Lee Reynolds Burr opened his Vanguard Studios in Beverly Hills, California, in 1964 to make oil paintings an attainable decoration for any American household. With seascapes, nautical scenes, still lifes, bullfights, cowboys, pastoral views, hot-air balloons, horse races and abstractions, there was a Vanguard Studios creation to match any taste and interior.
Born in Los Angeles, Burr studied art at the University of Southern California. After graduating and a stint in the U.S. Army, he worked in a local studio as a painter before becoming a home decor entrepreneur with financial support from his mother.
Only a fraction of the alleged hundreds of thousands of oil paintings produced by Vanguard were actually painted by Burr, even though they were signed “Lee Reynolds,” “Lee Burr” or just “Reynolds.” (As he would later state, those signed solely “Lee Reynolds Burr” were by his own hand, and he would sometimes include a thumbprint as proof.) Instead, a team of artists organized in an assembly line hand-painted and copied works on an eclectic range of subjects, the originals often being created by Burr while other canvases were purchased at auctions in Europe and reproduced at Vanguard. Sold in furniture stores and through interior decorators nationwide, the Reynolds-signed paintings soon became ubiquitous above couches in living rooms all over the United States.
These paintings regularly mirrored art-world trends, such as the Abstract Expressionism of the 1960s, but at prices that were much more affordable than fine art. Vanguard Studios was sold to the Kirsch Company in 1974, but Burr’s name was still used on Vanguard paintings. Burr would start East Park Gallery in 1981 and continue to produce works in a more contemporary style until his retirement in 1998.
In the collection of Impressionist and abstract paintings on 1stDibs, find a range of authentic Lee Reynolds paintings.
$1,280Sale Price|20% Off
“Cityscape”
By Lee Reynolds
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil and acrylic painting on canvas of a contemporary cityscape.. Signed Lee Reynolds lower right. Vanguard Studio label verso. Circa 1975. Condition is excellent. The pain...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Orchestra
By Lee Reynolds
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Figurative abstract oil on canvas of a performing orchestra. Great colors and brushstrokes. Signed lower right.
Oil
Red Abstract OiI Compostion by Lee Reynolds
By Lee Reynolds
Located in Pasadena, CA
Modern Abstract Year: 1960-1970 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed lower right Size: Abstract oil on canvas by Lee Reynolds was a popular artist in the 1960s known for oversized, color...
Oil
“Woman putting on lipstick”
By Lee Reynolds
Located in Warren, NJ
Lee Reynolds Painting Oil Canvas Original 4’x5’ “woman Putting on Lipstick”. Stunning painting in good condition. Buyer must pickup or hire shipping service
Oil
Red Abstract OiI Compostion by Lee Reynolds
By Lee Reynolds
Located in Pasadena, CA
Modern Abstract Year: 1960-1970 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed lower right Size: Abstract oil on canvas by Lee Reynolds was a popular artist in the 1960s known for oversized, color...
Oil
Salix
By Robert Marchessault
Located in Montreal, Quebec
My painting is an inquiry. I make images as a way of responding to experiences that are important to me. Experiences that help me to understand why I’m in this world often happens when I am outside in large open spaces. Painted images act as a tool. I respond to the spaces my art suggests. That response is usually non-verbal. I am interested in the experience of non-duality that “getting lost” in big spaces can sometimes produce for me. The paintings have gone through a range of artistic treatments with the recent years seeing a focus on space, light, textures, atmosphere and distance. My landscape paintings are made from memory, not from on-site drawings or photographs. I use memory as a filtering agent to remove non-essential visual elements. When a work is successful, it must have a sense of poetry. There is nothing “new...
Oil, Acrylic, Canvas
$1,454Sale Price|25% Off
H 19.69 in W 15.75 in D 0.79 in
"Landscape" Abstract Paint on Canvas made in Italy
By Marilina Marchica
Located in Agrigento, AG
Landscape mixed media on canvas 40x50 cm Original Art Ready to hang Marilina Marchica orients her pictorial research to the theme of subtraction, her attention is focused on the ae...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$3,734
H 27.56 in W 27.56 in
The Magic Horse. Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
The Magic Horse is a painting of a beautiful fantasy from the studio of leading British Expressionist Francesca Owen. Dreamlike in it's execution and rich in it's palette this piece ...
Oil
$1,761
H 19.69 in W 19.69 in D 1.19 in
"White Landscape" l Abstract Painting, Contemporary Art by Marilina Marchica
By Marilina Marchica
Located in Agrigento, AG
White Landscape mixed media on canvas 50x50 cm 2019 original Artwork Ready to Hang My painting tells of the relationship between man, nature and time, the landscape, the sign a...
