Inspired by Abstract Expressionism and driven by deep curiosity, artist Michael Pauker has created an expansive oeuvre that is inclusive of abstract and figurative paintings, landscapes, sculptures, prints and collages constructed with scraps of aging historical documents, watercolor paints and found objects.
“As an artist, I am not a one-trick pony,” he has said. “Some artists find success doing one thing and stick just with it. But my curiosity is omnivorous. I’m driven by images I’ve never seen before, both abstract and figurative.”
Born in 1957 in New York, Pauker knew he wanted to be an artist from the age of 15. He earned his BFA from the State University of New York (SUNY), then in 1989, completed his MFA at Mills College (now Mills College at Northeastern University) in Oakland where he was awarded the City of Oakland Fellowship in Painting.
Since 1988, Pauker has lived and worked in the Bay Area, teaching art in various venues such as schools, colleges and institutions including the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, the state’s prison hospital, for several years. When he isn’t teaching, Pauker focuses on creating art — the mediums of which can change by the moment.
While he works in oil on canvas for most of his paintings, Pauker is also known for his “Miniature Collage” series. He has worked on this series for more than a decade. Other works include abstract drawings and figurative watercolors blended with collages of vintage paper, stamps and found objects — his Oesterreich II is an example of the latter.
Pauker has exhibited widely across the United States, Japan and Costa Rica, and his works are held in the public collections of many institutions including the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Find authentic Michael Pauker art on 1stDibs.
$3,150
Reclining Nude with Tree, Contemporary Figurative Interior Scene in Red Room
By Michael Pauker
Located in Soquel, CA
A large-scale contemporary figurative interior scene depicting several nude figures, including a man reclining in a bed, in a red room with a tree by Bay...
Oil, Canvas
$3,150
Nudes on the Beach, Contemporary Surreal Figurative Abstract with Self-Portrait
By Michael Pauker
Located in Soquel, CA
Contemporary surreal figurative landscape depicting a male nude laying on the beach next to his art pallet, a self portrait of the artist at work, with four more female and male nude...
Oil, Canvas
Three Nudes, Contemporary Figurative Interior Scene with Red Wallpaper
By Michael Pauker
Located in Soquel, CA
Large-scale contemporary figurative interior scene depicting three nude figures in a room with red patterned wallpaper, with two male figures in the foreground by Bay Area artist Mic...
Oil, Canvas
Garden of Eden, Surrealist Figurative Springtime Abstract with Flower
By Michael Pauker
Located in Soquel, CA
Bay area figurative movement painting of the Archangel looking at Adam and Eve and the serpent standing near the Tree of Knowledge (Life), being expelled from the Garden of Eden; and...
Canvas, Oil
$3,250
Figures on the Beach with Sculpture, Contemporary Surreal Figural Landscape
By Michael Pauker
Located in Soquel, CA
Dark storm clouds loom over a surreal, desolate beach landscape, which is populated by several male figures in different states of being, in this contemplative symbolic contemporary painting by Bay Area artist Michael Pauker (American, b.1957), circa 2013-2014. In the left foreground we see part of a bearded man's face, as if witnessing this scene with the viewer. Next a male figure in bright red bathing suit faces the ocean, his back to the viewer, while a more distant nude male at three quarter view points down at something in the sand. Finally, on the right appears the bearded man as a classical sculpture bust on a pedestal...
Canvas, Oil
"The Sea Beach at Ebb Tide", Contemporary Surreal Nude Figural Landscape
By Michael Pauker
Located in Soquel, CA
Contemporary surreal figural abstract painting of three nude figures in various poses in an abstracted beach landscape with three faces in the foreground, one of which is red, by Bay...
Canvas, Oil
$4,025
H 39.38 in W 39.38 in D 3.94 in
Watch me! -21st Century Oil Painting of a Nude Boy watching you in his Mirror
By David van der Linden
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
This painting is made by Dutch artist/painter David van der Linden. Painted with oilpaint on canvas. David van der Linden studied at the Academ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,600
H 30.25 in W 26.25 in D 2 in
A Radiant 1950s Mid-Century Modern Studio Portrait of a Seated Female Nude Model
By Rudolph Pen
Located in Chicago, IL
A Radiant, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Studio Portrait of a Seated Female Nude Model. Painted in a sensuous color palette of wonderfully expressive reds and cool creams, the painting e...
