

H 20 in W 24 in D 2 in

Landscape with Artist. Mid-Century Chicago Modernist Oil Painting.

By William Schwartz

Located in Marco Island, FL

Chicago Modernist, William Schwartz, painted this dynamic landscape of an artist painting en plein air. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago shortly after emigrating to the Un...

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Mid-20th Century American Modern John Steuart Curry Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Francis ChapinA Large, Captivating 1930s Modern Portrait of a Jamaican Man in a Linen Suit, Crica 1935

$3,600

H 43.5 in W 35.5 in D 1 in

A Large, Captivating 1930s Modern Portrait of a Jamaican Man in a Linen Suit

By Francis Chapin

Located in Chicago, IL

A Large, Captivating 1930s Modern Portrait of a Jamaican Man in a Linen Suit by famed Chicago artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). A skilled and colorful portrait of a black man seated in a white linen suit, most likely completed during Chapin's trip to Kingston, Jamaica in the 1930s. Chapin exhibited examples of his Jamaican paintings...

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1930s American Modern John Steuart Curry Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

William SchwartzOn the Beach. Woman Reading. Mid-Century Chicago Modernist Oil Painting.

$6,500

H 21.88 in W 17.38 in D 2 in

On the Beach. Woman Reading. Mid-Century Chicago Modernist Oil Painting.

By William Schwartz

Located in Marco Island, FL

Chicago Modernist, William Schwartz, painted this intimate painting of a woman reading titled On the Beach. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago shortly after emigrating to th...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern John Steuart Curry Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Abram TromkaRare Large Judaica Oil Painting Jewish 2 Rabbis Painting Abram Tromka WPA Artist, c.1930's-1950's

$6,500

H 41 in W 32 in

Rare Large Judaica Oil Painting Jewish 2 Rabbis Painting Abram Tromka WPA Artist

By Abram Tromka

Located in Surfside, FL

Abram Tromka ( Polish/ Russian American 1896-1954 ) Hand signed upper center right. Bears label from Marbella Gallery, New York verso "Two Men Praying" (Davening) Dimensions: Sight- ...

Category

1930s American Modern John Steuart Curry Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board, Canvas

John PeersCrying Clown Portrait, Oil on Canvas, American Modern, Framed, 1970s, c. 1970

$750

H 20 in W 20 in D 1.5 in

Crying Clown Portrait, Oil on Canvas, American Modern, Framed, 1970s

Located in Soquel, CA

Crying Clown Portrait in Oil on Canvas Portrait of a sad clown by San Francisco artist John Peers (American, 1922-2009). This portrait is closely fra...

Category

1970s American Modern John Steuart Curry Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

John Steuart Curry portrait paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic John Steuart Curry portrait paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by John Steuart Curry in canvas, fabric, oil paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1930s and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large John Steuart Curry portrait paintings, so small editions measuring 46 inches across are available. John Steuart Curry portrait paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $55,000 and tops out at $55,000, while the average work can sell for $55,000.