Enamel
$2,160
H 13.78 in W 17.72 in D 1.58 in
Russian Contemporary Art by Yuriy Demiyanov - Winter
By Yuriy Demiyanov
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on canvas
Canvas, Oil
$8,750
H 55.12 in W 59.06 in
Finding Solace. Large Contemporary Impressionist Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Francesca Owen weaves and narrates throughout this canvas. She draws the eye into her painting, beautifully creating the story. The colours in this work are warm and mellow which cre...
Oil
$1,295
H 15 in W 11 in D 1 in
"Unfinished Story", Contemporary Expressionist Modern Self-Portrait
By Alexander Gore
Located in Soquel, CA
Evocative and expressive contemporary self portrait titled "Unfinished Story" by Alexander Gore (Russian, b. 1958), 2010. Signed upper left edge. Unframed. Image, 15"H x 11"W. Ale...
Oil, Paper, Cardboard
$1,250
H 4.5 in W 4.88 in D 0.01 in
Blue, Red, and Brown Abstract Impressionist Painting of a Cowboy on a Horse
Located in Houston, TX
Blue, red, and brown abstract impressionist painting by Texas artist Fred Darge. The painting depicts a cowboy wearing a blue shirt and a red hat as he sits on a brown riding horse. Signed by the artist at the bottom right corner. Unstretched and unframed but framing options are available. Artist Biography: Friedrich Ernst (Fred) Darge was born in Rendsburg, Germany March 1, 1900, and died in Dallas, Texas April 10, 1978. He entered the U.S. at Port Arthur, Texas in 1923. By 1924 he was in Chicago...
Canvas, Oil
$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
H 37.75 in W 42.75 in D 1.75 in
John E. Thompson Interior Still Life Oil Painting, American Impressionist 1945
By John Edward Thompson
Located in Denver, CO
This elegant 1945 interior still life oil painting is by celebrated Colorado modernist John E. Thompson (1882–1945), widely regarded as the “Dean of Colorad...
Oil
$4,256
H 31.5 in W 47.25 in D 0.79 in
Winter rest Original impressionistic landscape . 80 x 120 cm. Oil on canvas .
Located in Oslo, NO
I poured my soul into this creation, blending acrylics and inks to capture the serene embrace of winter. Every stroke combines impressionism's spirit with realism's eye, inviting you...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$8,100
H 47 in W 100 in
A Kinder Sea (Triptych) - Large Ocean Inspired Painting on Canvas
By Charlotte Elizabeth
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Charlotte Elizabeth has been working with paint professionally for over fifteen years. Elizabeth’s training in theatre design preceded a busy career as a Theatrical Scenic Artist in ...
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
$3,400
H 18 in W 24 in
"Forever and Ever " colorful contemporary abstract oil painting
By Alayna Rose
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Forever & Ever" is an abstract oil on masonite by artist Alayna Rose. A mix of warm reds, oranges and pinks blend together with bright pops of green. Text reads FOREVER AND EVER, t...
Masonite, Oil
Sold
H 31.5 in W 88.19 in
Extra-large 1990 abstract contemporary oil painting in pastel colors
By Lee Reynolds
Located in Frederiksberg C, DK
This extra-large contemporary oil painting by American artist Lee Reynolds Burr from 1990 hangs as a relaxing and joyful interior element. In this co...
Canvas, Oil
Large Red and Orange Abstract Painting
By Lee Reynolds
Located in Houston, TX
Large Lee Reynolds abstract painting that incorporates hues of Red, Orange, and White. The painting is framed and signed in the bottom right corner. Dimensions Without Frame: H 48 in. x W 60 in. x D 1.5 in. Artist Biography: Born in Los Angeles, Lee Reynolds Burr has a BFA from the University of Southern California. He has served as Chairman, Board of Directors of East Park Gallery in Los Angeles. Lee was born in Los Angeles, CA in 1936 to Hazel Stuart Burr and Charles Reynolds Burr. He attended Los Angeles High School and received his fine arts degree at USC. Lee enlisted in the US Army and was honorably discharged in 1956. Upon his return to Los Angeles Lee worked for a local studio as a painter. He quickly realized he wanted to start his own art business and in the 1960’s used a small loan from his mother to found Vanguard Studios in Beverly Hills, CA. He was the director for Vanguard Studios in Beverly Hills, California in the late sixties and many thousands of artworks bear the signature "Lee Reynolds" or "Lee Burr...
Canvas, Oil, ABS
Sold
H 30.25 in W 60.25 in
Lee Reynolds Vanguard Studios Mid Century Abstract Oil Painting c.1960s
By Lee Reynolds
Located in San Francisco, CA
Lee Reynolds Vanguard Studios Mid Century Abstract Oil Painting c.1960s Fabulous sixties abstract painting created at Vanguard Studios in Beverly Hills, California. Original oil on...
Canvas, Oil