Skip to main content

Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

American, 1923-2002

Figurative artist Larry Rivers was born in the Bronx in 1923 to Ukrainian Jewish parents, and was named Yitzak Loiza Grossberg. Rivers belonged to the second generation of the New York School of painters, although unlike most of his contemporaries he stayed away from abstraction instead preferring narrative paintings. He began his artistic career playing the jazz saxophone, and when one night his group was introduced as "Larry Rivers and the Mudcats," he decided to keep the name.

After a brief period in the army during World War II, Rivers attended Juilliard School of Music for one year before returning to the jazz saxophone. After he met the painter Jane Freilicher, he decided to devote himself to painting. Rivers attended Hans Hofmann's school for nearly two years. In 1949, he had his first solo show at the Jane Street Gallery, an artist's co-op in the Village. Rivers received favorable reviews and was invited to join the Tibor de Nagy Gallery uptown.

Rivers continued to show annually at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery from 1952 to 1962. In 1963, he joined the Marlborough Gallery, where he stayed until his death. In 1955, The New York Museum of Modern Art acquired his painting Washington Crossing the Delaware, and in 1956 the Whitney Museum purchased Double Portrait of Berdie, two of his more famous paintings. He had periodic museum shows in Europe and the United States throughout his career.

Rivers had two sons, Joseph and Steven, by his first wife, Augusta. In 1961 he married Clarice Price and had two more children, Gwynne and Emma. In the 1970s he had another son with the painter Daria Deshuk.

The subjects of River's figurative paintings were family, history, politics, religion and sex. His work done in oils often included the use of stencils, cutouts, blank canvas and image reversals. He often painted family members including his mother in law, his sons and his ex-wife. Rivers favored historical subjects such as History of Matzah: The Story of the Jews (1984-85), History of the Russian Revolution (1965) and often painted parodies including his Washington Crossing the Delaware. He enjoyed controversial subjects and shocking the public. Lapman Loves It (1966) is a nine-foot electrified assemblage complete with strategically located light bulbs. French Vocabulary Lesson (1961-62) is a nude with body parts labeled in French.

Rivers was also a writer. In 1979 he published Drawings and Digressions with Carol Brightman. In 1992 he published What Did I Do? The Unauthorized Autobiography with Arnold Weinstein.

Find original Larry Rivers prints and paintings on 1stDibs.

(Biography provided by Lincoln Glenn)

