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.
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
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
Legacy Play, Banker 2026
By Lincoln Townley
Located in Stratford-Upon-Avon, GB
Lincoln Townley, British Legacy Player, Banker 2026 Medium: oil on canvas Framed Size: 20 x 16 inches Unframed Size: 25 1/2 x 21 1/2 inches Signature: Signed (on the reverse) Pro...
Canvas, Oil
$4,098
H 25.6 in W 21.66 in D 1.58 in
Christina Gschwantner – Contemporary Abstract Multicolor Line Painting Canvas
By Christina Gschwantner
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
The work reflects the artist’s mastery of gesture and emotion, where each mark becomes a visual language. A striking piece that brings movement, depth, and intensity to any collectio...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
111-22
By Lisa Kowalski
Located in Los Angeles, CA
According to the artist, "everything in life inspires me, not quite with direct interpretation, but as I see and experience faces, words, gestures, colors and shapes – all of it – I ...
Oil, Wood Panel
$6,000
H 12 in W 14.5 in D 1.25 in
American Modernist Abstract Expressionist "Hard Edged" Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Portland, OR
New York Abstract Expressionist oil on canvass painting, by Budd Hopkins (1931-2011), signed and dated 1967. Hopkins' career spanned over five decades, serving as a bridge between th...
Canvas, Oil
$850
H 13.75 in W 19 in
Israeli Cityscape Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting Yaacov Kuba Leibel
By Yaakov Loebel
Located in Surfside, FL
Genre: Modern Subject: Abstract Medium: Oil Surface: Canvas Dimensions: 13 3/4" x 19" Yaakov (Kuba) Loebel, Polish Israeli sculptor, born Poland. Member of Kibbutz Kfar Masaryk, Is...
Canvas, Oil
$1,123
H 19.69 in W 15.75 in D 0.79 in
Blue Spiral Abstraction, 1956, Mid-Century Modern Abstract Oil Painting
By Lison Favarger
Located in Genève, GE
Dimensions with frame: 52 x 42 x 3 cm. Signed and dated "Lison Favarger 86" in the lower left corner. A striking abstract composition executed in shades of blue, featuring a rhythmi...
Canvas, Oil
$12,000
H 28 in W 20 in D 0.75 in
"Serene Fields" Oil on Canvas Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Landscape
By Masri Hayssam
Located in Carmel, CA
This 28" x 20" oil on canvas by Masri represents an abstract landscape that plays with texture and color to evoke the essence of a natural scene. The painting features a deep, earthy...
Canvas, Oil
$9,500
H 49 in W 48 in D 2 in
"High Frequency" Abstraction in red, blue, burgundy, tan, black
By Susan Sharp
Located in Wellesley, MA
"High Frequency" Oil and Acrylic on Panels, 49 x 49 x 2 Inches. This paintings consists of 2 panels which can be installed with a slight amount of space in between or no space at a...
Oil
$25,389
H 48.04 in W 36.23 in
Icon XV Echo Fold 2016 (Case Yellow) (Abstract painting)
By Jeremy Annear
Located in London, GB
Icon XV Echo Fold 2016 (Abstract painting) Oil on Canvas - Unframed This artwork is exclusive to IdeelArt. Annear works with oil, building images from layered shares and creating ...
Canvas, Oil
$4,330
H 27.56 in W 23.63 in D 1.58 in
Christina Gschwantner New Vivid Gestures Contemporary Abstract Painting Grey
By Christina Gschwantner
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
The work reflects the artist’s mastery of gesture and emotion, where each mark becomes a visual language. A striking piece that brings movement, depth, and intensity to any collectio...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$4,096
H 25.6 in W 21.66 in D 1.58 in
Christina Gschwantner – 4 Contemporary Abstract Multicolor Line Painting Canvas
By Christina Gschwantner
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
The work reflects the artist’s mastery of gesture and emotion, where each mark becomes a visual language. A striking piece that brings movement, depth, and intensity to any collectio...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Leaves Undulations 64 X 70
By Antonio Ugarte
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
About the Artist Antonio Ugarte (b. 1961, Valencia, Venezuela; lives and works in Miami, FL) Antonio Ugarte began his artistic career in Venezuela, where he studied drawing, painting...
Canvas, 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