Larry Rivers Paintings

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)

Artist: Larry Rivers

Larry RiversLARRY RIVERS (hand signed and inscribed first edition book), 1989

$550

LARRY RIVERS (hand signed and inscribed first edition book)

By Larry Rivers

Located in New York, NY

Larry Rivers LARRY RIVERS (hand signed and inscribed first edition book), 1989 Hardback monograph with a dust jacket (hand signed and inscribed "Enjoy the Matisse" Signed, dated and inscribed by Larry Rivers in red marker on the title page 11 3/5 × 9 4/5 inches Lavishly illustrated hardback monograph with dust jacket on the occasion of the artist's career retrospective. Text is by the distinguished art historian and Princeton professor Sam Hunter. Hand signed, dated and dedicated in red marker on the title page. Inscription reads: To Joanne and Ira Enjoy the Matisse Larry Rivers, April 2, 1992 About the book: Hunter, Sam. LARRY RIVERS. 358 pp. with 400 illustrations, including 155 plates in color. Folio, cloth. New York, Rizzoli, 1989. New York: Rizzoli, 1989. First edition. Hardcover. 358 pages. Retrospective monograph on Larry Rivers. Features text by Sam Hunter. Includes 400 illustrations of which 155 are in color. Publisher's Blurb: Rivers' public persona as an artist combines that of bohemian outsider, sensualist and entertainer. His best-known images of the 1960s--Dutch Masters cigars, French money, cigarette packs--became Pop icons. Eschewing abstraction, he came up with startling, disquieting figures, such as his obese, sagging mother-in-law depicted in the nude with brutal honesty ( Double Portrait of Berdie ). Yet there is more to Rivers than the hipster, as this lavishly illustrated monograph by a former Princeton art historian shows. Hunter makes a case for Rivers as a social realist: witness his powerful construction piece Ghetto Stoop or recent works that include searching portraits of Primo Levi...

Category

1980s Pop Art Larry Rivers Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Permanent Marker, Lithograph, Offset

Larry Rivers“Make Believe Ballroom”

$8,000

“Make Believe Ballroom”

By Larry Rivers

Located in Warren, NJ

Larry Rivers “Make Believe Ballroom” Signed Acrylic Oil Photolithograph Cast Resin Wood 1989. In good condition measures 48x48

Category

20th Century Larry Rivers Paintings

Materials

Oil

George Turner19th Century landscape oil painting of figures by a Derbyshire brook, 1899

$9,057

H 25.5 in W 35.5 in D 3 in

19th Century landscape oil painting of figures by a Derbyshire brook

By George Turner

Located in Nr Broadway, Worcestershire

George Turner British, (1843-1910) A Derbyshire Brook Oil on canvas, signed, further signed, titled & dated 1899 verso Image size: 19.5 inches x 29.5 inches Size including frame: ...

Category

19th Century Larry Rivers Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

America impressionist portrait young boy 1937 Modern Figurative Oil Painting, 1936

$489

H 16 in W 12 in

America impressionist portrait young boy 1937 Modern Figurative Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

A fantastic modern portrait of a young boy. This work is signed what appears to be Paul Sellers and dated 1937, but we have not found information on the artist. The work dated 1936...

Category

1930s American Modern Larry Rivers Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Albert AnkerPrint Albert Anker "Der Quacksalber", Laque on Panel, Mid-Century, Framed, ca. 1960

$232

H 3.15 in W 5.12 in D 0.4 in

Print Albert Anker "Der Quacksalber", Laque on Panel, Mid-Century, Framed

Located in Zofingen, AG

Print Albert Anker "Der Quacksalber", Laque on Panel, Mid-Century, Framed Title Print on Panel Albert Anker "Der Quacksalber", Mid-Century, Framed, Switzerland Medium Print on pane...

Category

Early 20th Century Academic Larry Rivers Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

John Thomas Biggers"Fanti Fishing Boat" Modern Abstract Figurative Woodcut Print 47 of 86

$1,500

H 14.75 in W 19 in D 0.04 in

"Fanti Fishing Boat" Modern Abstract Figurative Woodcut Print 47 of 86

By John Thomas Biggers

Located in Houston, TX

Abstract figurative woodblock print of a beach landscape with a boat. The print is stamped by the artist and titled and editioned in pencil. This print is editioned 47 of 86 and the print is not currently framed. Artist Biography: Born in Gastonia, North Carolina in 1924, John Biggers studied at Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) under Viktor Lowenfeld and muralist Charles White. In 1943, Biggers' mural, Dying Soldier, was included in the exhibition curated by Lowenfeld, Young Negro Art, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. After serving in the United States Navy, Biggers transferred to Pennsylvania State University where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as his doctorate in art education. In 1949, Biggers accepted a faculty position at Texas State University for Negroes (now Texas Southern University) in Houston, where he founded and chaired the art department until his retirement. In the early 50s, he won prizes for his work at annual exhibitions held at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Dallas Museum of Art. In 1957, he traveled to Africa on a UNESCO fellowship to study Western African cultural traditions, becoming one of the first black artists to study the culture first-hand rather than through library research. His work was profoundly influenced by his experiences in Africa. He was known for his murals, but also for his drawings, paintings, and lithographs, and was honored by a major traveling retrospective exhibition from 1995 to 1997. He created archetypal imagery that spoke positively to the rich and varied ethnic heritage of African Americans, long before the Civil Rights era drew...