to
2
2
1
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
6
2
3
3
2
1
4
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
1
1
1
62
774
324
192
158
4
6
Artist: Larry Rivers
Untitled (Joe and Patsy LoGuidice at the Casa Luna)
By Larry Rivers
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Untitled (Joe and Patsy LoGuidice at the Casa Luna) Pastel, charcoal and colored pencil, 1970-1975 Signed lower right in pencil: Larry Rivers Inscribed on the rabbit of the original white frame: LOGUIDICE in ink Provenance: Private Collection, New York (Westchester County) Condition: Excellent Image size: 31 1/2 x 24 1/2 inches Frame size: 39 1/2 x 32 1/2 inches Note: The image depicts Ciprian “Joe” LoGuidice (d. 2008) and his wife Patsy with their dog (Golden Retriever?) in their famous house Casa Luna, located in Zihautenajo, Mexico. Joe LoGuidice had a most colorful life as stated in his memorial posting by Pam Barkentin: Ciprian "Joe" LoGiudice, of Los Angeles and Zihautanejo, Mexico Art Dealer, Political Activist, Environmentalist, Film Producer, and Executor of the Terry Southern Estate died at home in Los Angeles on September 3, 2008. A major benefactor of the Chicago Seven, he hosted a benefit for the anti-war activists at his Ontario Street Gallery in Chicago and later harbored the fugitive Abbie Hoffman in Zihautenajo where Joe designed and built the famous Casa Luna, the house without walls, in a compound that included Larry River's Studio as well as the garden where Julian Schnabel painted with the assistance of Ramon Pedrazo, Joe's gardener and the husband of his faithful housekeeper, Concha Pedrazo. Here at Casa Luna, from the early seventies on, Joe and his wife, Patsy, generously hosted friends and enemies alike with great enthusiasm and humor.Most recently, through his participation in "Save the Bay", Joe was instrumental in preventing cruise ships from anchoring in the Bay of Zihautanejo. He was also producing "Five Easy Steps to Metaphysical Fitness", a documentary about the philosopher/comic, Emily Levine. Christo's first wrapping of a building in the United States, the Chicago Museum of Art, was produced by LoGiudice. Other artists he represented, in both his Chicago and New York Galleries, included John Chamberlin, Larry Poons, Mark de Suvero, Leon Golub and Jules Olitski. Joe is survived by his wife of 25 years, Patsy Cummings. An important work by Rivers showing his friend and art dealer in their famous house, Casa Luna, in Mexico. The cultural import of LoGuidice cannot be understated. He was a major figure in the New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles art cultures. The artist’s who were his friends and guests were many of the leading icons of late 20th century art. Larry Rivers Larry Rivers in 1961 Born Yitzroch Loiza Grossberg August 17, 1923 Bronx, New York, U.S. Died August 14, 2002 (aged 78) Southampton, New York, U.S. Nationality American Education Hans Hofmann School Known for Painting, sculpture Movement East Coast figurative painting, new realism, pop art Spouse(s) Augusta Berger (m. 1945; div. 1946) Clarice Price (m. 1961; sep. 1967) Larry Rivers (born Yitzroch Loiza Grossberg, August 17, 1923 – August 14, 2002) was an American artist, musician, filmmaker and occasional actor. Rivers resided and maintained studios in New York City, Southampton, Long Island, and Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Early life Larry Rivers was born in the Bronx to Samuel and Sonya Grossberg, Jewish immigrants from Ukraine. From 1940–1945 he worked as a jazz saxophonist in New York City, changing his name to Larry Rivers in 1940 after being introduced as "Larry Rivers and the Mudcats" at a local pub. He studied at the Juilliard School of Music in 1945–46, along with Miles Davis, with whom he remained friends until Davis's death in 1991. Training and career Larry Rivers in 1961 Rivers is considered by many scholars to be the "Godfather" and "Grandfather" of Pop art, because he was one of the first artists to really merge non-objective, non-narrative art with narrative and objective abstraction. Rivers took up painting in 1945 and studied at the Hans Hofmann School from 1947–48. He earned a BA in art education from New York University in 1951. He was a pop artist of the New York School, reproducing everyday objects of American popular culture as art. He was one of eleven New York artists featured in the opening exhibition at the Terrain Gallery in 1955. During the early 1960s Rivers lived in the Hotel Chelsea, notable for its artistic residents such as Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Leonard Cohen, Arthur C. Clarke, Dylan Thomas, Sid Vicious and multiple people associated with Andy Warhol's Factory and where he brought several of his French nouveau réalistes friends like Yves Klein who wrote there in April 1961 his Manifeste de l'hôtel Chelsea, Arman, Martial Raysse, Jean Tinguely, Niki de Saint-Phalle, Christo, Daniel Spoerri or Alain Jacquet, several of whom left, like him, some pieces of art in the lobby of the hotel for payment of their rooms. In 1965 Rivers had his first comprehensive retrospective in five important American museums. His final work for the exhibition was The History of the Russian Revolution, which was later on extended permanent display at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC. During 1967 he was in London collaborating with the American painter Howard Kanovitz. In 1968, Rivers traveled to Africa for a second time with Pierre Dominique Gaisseau to finish their documentary Africa and I, which was a part of the groundbreaking NBC series Experiments in Television. During this trip they narrowly escaped execution as suspected mercenaries.[citation needed] During the 1970s Rivers worked closely with Diana Molinari and Michel Auder on many video tape projects, including the infamous Tits, and also worked in neon. Rivers's legs appeared in John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 1971 film Up Your Legs Forever. Personal life Rivers married Augusta Berger in 1945, and they had one son, Steven. Rivers also adopted Berger's son from a previous relationship, Joseph, and reared both children after the couple divorced. He married Clarice Price in 1961, a Welsh school teacher who cared for his two sons. Rivers and Clarice Price had two daughters, Gwynne and Emma. After six years, they separated. Shortly after, he lived and collaborated with Diana Molinari, who featured in many of his works of the 1970s. After that Rivers lived with Sheila Lanham, a Baltimore artist...
Category

1970s Contemporary Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel

French Money, unique signed drawing with collage Pop artist Larry Rivers, Framed
By Larry Rivers
Located in New York, NY
Larry Rivers French Money, ca. 1966 Original graphite drawing with collage Boldly signed in graphite pencil in the center of this collage. Larry Rivers original, unique drawing with ...
Category

