Leonard Nelson Art
American, 1912-1993
Leonard Nelson is considered one of the artists in the first generation of Abstract Expressionists. Sam Hunter, a leading critic and historian of modern and contemporary art introduces Leonard Nelson in his book Leonard Nelson: A Life In Art as "one of the least appreciated, though deserving, artists of indisputable quality in the legendary New York School". Nelson was part of that first generation of American abstract expressionists, such as Jackson Pollock, Arshile Gorky, Willem DeKooning, and Mark Rothko. Leonard Nelson has been called a "bridge" between Modernism and Abstract Expressionism. In the early 1950s Nelson became disenchanted with the New York art scene and left it for Philadelphia, beginning a teaching career that spanned more than forty years. Born in Camden, New Jersey, Nelson applied for a scholarship at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, regardless of having no portfolio. He was persuasive enough to be given one semester and subsequently was awarded an Academy fellowship to study painting. Nelson went on to earn the Academy's prestigious Cresson Traveling Scholarship award in 1939. He studied at PAFA from 1936 - 1940 with, among others, Henry McCarter and Daniel Garber, and then earned a teaching degree from the Philadelphia College of Art. Later Nelson earned a certificate from the Philadelphia Museum School. The Barnes Foundation also enriched his educational experience where he furthered his studies for five years. In 1951 Nelson accepted a teaching position at Moore College of where he taught until 1981 and remained professor emeritus until his death. Leonard Nelson's art was always ahead of its time. Several of his paintings and drawings from the late 1940s show an experimental style of colorfield painting. Colorfield painting was a term for organic, sensuous and joyous abstract painting in the 1960s. This is the direction that Nelson's later work of the 1970s, '80s and '90s would take. His early colorfield paintings in the 1960s were more representational of nature, using abstracted flowers and gardens. These works then evolved into a tight, highly textured reflection of nature and light in the 1970s. In these, luminescence and heavy impasto, carefully applied layer upon layer over months, or even years, resulted in some of Nelson's most celebrated works. Leonard Nelson was a dedicated teacher, painter, sculptor and print maker. He taught at the Art Center in Haiti, The Museum of Modern Art, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Print Club, Moore College of Art and The Hussian School of Art. Nelson is represented in many private and public collections including The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Walker Art Museum, The Dallas Museum of Contemporary Art, The Museum of Modern Art, The Portland Museum of Art and The Art Museum of San Francisco. Throughout his career Nelson had 65 one-man exhibitions in New York and Philadelphia. The Peridot Gallery, Hugo Gallery, Betty Parson Gallery, Peggy Guggenheim and Mortimer Brandt Gallery showed his works.(Biography provided by Gratz Gallery & Conservation Studio)
to
1
4
4
3
2
1
1
1
Double Sided Abstractions, American Modernist Work on Paper
By Leonard Nelson
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Abstractions" by American modernist painter Leonard Nelson is a double sided work on paper. The front is 10.5" x 7.5" and the back side drawing is 10" x 6.75". Both sides are signed and dated "Nelson 46", and the artworks are matted and framed behind glass.
Leonard Nelson (1912 - 1993) Born in Camden, New Jersey, Nelson applied for a scholarship at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, regardless of having no portfolio. He was persuasive enough to be given one semester and subsequently was awarded an Academy fellowship to study painting. Nelson went on to earn the Academy's prestigious Cresson Traveling Scholarship award in 1939. He studied at PAFA from 1936 - 1940 with, among others, Henry McCarter...
Category
1940s Abstract Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Crayon, Gouache, Archival Paper, Pen
"Colorfield #410", American Modernist, Gradient Color Field Abstraction, 1980's
By Leonard Nelson
Located in Doylestown, PA
Colorfield #410 is a wonderful example of American modernist Leonard Nelson's color field compositions and expression. The unframed, abstract oil on canvas measures 52" x 60" and is ...
Category
1980s Color-Field Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Les Competiteurs, American Modernist, Abstract Figurative Oil on Canvas, 1952
By Leonard Nelson
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Les Competiteurs" by American modernist painter Leonard Nelson is a 36" x 26" oil on canvas abstract figurative painting, created in 1952. The work is framed in classic black and si...
Category
1950s Abstract Geometric Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Trio
By Leonard Nelson
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Presenting an original mixed media painting by American artist Leonard Nelson.
"Trio" is an original mixed media work, signed and dated 1942, ...
Category
1940s Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Mixed Media
Related Items
Stevie Wonder - Talking Book (Grammy, Album Art, Music, Funk, Soul, Disco)
By Kerry Smith
Located in Kansas City, MO
Kerry Smith
Stevie Wonder - Talking Book
Mixed Media on Crescent board
Year: 2022
Size: 21x20in
Signed, dated by hand
COA provided
Ref.: 924802-1628
-------------------------------...
Category
2010s Contemporary Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Gouache, Board
Neige (Abstract painting)
Located in London, GB
Neige (Abstract painting)
Collage, Gouache, acrylic and oil pastel on Arches paper — Unframed
Marie de Lignerolles is an artist, designer, illustrator and colourist based in France ...
Category
2010s Abstract Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Paper, Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Gouache
“198002” by Kyoko Sasai
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Kyoko Sasai is a renowned Japanese artist, esteemed due to her innovative approaches to cultural representation and unique artistic methodologies.
She liv...
Category
1990s Abstract Geometric Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Orange Edge
Located in Austin, TX
Oil on canvas. Signed, titled, and dated verso.
40.25 x 34 in.
41.5 x 35.5 in. (framed)
Custom framed in a solid maple floater, with a matte white finish.
Provenance
The Betty Par...
Category
1960s Color-Field Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
British Abstract geometric figure in greys by Ron Sims
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Ron Sims (British, 1944 – 2014)
Ghost
Oil on canvas
48.1/4 x 22.5/8 in. (122.5 x 57.5 cm.)
Category
20th Century Abstract Geometric Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Oil, Canvas
"My Starry Night Heart" Contemporary Pop Art Oil Painting with Floater Frame
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Motivated by bold color and fast brushwork, we are moved by the simplicity and thick textured oil paints in these works. Shaoul’s “My Heart Collection” is a vibrant and energetic dis...
Category
2010s Pop Art Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Oil, Board, Resin, Mixed Media
H 11.5 in W 9.5 in D 1.5 in
Solo II 2005., Cardboard, author's technique, 64x45 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Solo II
Uldis Krauze (1958)
2005., Cardboard, author's technique, 64x45 cm
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Geometric Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Oil, Cardboard
H 25.2 in W 17.72 in D 0.04 in
Surrealist Large Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Female Pink Woods
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative take...
Category
2010s Surrealist Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pen
The Warrior and the Star Precedes the Sun (Hopi Ceremony, Oraibe, Arizona)
By Charles Stewart, 1922-2011
Located in Denver, CO
20th Century Southwestern Native American oil painting Hopi Ceremony in Oraibe, Arizona by New Mexico artist, Charles C. Stewart (1922-201...
Category
Mid-20th Century Abstract Geometric Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Charles Stewart, 1922-2011The Warrior and the Star Precedes the Sun (Hopi Ceremony, Oraibe, Arizona)
H 25.5 in W 42 in D 1.75 in
1960s "Red Landing" Gouache and Oil Pastel Abstract SF Female Artist
By Gloria Dudfield
Located in Arp, TX
Gloria Dudfield
Red Landing
1960s
Oil Pastel and Gouache on Paper
26.5"x36" unframed $1600
*Custom framing available for additional charge. Please expect framing time between 3-5 wee...
Category
Mid-20th Century Abstract Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Paper, Oil Pastel, Gouache
H 26.5 in W 36 in D 0.5 in
Gold and Mauve - abstract cubist figure human portrait Spanish acrylic art
By Borja Guijarro
Located in London, Chelsea
This original cubist portrait by Borja Guijarro presents a figurative study of a man expressed in geometric forms and interlocking lines. An impression of the figure is conveyed in a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Geometric Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
H 28.75 in W 39.38 in D 0.99 in
THE WAY 6 - Mixed Media Painting On Jute Canvas, Abstract Artwork, Large Format
By Marta Pokojowczyk
Located in Salzburg, AT
„The Way #6”, mixed media (soil, pearl glue, oil, powder pigment, rosin) on jute, 140 x 150, 2012
Series “The Way” by Marta Pokojowczyk contains mixed media paintings on jute create...
Category
2010s Contemporary Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Jute, Glue, Mixed Media, Oil, Pigment
H 55.12 in W 59.06 in D 1.19 in
Previously Available Items
Figurative Abstraction #2, American Modernist, Oil on Canvas, 1953
By Leonard Nelson
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Figurative Abstraction #2" by American modernist painter Leonard Nelson is a 12.25" x 14" oil on canvas abstract figurative painting, created in 1953. The work is framed in a broad ...
Category
1950s Abstract Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
H 17.5 in W 19.25 in D 2 in
Figurative Abstraction #1, American Modernist, Oil on Canvas, 1953
By Leonard Nelson
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Figurative Abstraction #1" by American modernist painter Leonard Nelson is a 11.5" x 14.25" oil on canvas abstract figurative painting, created in 1953. The work is framed in a broa...
Category
1950s Abstract Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
H 16.5 in W 19.25 in D 2 in
Abstract in Green, American Modernist, Early Color Field Abstraction, 1978
By Leonard Nelson
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Abstract in Green" by American modernist painter Leonard Nelson is a 20" x 26" oil on canvas abstract painting. The work is currently unframed and signed on verso: “L. Nelson 78”.
P...
Category
1970s Color-Field Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Elle's Garden Bed", American Modernist, Color Field Abstraction, 1980's
By Leonard Nelson
Located in Doylestown, PA
LEONARD NELSON (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1912 - 1993) Elle's Garden Bed is a superb example of Leonard Nelson's Color-Field compositions. The oil on canvas measures 60 x 50 inches...
Category
1980s Color-Field Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Lonesome Blues, American Modernist, Figurative Abstract, Oil on Board, 1951
By Leonard Nelson
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Lonesome Blues" by American modernist painter Leonard Nelson is a 16" x 20" oil on board figurative abstract painting. The painting is painted in vibrant colors and defined edges an...
Category
1950s Abstract Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Board, Oil
Three Figures, Abstract Figurative Art, Woodblock Print in Red, Signed, 1947
By Leonard Nelson
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Three Figures in Red" by American modernist painter Leonard Nelson is a 13" x 16.5" abstract figurative woodblock print, created in 1947. ...
Category
1940s Abstract Geometric Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Archival Ink, Archival Paper
Three Figures, Abstract Figurative Art, Woodblock Print in Yellow, Signed, 1947
By Leonard Nelson
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Three Figures in Yellow" by American modernist painter Leonard Nelson is a 13" x 16.5" abstract figurative woodblock print, created in 194...
Category
1940s Abstract Geometric Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Archival Ink, Archival Paper
"Colorfield #388", American Modernist, Color Field Abstraction, 1989
By Leonard Nelson
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Colorfield #388 Meditation" by American modernist painter Leonard Nelson is a 50.25" x 46.5" oil on canvas abstract painting. The work is framed and the stretched canvas is signed o...
Category
1980s Color-Field Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
H 58.25 in W 54.5 in D 2 in
"Color Abstract #40", American Modernist, Gestural Abstract, Oil on Board, 1955
By Leonard Nelson
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Color Abstract #40" by American modernist painter Leonard Nelson is a 10" x 8" oil on board gestural abstract painting. The painting is framed and signed "Nelson 55" in the lower ri...
Category
1950s Abstract Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Board, Oil
"Orange Abstract", American Modernist, Gestural Abstract, Oil on Canvas, 1946
By Leonard Nelson
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Orange Abstract" by American modernist painter Leonard Nelson is a 18" x 20" oil on canvas painting. This gestural abstraction is painted predominantly in orange and yellow. The ter...
Category
1940s Abstract Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Untitled Color-Field Oil on Canvas by Leonard Nelson, 1979
By Leonard Nelson
Located in North Miami, FL
Rich in color, tonalities, and texture - a luminous colorfield painting by Leonard Nelson (American, 1912-1993). Signed "L. Nelson '79". In the Rizzoli monograph "Leonard Nelson - A ...
Category
1970s American Vintage Leonard Nelson Art
Materials
Canvas
Lounging Nude
By Leonard Nelson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fine early oil on canvasboard, signed and dated,
Category
1940s Leonard Nelson Art
Leonard Nelson art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Leonard Nelson art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of orange and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Leonard Nelson in paint, canvas, fabric and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Leonard Nelson art, so small editions measuring 15 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Arthur Osver, Irene Rice Pereira, and Kristy Chettle. Leonard Nelson art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,500 and tops out at $45,000, while the average work can sell for $10,688.