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Louis Bosa Figurative Paintings

Italian, 1905-1981
Born in Codroipo, a small village only a few miles from Venice, Italy in 1905, the son of a stonemason. Bosa emigrated to the U.S. at age 18 after studies at the Accademia della Belle Arti in Venice and became an American citizen. He then studied under John Sloan, of the Ashcan School, at the Art Students League in New York. A distinguished painter, Louis Bosa's work has been likened to that of artists ranging from Pieter Breughel the Elder to John Sloan and the Ashcan School. Being an acute observer of the human condition, Bosa's paintings, which are primarily oil on canvas, often focus on people and street scenes from his native Italy. Bosa was known to have followed his subjects around, making many sketches and mental notes, and combined his observations in the final work to create visionary, fantastical images. The subjects of his paintings are highly stylized and expressionistic, and border on caricature. "People are so funny at times they are sad," he said: The people in his paintings are accessible and seem to portray human emotion and everyday life, conquering such concepts as mortality, humility and sometimes futility. His work often reveals comedy in the midst of tragedy. Many of his paintings include whimsical images of nuns riding bicycles and similar authority figures engaged in mundane activities. He traveled extensively through Europe and often returned to his native Italy. Bosa painted for the Works Progress Administration and the Whitney Museum. He taught at the Cleveland Institute of Art, the New York Art Students League, the Parsons School of Design, Syracuse University, and the University of Notre Dame at South Bend, Indiana. His paintings and watercolors are on display at many well-known art studios and museums across the United States such as: The Metropolitan Museum of Art - New York The Whitney Museum - New York The Philadelphia Museum - Pennsylvania The Worcester Museum - Massachusetts The Springfield Museum - Massachusetts The Toronto Art Museum - Canada Notre Dame University Museum The Butler Museum - Ohio The Columbus Museum of Arts and Crafts - Ohio The University of Illinois - Illinois The Montclair Museum - New Jersey The James A. Michener Art Museum - Doylestown, Pennsylvania The Clearwater Museum - Florida The Wilmington Museum - Delaware The Athenian Museum - Connecticut The Herron Art Institute - Indiana The Rochester Museum - New York The Delgado Museum - New Orleans The Richmond Art Museum - Virginia The Academy of Arts and Letters The Hosanna Fund The Encyclopedia Britannica Collections International Business Machines The Syracuse Museum - New York
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Artist: Louis Bosa
Nuns in My Studio, Self-Portrait, 20th Century Italian-American Artist
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (American, 1905-1981) Nuns in My Studio Oil on canvas Signed lower right 10 x 14 inches 15.5 x 19.5 inches, framed Born in Codroipo, a small village only a few miles from...
Category

Late 20th Century Louis Bosa Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

20th Century Bucks County Colorful Landscape Painting, Italian artist
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (American, 1905–1981) Bucks County, 1934 Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower right 17.5 x 21.5 inches 25.5 x 29 inches, framed Born in Codroipo, a small village only a f...
Category

1930s Expressionist Louis Bosa Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Flood in Venice, Italian Artist, Humorous Landscape/Seascape Scene
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (American, 1905-1981) Flood in Venice, c. 1970 Oil on canvas Signed Bosa lower left and verso 34 x 50.5 inches 40.5 x 56.5 inches, framed Exhibited: 148th Annual Exhibiti...
Category

1970s Louis Bosa Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Costa Brava, Spain, Nuns w/ Umbrellas & Chairs, Surrealist Scene
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (American, 1905-1981) Costa Brava, Spain Oil on board Signed lower right 14 x 24 inches 23 x 33 inches, framed Born in Codroipo, a small village only a few miles from Ven...
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Louis Bosa Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Cathedral in Venice, large 20th century oil painting, Italian-American artist
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (American, 1905-1981) Cathedral in Venice Oil on canvas Signed lower left 60.25 x 40.25 inches 66.5 x 46.5 inches, framed Born in Codroipo, a small village only a few mi...
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Louis Bosa Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

20th century painting of monks in Venice, Italian pink figural work
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (Italian-American, 1905–1981) Island of the Monks, c. 1930 Oil on masonite Signed lower right 14 x 24 inches 23 x 33 inches, framed Born in Codroipo, a small village only...
Category

1930s Expressionist Louis Bosa Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Industrial Railroad WPA Mid 20th Century American Scene Rural Modern Realism
By Louis Bosa
Located in New York, NY
Industrial Railroad WPA Mid 20th Century American Scene Rural Modern Realism Large oil on canvas genre painting depicting laborers working on a railroad, with rural landscape in the...
Category

1940s American Realist Louis Bosa Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Moody Beach Scene, Surreal Mid-Century Figurative Familial Scene Italian Artist
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (American, 1905-1981) The Beach, c. 1960 Oil on board Signed lower left 11.75 x 19.5 inches 20 x 28 inches, framed Born in Codroipo, a small village only a few miles fro...
Category

1960s Louis Bosa Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Skinny Dippers, 20th Century Landscape, Swimming Family, Italian Artist
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (American, 1905-1981) Skinny Dippers Oil on board Signed lower right 15.5 x 20 inches 21.25 x 25.5 inches, framed Born in Codroipo, a small village only a few miles from ...
Category

1960s Louis Bosa Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Rockport, Massachusetts Seascape, Cape Ann, Shoreline, Italian American Artist
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (American, 1905, 1981) Rockport , 1971 Oil on Masonite Signed lower right, signed, dated and titled verso 10 x 16 inches 17 x 23 inches, framed Born in Codroipo, a small ...
Category

1970s Louis Bosa Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Mid-20th Century Venetian Canal Cityscape, Italian-American artist
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (American, 1905-1981) Venice Canalscape, c. 1950 Oil on board Signed lower right 11.75 x 21.75 inches 19.75 x 29.75 inches, framed Born in Codroipo, a small village only ...
Category

1950s American Modern Louis Bosa Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Two Wagons, Bucks County, PA 20th Century Farm Landscape
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (American, 1905–1981) Two Wagons, Bucks County, PA, 1934 Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower right 20 x 24 inches 30 x 34 inches, framed Born in Codroipo, a small villag...
Category

1930s Expressionist Louis Bosa Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

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Previously Available Items
Industrial Railroad WPA Mid 20th Century American Scene Rural Modern Realism
By Louis Bosa
Located in New York, NY
Industrial Railroad WPA Mid 20th Century American Scene Rural Modern Realism Large oil on canvas genre painting depicting laborers working on a railroad, with rural landscape in the...
Category

1940s American Realist Louis Bosa Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

An Evening Prayer, Italian church scene with nun and priests
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (American, 1905-1981) An Evening Prayer Oil on canvas Signed lower left, titled verso 20.5 x 18 inches 29.75 x 27.75 inches, framed Provenance: Kleemann Galleries, New Y...
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20th Century Expressionist Louis Bosa Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Louis Bosa figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Louis Bosa figurative paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Louis Bosa in oil paint, paint, canvas and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the Expressionist style. Not every interior allows for large Louis Bosa figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 17 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Yves Brayer, Charles Kvapil, and Edgardo Corbelli. Louis Bosa figurative paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $3,250 and tops out at $15,000, while the average work can sell for $6,440.

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