1960s Pop Art Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Graphite, Mixed Media

French Menu "You Name it, I'll Draw It" (unique drawings on each side) Signed
By Larry Rivers
Located in New York, NY
Larry Rivers French Menu, Cafe de Colombie, Champs-Elysees, Paris (double-sided), ca. 1969 Charcoal on paper. drawings on each side of the paper, Hand sig...
Category

1960s Pop Art Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Graphite, Pencil

Larry Rivers Modernist Male Figure Original Charcoal Mid 20th C.
By Larry Rivers
Located in San Francisco, CA
Larry Rivers (1923-2002) Modernist Male Figure Original Charcoal Mid 20th C. Rare charcoal portrait by American modernist painter Larry Rivers. Original charcoal on paper. Dimensions 17" x 22". The frame measures 29.5" x 34". Signed lower right. Very good condition. Figurative artist Larry Rivers was born in the Bronx in 1923 to Ukrainian Jewish parents, and was named Yitzak Loiza Grossberg. Rivers belonged to the second generation of the New York School of painters, although unlike most of his contemporaries he stayed away from abstraction instead preferring narrative paintings. Rivers attended Hans Hofmann's school for nearly two years. In 1949, he had his first solo show at the Jane Street Gallery, an artist's co-op in the Village. Rivers received favorable reviews and was invited to join the Tibor de Nagy...
Category

Mid-20th Century Impressionist Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal

Summer Pregnancy Drawing, Colored Pencil and Graphite Drawing by Larry Rivers
By Larry Rivers
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Larry Rivers, American (1923 - 2002) Title: Summer Pregnancy Drawing Year: 1977 Medium: Colored pencil and graphite, signed Paper Size: 36.5 x 35 inches Frame Size: 44.5 x 4...
Category

1970s Pop Art Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Color Pencil, Graphite

Hand and Foot '73
By Larry Rivers
Located in New York, NY
Larry Rivers Hand and Foot '73, 1973 Die cut stencil 21 1/4 x 17 1/2 inches (sheet) 29 3/8 x 24 3/4 inches (frame) Signed recto Silver metal frame. Floa...
Category

1970s Contemporary Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Stencil

Related Items
"Indian Dance", Multicolor Abstract Geometric Composition
By Ellwood Graham
Located in Soquel, CA
Bright and colorful abstract geometric watercolor with multicolor connected forms cascading in a dynamic vertical composition by Ellwood Graham (American, 1911-2007). Signed "GRAHAM" in the upper right corner, and "Ellwood Graham" on verso. Circa 1961-1966. The title "Indian Dance...
Category

1960s Abstract Geometric Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pen, Pencil

Ship of Cools (#1318)
By Jack Balas
Located in New York, NY
Full title: "Ship of Cools, or, A Jolly Load of Boatmen Flat-Out Crossing the Mainstream, Some Being Kings, and Some Being 'Vagabonds' (We Await Your Applause) (#1318)" Watercolor, acrylic, and ink on paper (Diptych) Signed in black ink, l.l. This artwork references George Caleb Bingham’s 1846 painting “The Jolly Flatboatmen...
Category

2010s Contemporary Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor

"Veneer" Figurative Drawing, Color Pencil, Ballpoint Pen, Graphite
By Lauren Rinaldi
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Veneer" is an original oil pastel, ballpoint pen, color pencil, and graphite on arches paper work by Lauren Rinaldi. This piece ships in the pictured archival custom frame. The pape...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Oil Pastel, Archival Paper, Ballpoint Pen, Color Pencil, Graphite

Untitled (Figurative Abstraction of Isadora Duncan #7)
By Abraham Walkowitz
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Abraham Walkowitz, Untitled (Figurative Abstraction of Isadora Duncan #7), pencil, 1918. Signed and dated in pencil, bottom center. A fine, spon...
Category

1910s American Modern Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pencil

Pensando & recordando a Luis Caballero, Nude Watercolor on paper
By Celso José Castro Daza
Located in Miami Beach, FL
"Pensando & recordando a Luis Caballero" by Celso Castro-Daza From the Duchándome Series Watercolor, pastel, and ink on archival paper Sheet size: 19.5 ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel, Archival Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper

Infanta IV: Figurative Cubist Abstract Graphite Drawing with Antique Frame
By David Dew Bruner
Located in Hudson, NY
Figurative abstract cubist style drawing inspired by the Infanta Margarita in an antique gold frame “Infanta IV” by Hudson Valley artist, David Dew Bruner, made in 2015 23 x 18 inch...
Category