Oil, Canvas
$6,000
H 52.5 in W 40.5 in D 1.5 in
"Modernist Nude" Mid Century Bold Colorful Abstract Nude Painting Oil on Canvas
Located in New York, NY
A strong modernist oil painting depicted in the 1950s by Russian, American painter Helen Stein. Mostly known for her abstract figures on canvas, this piece...
Canvas, Oil
$950
H 14.75 in W 26.75 in D 2 in
A Fabulous, Abstract 1960s Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Sleeping Female Nude
By Rudolph Pen
Located in Chicago, IL
A Fabulous, Abstract 1960s Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Sleeping Female Nude by Noted Chicago Artist, Rudolph Pen. A sensuous, intimate studio depiction of a sleeping nude femal...
Canvas, Oil
$933
H 31.89 in W 21.26 in D 0.99 in
Nude Woman - Oil Paint attr. Edgar Stoebel - Mid-20th Century
By Edgar Stoëbel
Located in Roma, IT
Nude woman is an artwork attribuited to Edgar Stoebel (1909-2001). 81 x 45 cm; no frame. Oil painting on canvas. Good conditions.
Canvas, Oil
$2,680
H 49.5 in W 35 in D 1 in
A Large, Impressive Painting of a Standing Female Nude by Artist Francis Chapin
By Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A large, impressive 1930s painting of standing female nude by notable Chicago Modern artist Francis Chapin, in a gold-toned frame. Artwork size: 43 3/4 x 29 3/4 inches; Framed siz...
Canvas, Oil
$4,025
H 39.38 in W 39.38 in D 3.94 in
Don't let the sun blast your shadow- 21st Century Painting of a Nude Boy
By David van der Linden
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
David van der Linden 'Don't let the sun blast your shadow'' 100 x 100 cm Oil on canvas framed in a black wooden frame (included in price) 115x115 cm David van der Linden is a Dutch...
Canvas, Oil
$7,500
H 40 in W 30 in
Desire - Nude Lovers Entangled in a Passionate Kiss, Oil on Paper on Canvas
By Bruno Surdo
Located in Chicago, IL
This painting demonstrates Bruno Surdo’s deep grounding in classical figurative tradition while addressing intimacy in a distinctly contemporary register. The tightly compressed composition—two nude bodies locked in a kiss—recalls Renaissance and Baroque explorations of entwined figures, from Michelangelo’s sculptural studies of interlocking forms to Caravaggio’s emotionally charged chiaroscuro. The anatomical modeling is central: the musculature of the male back, the subtle weight shift in the female torso, and the nuanced transitions of light across flesh reveal Surdo’s atelier training and commitment to Renaissance draftsmanship. The dark, atmospheric background isolates the figures, heightening their sculptural presence and intensifying the psychological focus. Art historically, the pose evokes both sacred and mythological precedents—embraces seen in depictions of Venus and Mars, Cupid and Psyche, or even the sensual gravity of Rodin’s later sculptural couples. Yet Surdo strips away allegorical attributes and narrative setting. The white drapery loosely gathered at the woman’s hip subtly references classical sculpture, where cloth both conceals and accentuates form. Unlike historical idealization, however, these bodies feel lived-in and human rather than mythic. Surdo’s broader practice often stages grand allegories or mythological conflicts; here he distills that tradition into a singular moment of private intensity. The painting bridges past and present, demonstrating how the language of Renaissance form and Baroque light can still articulate modern vulnerability, desire, and connection without relying on overt narrative symbolism. Bruno Surdo Desire oil on paper on canvas 40h x 30w in 101.60h x 76.20w cm BRS086 Bruno A. Surdo b. Chicago, 1963 EXHIBITIONS 2021 Ethos + Truth, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2020 Realities, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2018 Liberation, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL Blood Sport, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL Art on Paper 2018, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Pier 36, New York, NY SOFA Chicago 2018, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL 2017 POP!ARAZZI, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL Coming Attractions, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2015 SOFA Chicago 2015, Ann Nathan Gallery, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL Bruno Surdo: Allegories, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2014 Bruno Surdo: Respond, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Modern Metaphors, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL 2013 Bruno Surdo: Revelations, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Vice + Virtue, Northern Illinois University Museum of Art 2012 Contemporary Realism Biennial, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN 2011 Bruno Surdo, University of St. Francis School of Creative Arts, Fort Wayne, IN