Category

Late 20th Century Modern Larry Rivers Paintings

Materials

Woodcut

Arthur HeyerBrown and White Cat Drinking Milk From a Bowl

$2,900

H 21.5 in W 25.5 in

Brown and White Cat Drinking Milk From a Bowl

By Arthur Heyer

Located in New York, NY

Brown and White Cat Drinking Milk From a Bowl, by Arthur Heyer Oil on canvas 21.5 x 25.5 inches Arthur Heyer was born in Haarhausen. He studied at the ...

Category

Early 20th Century Realist Larry Rivers Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Matt BallouEnsign No. 1, 2024

$90

H 7 in W 5 in

Ensign No. 1

Located in Columbia, MO

A native of Upstate New York, Matt Ballou was educated at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 2001) and Indiana University ( MFA 2005) before coming to The University of ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Larry Rivers Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Plastic, Permanent Marker

Matt BallouEnsign No. 3, 2024

$90

H 7 in W 5 in

Ensign No. 3

Located in Columbia, MO

A native of Upstate New York, Matt Ballou was educated at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 2001) and Indiana University ( MFA 2005) before coming to The University of ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Larry Rivers Paintings

Materials

Plastic, Mixed Media, Permanent Marker

Antique 19th Century Continental School Still Life Oil Painting Bird Hunting, 19th Century

$6,113

H 38.19 in W 32.68 in D 2.37 in

Antique 19th Century Continental School Still Life Oil Painting Bird Hunting

Located in London, GB

Antique 19th Century Continental School Still Life Oil Painting Bird Equipment Continental, 19th Century Canvas: Height 76cm, width 64cm Frame: Height 97cm, width 83cm, depth 6cm D...

Category

19th Century Realist Larry Rivers Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chauncey Foster RyderAlong The Seine

$12,800

H 33.5 in W 38.75 in D 3 in

Along The Seine

By Chauncey Foster Ryder

Located in Milford, NH

A fine impressionist landscape along the Seine River in France by American artist Chauncey Foster Ryder (1868-1949). Ryder grew up in New Haven, Connec...

Category

Early 1900s American Impressionist Larry Rivers Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Françoise GilotVers la Clairière, 2001

$87,238

H 14.97 in W 18.12 in

Vers la Clairière

By Françoise Gilot

Located in PARIS, FR

Signed lower right with the monogram Probably titled in the artist's hand on the back on the stretcher with archive number EXHIBITIONS Budapest, Var Fok Gallery. Pecs, Françoise Gil...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Geometric Larry Rivers Paintings

Materials

Oil

Hunt SlonemHunt Slonem "Deep Green" Unique Oil Painting of a Bunny, 2025

$8,000

H 14.5 in W 12.5 in

Hunt Slonem "Deep Green" Unique Oil Painting of a Bunny

By Hunt Slonem

Located in Boston, MA

Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: Deep Green Date: 2025 Medium: Oil & Acrylic w/ Diamond Dust on Wood Unframed Dimensions: 10" x 8" Framed Dimensions: 14.5" x 12.5" Signature: S...

Category

2010s Contemporary Larry Rivers Paintings

Materials

Oil, Mixed Media

Late 19th to Early 20th Century European Landscape W/ Cattle Oil Painting, Early 20th Century

$1,250

H 7.5 in W 9.5 in D 1 in

Late 19th to Early 20th Century European Landscape W/ Cattle Oil Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Late 19th to Early 20th Century European Landscape W/ Cattle Oil Painting Small but mighty oil painting Dimensions 7.25" wide x 5.25" high The f...

Category

Early 20th Century Impressionist Larry Rivers Paintings

Materials

Oil

Previously Available Items

Larry Rivers"Blue Collar Holiday" Acrylic, oil stick, and litho mounted on cast resin fiber, 1990

Sold

H 48 in W 38.75 in D 4 in

"Blue Collar Holiday" Acrylic, oil stick, and litho mounted on cast resin fiber

By Larry Rivers

Located in Southampton, NY

"Blue Collar Holiday" by Larry Rivers is an Acrylic, oil stick, photo litho on paper mounted on cast resin fiber, with wood backing. It is then painted over with acrylic and oil sti...

Category

1990s Pop Art Larry Rivers Paintings

Materials

Plywood, Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Foam Board, Lithograph

Larry Rivers paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Larry Rivers paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Larry Rivers in lithograph, mixed media, offset print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1980s and is mostly associated with the Pop Art style. Not every interior allows for large Larry Rivers paintings, so small editions measuring 10 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Zane Fix, Chloe Hedden, and Mark Kostabi. Larry Rivers paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $550 and tops out at $550, while the average work can sell for $550.