2010s Abstract Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Graphite

"Mass Study II", Layered paper collage and drawing, dimensional, architectural
By Seth Clark
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This layered paper and drawing collage titled "Mass Study II" is an original artwork by Seth Clark made of paper, charcoal, pastel, graphite, and acrylic on wood panel. Using found ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Pastel, Acrylic, Wood Panel, Graphite

"House Studies Series V", Layered Paper and Drawing Collage, Architectural
By Seth Clark
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This layered paper and drawing collage titled "House Studies Series V" is an original artwork by Seth Clark made of paper, charcoal, pastel, graphite, and acrylic on wood. Through a ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Wood, Paper, Charcoal, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Graphite

Woman at Rest, Nude Female, Pastel and Charcoal Drawing on Green Paper
By Christopher Ganz
Located in Chicago, IL
The loose style of this drawing comes together quickly to convey the relaxed state of this nude female. The pastel accents bring a beautiful warmth to this drawing. Christopher Ganz Woman at Rest, 2013 pastel and charcoal on green paper 23h x 18w in 58.42h x 45.72w cm CG0062 -ARTIST STATEMENT- I depict my person in multiplicity with different selves representing dramatis personae. My likeness is both implicit and symbolic in the portrayal of my narrative; the drama involved in creating art and the artist’s role in society. I use realism to invite the viewer into mysterious inner worlds that are layered reflections of the outer. Dehumanizing environments are imbued with art historical references as a critique of power structures. The artist is an Everyman who is at odds with society and his self. Visually my work is a celebration of society’s dark undercurrents and its overlooked absurdities. I use charcoal and printmaking media as their tenebrous values add a fitting metaphor. The nuances of light and shadow seduce viewers into a world their better judgment would have them avoid. This provokes a sense of disquietude that causes viewers to assess our world through the austerity of a colorless, yet not humorless, light. -BIO- Christopher Ganz grew up in Northeast Ohio and from early on had a fertile imagination and an interest in art. Christopher's artistic education truly began at the University of Missouri, where his love of the human form led to many figure drawing classes and his exposure to the wonders of printmaking. Christopher's then went onto graduate school at Indiana University and a summer abroad program in Italy was a dream realized. Christopher then grasped charcoal with a renewed vigor and large, sfumato-laden drawings ensued. Christopher's artistic influences are many; from a seminal exposure to Dore's engravings of the Divine Comedy, to Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Goya, and up to Lucian Freud, Mark Tansey...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Pastel

1960s American Pop Art hyperrealist drawing Lucky Strike
Located in Norwich, GB
A striking pop art drawing, dating from the 1960s, featuring lettering and a packet of Lucky Strike cigarettes. Pop art as art movement emerged in the 1950s and flourished in the 196...
Category

1960s Pop Art Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Graphite

"#70 – I AM TIRED", ink, pencil, gouache, collage, vintage, hemingway, poetry
By Amy Williams
Located in Toronto, Ontario
"#70 – I AM TIRED" is from Amy Williams' series "A Farewell to Arms" – wherein the artist works directly onto page 70 of a found copy of Ernest Hemingway'...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Found Objects, Ink, Gouache, Pencil

Duchándome, June 5th, Watercolor Nude, Pastel and Ink on Archival Paper
By Celso José Castro Daza
Located in Miami Beach, FL
"Duchándome June 5th" by Celso Castro-Daza From the Duchándome Series Watercolor, pastel, and ink on archival paper Sheet size: 19.5 in. H x 13.75 in. W 2018 Drawing on paper is hi...
Category

2010s Contemporary Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel, Archival Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper

Previously Available Items
"Drawn from the Collection" (Collage)
By Larry Rivers
Located in New Orleans, LA
A perfect example of the great Larry Rivers' super-complex lithograph collages, painstakingly printed and assembled in layers. (Gallery label for $10,500 still attached, as shown in ...
Category

1980s Pop Art Larry Rivers Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Lithograph

Larry Rivers figurative drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Larry Rivers figurative drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Larry Rivers in graphite, pencil, charcoal and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the Pop Art style. Not every interior allows for large Larry Rivers figurative drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 20 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Jules Engel, Keith Haring, and Joseph Piccillo. Larry Rivers figurative drawings and watercolors prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $5,000 and tops out at $45,000, while the average work can sell for $7,250.

Recently Viewed

View All