Uncensored, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2010 Art Chicago 2010, Ann Nathan Gallery, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 2009 Art Chicago 2009, Ann Nathan Gallery, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 2007 Bruno Surdo, Art Institute of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 2006 Context/Content: Making Meaning with the Figure, University of Arkansas, Conway, AR Creative Imaginings, Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL Bruno Surdo: Cycles, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2005 Art Chicago 2005, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2004 Tragedy, Memory, & Honor, Richard M. Daley Center, Chicago, IL Art Chicago 2004, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Group Show, Arcadia Gallery, New York, NY Drawings VII, Koplin Del Rio Gallery, West Hollywood, CA Armory Show, New York Armory, New York, NY 2003 Paintings & Drawings, College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL The Art Show, New York, NY Bruno Surdo: New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Art Chicago 2003, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2003-10 International Show of Contemporary Artists, Chicago Art Open, Chicago, IL 2002 Bruno Surdo: Perception of Appearance, Frye Museum, Seattle, WA Tragedy, Memory, & Honor, Richard M. Daley Center, Chicago, IL Bruno Surdo: Transcendence, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Art Chicago 2002, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Tragedy, Memory, & Honor, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2001 Magic Vision, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR 1998 Evanston and Vicinity Artists, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL 1996 Bruno Surdo: A Personal View, University of Wisconsin, Kenosha, WI 1995 Bruno Surdo: Recent Works, College of Lake County, IL AIDS in Our Society, Loyola University, Chicago, IL Bruno Surdo: Life, Struggle, and Hope, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL 2001 Magic Vision, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR Bruno Surdo: Dualities of Life, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 1999 Group Show, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 1998 Group Exhibition, Fine Arts Building Gallery, Chicago, IL 1995 Spiritual Inquiries, Struve Gallery, Chicago, IL 1994 Recent Works, The 14th Annual Juried Exhibition for Lake County Artists, Grayslake, IL Go Figure, Figurative Works on Paper, Chicago Printmakers Collaborative, Chicago, IL SELECTED COLLECTIONS The Re-Birth of Venus, Temporary Loan, Fort Wayne Museum of Art Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR College of Lake County, Greyslake, IL Flashpoint Academy, Chicago IL John Robert Wiltgen Design Shoemaker Ruud Collection Julie & Thomas Danilek Michael Vozzella and Mike Silver Benjamin Fernandez Tom Braake Betsy Colburn Michael Diemand & Lor LaRose Michael Staab & Kathy Brock Bruce Leep Frank Tzurect Mary Foley Rosalyn Carlson Mimmy Turney Janet Long Halstead Billy Hunt Carol Galli Myles Kerrigan Honorable & Mrs. Edwin Berman Theodore Gage Northrop Art Museum Past Present & Future Company Dr. James & Peggy Kemmler Salvatore Monastero Nix & Virginia Lauridsen Joel Miller David & Marlene Zerkel Ann & Andy Abel Claudia Rush Marc Miller Leonard Goldberg Lawrence Pucci Howard Tullman Collection Susan & Manny Kramer James Rinnert Richar Interiors Michael & Nancy Colt Khalid Altijir Dr. Joe Grodman Beryl & Jack Gore Larry Wolf & Eric Naegle Chuck Wolandi Jack Schwab & David Sandelin Thomas Kaczmarek Marti Dinerstein Craig & Michael Golden...
Oil, Canvas, Archival Paper
$70,000
H 35.5 in W 53 in
"Reclining Nude" Arthur B. Carles, Abstracted Nude, Early American Modernism
By Arthur Beecher Carles
Located in New York, NY
Mercedes Matter Reclining Nude, circa 1920 Signed "Mercedes Matter" on the overlap Oil on canvas 32 x 51 inches Known for his use of expressive and uninhibited color, Arthur B. Car...
Canvas, Oil
A Day at the Beach
Located in New Orleans, LA
A Day at the Beach by unkown American School painter, circa 1940-1950, oil on canvas. Framed: 31 x 29 inches
Canvas, Oil
$10,000
H 30 in W 24 in D 0.75 in
"Nude No. 4" - Original Realist Nude - Black Woman Oil on Canvas by B. Krigstein
By Bernard Krigstein
Located in Carmel, CA
Bernard Krigstein (American, 1919-1990) "Nude No. 4" 1975 Oil paint and enamel on canvas, stretcher bars The artist signed the bottom left corner of ...
Enamel
$14,000
H 49.5 in W 44 in
Woman Learns the Names of Plants, America Martin_Oil/Acrylic_Figurative
By America Martin
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
America Martin "Woman Learns the Names of Plants" Oil & Acrylic on Canvas 49.5" x 44" Framed Exploring the identity of both her namesake and country, LA-based America Martin dra...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic