Skip to main content

Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

American, b. 1958

Joseph McGurl is one of today's most celebrated American realist painters. The Art Renewal Center has designated him as a living master, and it's not hard to see why. With their strikingly reflective water surfaces and blue skies streaked with warm oranges and yellow-reds, McGurl's figurative paintings and landscape paintings resemble photographs of serene places captured in the best possible natural light. 

McGurl's first and most influential teacher was his father, James McGurl, who worked as a muralist. As a young man, Joseph attended the Massachusetts College of Art and earned a dual degree in painting and education. He then spent time studying at Fenway Studios and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, in addition to studying in Italy and England. A stint on a yacht also inspired a love for painting the natural world.

For its interplay of light and color, McGurl's distinctive, hyperreal style is often likened to the American luminists, a 19th-century movement linked to the Hudson River School. McGurl is a plein air painter — he works exclusively in the great outdoors as opposed to working from photographs within the confines of a studio. His atmospheric landscapes are mainly of areas in New England and the eastern United States.

McGurl is a member of the Plein Air Painters of America and the Guild of Boston Artists. His work is held in the Forbes Collection, the Mellon Collection, the Cape Cod Museum of Art, the New Britain Museum of American Art and the Cahoon Museum of American Art. He has also earned numerous awards, including the Art Renewal Center’s International Salon First Place in Landscape and the Guild of Boston Artists Gold Medallion. In 2020, Cavalier Galleries in New York City was home to an exhibition called "Joseph McGurl — Contemporary American Luminism: Journey through Time and Space."

On 1stDibs, find original Joseph McGurl paintings.

to
3
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
3
2
1
3
3
3
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
3
1
15
509
284
280
230
1
3
Artist: Joseph McGurl
"Far Away, " Oil Painting

"Far Away, " Oil Painting

By Joseph McGurl

Located in Denver, CO

Joseph McGurl's "Far Away" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a vast landscape of valleys and mountains in the distance under the orange and yellow glow of sunrise or...

Category

2010s Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

The Descent

The Descent

By Joseph McGurl

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Original Oil painting signed by the Artist in the lower right corner.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Prism, River and Sky, " Oil Painting

"Prism, River and Sky, " Oil Painting

By Joseph McGurl

Located in Denver, CO

Joseph McGurl's "Prism, River and Sky" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a bright yellow and orange sunrise or sunset over the waters reflective surface, casting the...

Category

2010s Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Related Items
Landscape American Hungarian European Modernism 1938 Realism Long Island WPA era
Landscape American Hungarian European Modernism 1938 Realism Long Island WPA era

Landscape American Hungarian European Modernism 1938 Realism Long Island WPA era

By Stephen Csoka

Located in New York, NY

Landscape American Hungarian European Modernism 1938 Realism Long Island WPA era. The canvas measures 18” x 20". The artist signed the stretcher as well as the canvas. The scene depicts a spots in New York where Queens borders with Nassau county, Rosedale, which abuts the Five Towns. The border runs through Hook Creek, another painting we are currently offering. Stephen (Istvan) Csoka was born in Gárdony, Hungary on January 2, 1897 and died in New York in 1989. He is best remembered as a painter and etcher of portraits, nudes, landscapes, genre, and horses. Csoka studied at the Budapest Royal Academy of Art and his memberships include Associate of the National Academy of Design in New York City; the Society of American Etchers in Brooklyn, NY; the Society of Brooklyn Artists; and the Hungarian Etchers Association. Csoka's exhibitions and awards include a medal at the Barcelona International Exhibition in 1929; a prize at the City of Budapest Exhibit in 1930; prizes at the Society of American Etchers in 1942 and 1945; prizes at the Library of Congress in 1944 and 1946; a prize at the Society of Brooklyn Artists in 1944; a prize at the Philadelphia Watercolor Club in 1945; the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1945; the Carnegie Institute in 1943, 1944, and 1945; the Art Institute of Chicago in 1944; the Los Angeles Museum of Art in 1945; the National Academy of Design from 1940 through 1945; one-artist shows at the Contemporary Artists in 1940, 1943, and 1945; and the Minneapolis State Fair in 1943. *Stephen continued to recieve awards and exhibit his work throughout his life. In 1997, Hofstra Museum sponsored a Retrospective/Centennial exhibition in honor of his birth. Collections representing Csoka's work are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY; the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA; the British Museum, London, England; the Bezalel National Museum, Jerusalem, Israel; the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio; Whistler House Museum of Art, Lowell, MA; the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH; the Sheldon Swope Art Museum, Terre Haute, IN; the Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL; the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN; the Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, NM; the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, Hungary; Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest, Hungary, the Museum of the City of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary; the Library of Congress, Washington, DC; Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA; Georgia Museum of Art, Athens, GA; Hofstra Museum, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY; Holocaust Museum, Glen Cove, NY; National Academy of Art, New York, NY; New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA; New York Historical Society, New York, NY;New York Public Library, New York, NY; National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; Peabody Museum, Cambridge, MA; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA; Reading Public Museum, Reading, PA; Livingston Arts Center, Mount Morris, NY; Ball State Teachers College, Muncie, IN; City College, New York, NY; Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY; Hungarian Consulate, New York, NY; Hungarian Heritage, New Brunswick, NJ; Hunter College, New York, NY; IBM Collections; Princeton Print Club...

