Skip to main content

Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

American, 1917-2013
A plein-air landscape painter in styles of both realism and abstraction, Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf was known as Martyl, a name given to her by her artist-mother, Aimee Goldstone Schweig, for her daughter to use as an artist signature. She lived in Missouri and Illinois, although she traveled widely. From 1945 to 1972, she was art editor of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and from 1965 to 1970, she was an instructor at the University of Chicago. Martyl was born and raised in St. Louis, and her natural talents combined with the tutelage of her mother, led to early recognition as a child artist. At age eleven, she won a first prize for drawing at a competition of the St. Louis Art Museum, and the next year she won second prize. Throughout her career, she had numerous exhibition venues including the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, the Royal British Artists Gallery in London, and the Gibbes Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. Her mother became her frequent painting and traveling companion, and they went to "many parts of the globe in search of subject matter." (205) One of their early trips together was in 1930, when Martyl was twelve, to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Other trips included New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona where the Grand Canyon was one of the destinations. Early in her career, Martyl was a WPA (Works Progress Administration) muralist, and two of her murals are in post offices, one titled Wheat Workers in Russell, Kansas, and the other, La Guignolee, in Sainte Genevieve. Another mural, The Courageous Act of Cyrus Tiffany, completed in 1943, is in Washington DC at the Building of the Recorder of Deeds. Martyl graduated from Mary Institute in St. Louis and enrolled in Washington University where she studied art and history. In Missouri, she also attended Sainte Genevieve Summer School, which her mother had founded and served as director. In 1940 and 1941, Martyl went to Colorado Springs where she studied at the Fine Arts Center with Boardman Robinson and Arnold Blanch. In 1941, she married Alexander Langsdorf, Jr., who was a nuclear physicist, and the couple had two daughters. They lived in the St. Louis area until 1943 and then moved to Illinois, living in Chicago, Roselle, and from the 1970s in Schaumburg. Source: Phil Kovinick and Marian Yoshiki Kovinick, An Encyclopedia of Women Artists of the American West
to
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
10,734
2,826
2,495
1,414
1
1
1
Artist: Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf
Martyl Schweig Victor Colorado 1942 Ghost Town Landscape Oil Painting
Martyl Schweig Victor Colorado 1942 Ghost Town Landscape Oil Painting

Martyl Schweig Victor Colorado 1942 Ghost Town Landscape Oil Painting

By Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf

Located in Denver, CO

A historically significant 1942 American modernist oil painting by Martyl Schweig Langsdorf depicting Victor, Colorado, a high-altitude mining ghost town nestled within the Rocky Mountains. The composition captures the stark beauty and atmospheric stillness of a fading Western settlement, where abandoned structures, rugged terrain, and expansive mountain forms merge into a powerful narrative landscape. Painted in oil on masonite, the work features Schweig’s expressive plein-air brushwork and a richly grounded palette of deep greens, muted golds, earthy browns, and atmospheric grays. The paint handling is both fluid and structured, emphasizing light, elevation, and the emotional weight of the post–Gold Rush landscape rather than strict topographical accuracy. This early American modernist Western painting carries strong narrative presence while remaining visually balanced, making it highly effective in both traditional interiors and more contemporary, curated environments. Created in 1942 during Schweig’s Colorado painting trips with fellow artist Adolph Dehn...

Category

1940s American Modern Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Related Items
"Sea Cliff" Mid Century Modern Coastal Cliff Seascape in Acrylic on Masonite
"Sea Cliff" Mid Century Modern Coastal Cliff Seascape in Acrylic on Masonite

"Sea Cliff" Mid Century Modern Coastal Cliff Seascape in Acrylic on Masonite

Located in Soquel, CA

"Sea Cliff" Mid Century Modern Coastal Cliff Seascape in Acrylic on Masonite Expansive seascape by notable California artist Farren Jensen (American, 19...

Category

1970s American Modern Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Masonite, Acrylic

Till the Clouds Roll By 1945 Frank Sinatra Mid Century Modern Hollywood Film WPA
Till the Clouds Roll By 1945 Frank Sinatra Mid Century Modern Hollywood Film WPA

Till the Clouds Roll By 1945 Frank Sinatra Mid Century Modern Hollywood Film WPA

By Richard Whorf

Located in New York, NY

Till the Clouds Roll By 1945 Frank Sinatra Mid Century Modern Hollywood Film WPA TILL THE COULDS ROLL BY (Film Set), oil on canvas, 20 x 24 inches signed “Richard Whorf” lower right and signed and dated on the verso “R. Whorf/ Dec. 21, 1945. Frame by Hendenryk. ABOUT THE PAINTING This painting is from the collection of Barbara and Frank Sinatra, dated December 21, 1945 (just nine days after Frank Sinatra’s 30th birthday), and depicts the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Culver City backlot during the filming of Till the Clouds Roll By, the direction of the film having been taking over by Richard Whorf in December 1945. It is not presently clear if Whorf gave the Sinatras this painting as a gift, as the presence of the Dalzell Hatfield Galleries label on the verso indicates the painting may have been sourced there. Frank and Nancy Sinatra acquired a number of works from Dalzell Hatfield Galleries during the 1940’s, or perhaps they framed it for the couple. Sinatra performed “Old Man River’ in the film. Sinatra and June Allyson are depicted in the center of the painting. PROVENANCE From the Estate of Mrs. Nancy Sinatra; Dalzell Hatfield Galleries, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles. An image of the Dalzell Hatfield label and the back of the original frame (which we replaced with a stunning Heydenrk frame) are attached. Nancy Sinatra was Fran's first wife. Nancy Rose Barbato was 17 years old when she met Frank Sinatra, an 18-year-old singer from Hoboken, on the Jersey Shore in the summer of 1934. They married in 1939 at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Jersey City where Frank gave Nancy a recording of a song dedicated to her titled "Our Love" as a wedding present. The young newlyweds lived and worked in New Jersey, where Frank worked as an unknown singing waiter and master of ceremonies at the Rustic Cabin while Nancy worked as a secretary at the American Type Founders. His musical career took off after singing with big band leaders Harry James and Tommy Dorsey...

Category

1940s American Modern Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Central Park in Winter, 1949” Manhattan New York City Snow Day Sleds Children
“Central Park in Winter, 1949” Manhattan New York City Snow Day Sleds Children

“Central Park in Winter, 1949” Manhattan New York City Snow Day Sleds Children

Located in Yardley, PA

With a studied hand, Sloan captures the human theater of a snow-covered Central Park filled with bundled-up New Yorkers, sledding, walking, chatting, and caring for children. The exp...

Category

1940s American Modern Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Tempera, Oil, Masonite

A Charming, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Harbor Scene of Martha's Vineyard
A Charming, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Harbor Scene of Martha's Vineyard

A Charming, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Harbor Scene of Martha's Vineyard

By Francis Chapin

Located in Chicago, IL

A Charming, Colorful 1950s Mid-Century Modern Harbor Scene of Martha's Vineyard by Notable Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Painted near the artist's longtime studio ...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

A Quiet, Sunlit 1940s Vintage Mexican City Scene, Archway, San Miguel de Allende
A Quiet, Sunlit 1940s Vintage Mexican City Scene, Archway, San Miguel de Allende

A Quiet, Sunlit 1940s Vintage Mexican City Scene, Archway, San Miguel de Allende

By Francis Chapin

Located in Chicago, IL

A quiet, sunlit, vintage 1940s Mexican city street scene (Archway) by famed Chicago Modern artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Depicting a picturesque view of a colorful plaza ar...

Category

1940s American Modern Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

A Quiet, Sunlit 1930s Vintage Fauvist Summer City Park Scene with Fountain
A Quiet, Sunlit 1930s Vintage Fauvist Summer City Park Scene with Fountain

A Quiet, Sunlit 1930s Vintage Fauvist Summer City Park Scene with Fountain

By Francis Chapin

Located in Chicago, IL

A quiet, sunlit, vintage 1930s American Scene city park scene with a fountain by famed Chicago Modern artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Depicting a picturesque landscape comple...

Category

1930s American Modern Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Blue and Purple Mountains - Fauvist Landscape
Blue and Purple Mountains - Fauvist Landscape

Blue and Purple Mountains - Fauvist Landscape

By Don Klopfer

Located in Soquel, CA

Vibrant and playful landscape by California artist Richard "Don" Klopfer (1920-2009). Signed and dated "R. Klopfer 3.86" on verso. No frame. Board size: 13"H x 19"W Richard "Don" Kl...

Category

1980s American Modern Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Oil, Masonite

Late Afternoon  - Modernist Mid-Century Midwest Oil Painting
Late Afternoon  - Modernist Mid-Century Midwest Oil Painting

Late Afternoon - Modernist Mid-Century Midwest Oil Painting

Located in Marco Island, FL

A quintessential American Scene landscape painted by the Chicago Modernist, William Schwartz. Workers in tilled fields surrounding a farmstead under dramatic skies. Painted in 1935...

Category

1930s American Modern Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Colorful, 1950s Modern Painting, Sailing Off the Coast of Martha's Vineyard
A Colorful, 1950s Modern Painting, Sailing Off the Coast of Martha's Vineyard

A Colorful, 1950s Modern Painting, Sailing Off the Coast of Martha's Vineyard

By Francis Chapin

Located in Chicago, IL

A colorful, blustery painting of sailing off the coast of Martha's Vineyard by famed Chicago Modern artist, Francis Chapin. Painted in the early 1950s, the painting depicts a vibran...

Category

1930s American Modern Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Stylish Hawaiian Luau Oil Painting by Listed artist Mario Larrinaga (1895-1979)
Stylish Hawaiian Luau Oil Painting by Listed artist Mario Larrinaga (1895-1979)

Stylish Hawaiian Luau Oil Painting by Listed artist Mario Larrinaga (1895-1979)

Located in Baltimore, MD

Mario Larrinaga was born in Baja California in 1895 and moved with his brother to Los Angeles in 1909. He had no formal training in art, but had natural talent that was noticed by local movie studios. He was hired by Universal Studios as a designer, art director and creator of background scenes. He produced some of the background effects for King Kong in 1933. After a career in set design and illustration he focused on painting for pleasure in California, Mexico and Hawaii. He belonged to local art clubs and exhibited his works often. This stylized modernist work was likely created around 1960. It is oil on wood panel and of a horizontal format, 18” x 36”. It portrays a procession of seemingly Hawaiian natives...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Oil

Early Mexican City Scene by Chicago Artist Francis Chapin, San Miguel de Allende
Early Mexican City Scene by Chicago Artist Francis Chapin, San Miguel de Allende

Early Mexican City Scene by Chicago Artist Francis Chapin, San Miguel de Allende

By Francis Chapin

Located in Chicago, IL

A charming, vibrant, early Mexican city street scene by famed Chicago Modern artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Depicting a quiet, picturesque view of the rooftops and cathedral...

Category

1940s American Modern Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Oil, Masonite

A Colorful, Modern 1950's Painting of Martha's Vineyard, Breakfast on the Porch
A Colorful, Modern 1950's Painting of Martha's Vineyard, Breakfast on the Porch

A Colorful, Modern 1950's Painting of Martha's Vineyard, Breakfast on the Porch

By Francis Chapin

Located in Chicago, IL

A Vibrant, Colorful 1950s Mid-Century Modern Painting of Martha's Vineyard by Famed Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Titled "Breakfast on the Porch at the Vineyard Ho...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Previously Available Items
Important  Regionalist WPA Modern Framed And Signed Landscape Oil Painting
Important  Regionalist WPA Modern Framed And Signed Landscape Oil Painting

Important Regionalist WPA Modern Framed And Signed Landscape Oil Painting

By Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf

Located in Buffalo, NY

Modernist landscape oil painting by Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Martyl (1917/18 - 2013). Oil on board. Signed. Framed. Measuring 28 by 32 inches overall and 20 by 24 painting alone.

Category

1940s Modern Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Early, Semi Abstract Landscape Colored Lithograph Print, Blues Gray
Early, Semi Abstract Landscape Colored Lithograph Print, Blues Gray

Early, Semi Abstract Landscape Colored Lithograph Print, Blues Gray

By Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf

Located in Denver, CO

Early, a vintage original signed lithograph on paper by Martyl (Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf), numbered 5 of 10, printed at the Tamarind Institute, New Mexico in colors of Blue, Gray a...

Category

20th Century Abstract Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Lithograph

Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf - Mid Century Abstract Spanish Landscape
Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf - Mid Century Abstract Spanish Landscape

Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf - Mid Century Abstract Spanish Landscape

By Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf

Located in San Francisco, CA

This midcentury semi abstract painting is by the well-known artist Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf (1917-2013), better known as Martyl. The painting has an interesting palette - cool grays in the sky contrast with the warmer colors of rooftops and fields in the Midground and foreground. It is as if the observer is witnessing an approaching summer storm. The work is composed of oil on canvas mounted to board. It measures 20”x24” (28.5”x32.5” framed). It is signed “Martyl” in the lower right. As well, it is dated 1957 and monogrammed on the reverse. The frame is a very nice grey stained period wooden frame, very appropriate for the painting. The painting and the frame are in good condition. Martyl Langsdorf was primarily a painter of abstract landscapes who had nearly 100 solo exhibitions during her eight decade-long career. She was represented in many of the National exhibitions. In 1940 she was awarded the first prize in the Midwestern Show at the Kansas City Art Institute and won the hundred dollar purchase prize at the Y.M.H.A., Saint Louis. The following year she was awarded first prize in the annual exhibition of Missouri artists at the Saint Louis City...

Category

1950s Abstract Geometric Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf Art

Materials

Oil

Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf in masonite, oil paint, paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1940s and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf, so small editions measuring 38 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Charles Ragland Bunnell, George G. Adomeit, and Cecil Crosley Bell. Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $6,650 and tops out at $6,650, while the average work can sell for $6,650.

Artists Similar to Martyl Suzanne Schweig Langsdorf