Category

1930s Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Moonlit River Scene", Early 20th Century Oil on Canvas by Luis Graner y Arrufi
"Moonlit River Scene", Early 20th Century Oil on Canvas by Luis Graner y Arrufi

"Moonlit River Scene", Early 20th Century Oil on Canvas by Luis Graner y Arrufi

By Luis Graner Y Arrufi

Located in Madrid, ES

LUIS GRANER Y ARRUFI Spanish, 1863 - 1929 MOONLIT RIVER SCENE signed and dated "L Graner 1925" (lower right) oil on canvas 20-1/8 x 30 inches (51 x 76 cm.) framed: 25-3/4 x 35-3/4 inches (65 x 90.5 cm.) PROVENANCE Private Collection, Barcelona, Spain Graner paints this work, Moonlit on the river, during his stay in the United States in the last stage of his artistic life, from 1910 to 1928, in full stage of maturity. This artwork reflects the constant search of the artist for the effects of light in his work. This persistent concern for light remains throughout his artistic life, which he learned in his Parisian stage under the influence of the painter Frances Platour. The silver light of the moon and the small lights at distance, which are tiny foci of artificial light, reflecting the river water, forming a chromatic range of greens, ocher and pearly that give a certain mystery to the composition, creating a modern approach to the landscape, by placing the two large trees at the edge of the river in the foreground Luís Graner y Arrufí, Spanish (1863–1929) was a Catalan painter in the Realistic style. He was born in Barcelona, and studied at the Escola de la Llotja from 1883, with Antoni Caba (color/composition) and Benet Mercadé (drawing). During his final year at school, he received a grant to study in Madrid, where he copied and learned from the Old Masters at the Museo del Prado. After that, supported by a fellowship, he moved to Paris and became a member of the Academie des Beaux-Arts. Later, he returned to Barcelona, but continued to travel to cities throughout Europe, including Berlin, Munich and Düsseldorf. Influenced by Richard Wagner's concept of "Gesamtkunstwerk" (Total Work of Art), he was motivated to create his own total art experience and organized the "Sala Mercè" (Mercy Hall) in Barcelona's Rambla District. The project involved contributors from every artistic discipline, including the new field of cinematography. The room was decorated by Antoni Gaudí. Other participants included Adrià Gual, Santiago Rusiñol, Ramon Casas...

Category

1920s Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Copy of "Wall Street - The Noon Hour" by Felicie Waldo Howell created in 1925
Copy of "Wall Street - The Noon Hour" by Felicie Waldo Howell created in 1925

Copy of "Wall Street - The Noon Hour" by Felicie Waldo Howell created in 1925

Located in New York, NY

A beautiful copy by an unknown artist, of the original painting "Wall Street - The Noon Hour" originally created in 1925 by the great American artist Felicie Waldo Howell (1897-1968)...

Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

"Sunset West" (2025) Oil Painting, Colorado Landscape
"Sunset West" (2025) Oil Painting, Colorado Landscape

"Sunset West" (2025) Oil Painting, Colorado Landscape

By Michael Magrin

Located in Denver, CO

Michael Magrin's ( US based) "Sunset West" is an original, handmade oil painting of a sunset above Colorado plains. This piece is framed in a "barn wood" frame and is ready to hang. ...

Category

2010s Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil, Wood Panel

"On the Horizon" (2025) Oil Painting, Colorado Landscape
"On the Horizon" (2025) Oil Painting, Colorado Landscape

"On the Horizon" (2025) Oil Painting, Colorado Landscape

By Michael Magrin

Located in Denver, CO

Michael Magrin's ( US based) "On the Horizon" is an original, handmade oil painting of a sunset above Colorado plains. This piece is framed in a "barn wood" frame and is ready to han...

Category

2010s Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil, Wood Panel

"Porte Saint-Denis, Paris", Early 20th Century Oil on Canvas by Joaquín Pallares
"Porte Saint-Denis, Paris", Early 20th Century Oil on Canvas by Joaquín Pallares

"Porte Saint-Denis, Paris", Early 20th Century Oil on Canvas by Joaquín Pallares

Located in Madrid, ES

JOAQUÍN PALLARÉS ALLUSTANTE Spanish, 1853 - 1935 PORTE SAINT - DENIS signed "J. Pallares" (lower left) oil on canvas 10-1/2 x 15-3/4 inches (26.5 x 40...

Category

Early 1900s Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Galerie Vivienne, Paris - 21st Century Hyper Realistic oil painting
Galerie Vivienne, Paris - 21st Century Hyper Realistic oil painting

Galerie Vivienne, Paris - 21st Century Hyper Realistic oil painting

By Roos van der Meijden

Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant

Roos van der Meijden Galerie Vivienne, Paris 30 x 25 cm ( framed 38 x 33 cm, frame is included in price ) Acrylic on canvas Dutch artist Roos van der Meijden is famous because of he...

Category

2010s Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel, Wood Panel

19th Century British School
19th Century British School

19th Century British School

Located in San Francisco, CA

Charming 19th Century painting of a grandmother and grandauughter in front of their thatched cottage. It is an oil on canvas measuring 18 inches by 14. The frame measures 20 3/4 by 1...

Category

1890s Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Timberline" - Impressionist Mountain Landscape, Oil Painting on Board
"Timberline" - Impressionist Mountain Landscape, Oil Painting on Board

"Timberline" - Impressionist Mountain Landscape, Oil Painting on Board

By G. Russell Case

Located in Denver, CO

Born in Cedar City, Utah, Russell was heavily influenced to paint by his father–an accomplished painter and artist in his own right, who spent most of his career as a graphic illus...

Category

2010s Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"Marsh Lands, " Colorado Sunset, Landscape Oil Painting by Sparky LeBold
"Marsh Lands, " Colorado Sunset, Landscape Oil Painting by Sparky LeBold

"Marsh Lands, " Colorado Sunset, Landscape Oil Painting by Sparky LeBold

By Sparky LeBold

Located in Denver, CO

"Marsh Lands" by Sparky LeBold (US and Portugal based) is a handmade oil painting that depicts a brilliant Colorado sunset. ARTIST STATEMENT Sparky LeBold has made a name for hims...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Brighter Prospects" (2023) by Judd Mercer, Landscape Oil Painting
"Brighter Prospects" (2023) by Judd Mercer, Landscape Oil Painting

"Brighter Prospects" (2023) by Judd Mercer, Landscape Oil Painting

By Judd Mercer

Located in Denver, CO

Judd Mercer's ( US based) "Brighter Prospects" is an oil painting depicting a the Rocky mountains with a river winding through a forest. Artist bio/statement Judd Mercer is a conte...

Category

2010s Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Matalascañas Beach" Original Oil and Acrylic Painting
"Matalascañas Beach" Original Oil and Acrylic Painting

"Matalascañas Beach" Original Oil and Acrylic Painting

By Conrado López

Located in Denver, CO

Conrado López's "Matalascañas Beach," a 2023 piece, is a small but powerful acrylic and oil painting on canvas, measuring 5 x 5 inches (12.70 x 12.70 cm). Encased within a frame that...

Category

2010s Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Previously Available Items
"Rhythm of the Land, Elk Mountain, " Oil Painting

"Rhythm of the Land, Elk Mountain, " Oil Painting

By Joseph McGurl

Located in Denver, CO

Joseph McGurl's "Rhythm of the Land, Elk Mountain" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a stream cutting through a yellow prairie dotted with green foliage and mountain...

Category

2010s Realist Joseph McGurl Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Joseph Mcgurl figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Joseph McGurl figurative paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Joseph McGurl in oil paint, paint, panel and more. Not every interior allows for large Joseph McGurl figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 16 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Gordon Brown, Derek Buckner, and Tom Perkinson. Joseph McGurl figurative paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $5,800 and tops out at $8,800, while the average work can sell for $8,800.