Peter Witwer Figurative Paintings

1928-1968

Born George Peter Witwer on September 6th, 1928, Peter was the son of a real estate developer in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended school in New York City in the late 1940s and moved West in 1958. Part of San Francisco’s emerging gay scene, Witwer was walking home from the original Stud Bar on Folsom Street when he was brutally shot in the head without an apparent motive in 1968. The police report shows that the cash in his pocket was not removed, leading friends to believe that this may have been a hate crime. While living in New York from 1945-1958, Witwer was a contemporary of Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Hans Hoffman and witnessed their massive influence on Post WWII painting first hand. Shortly after Witwer’s arrival to San Francisco in 1958, he exhibited alongside David Park and Elmer Bischoff in the 1959 California Painters’ Annual at the Oakland Art Museum, where the first exhibition of Bay Area Figurative painting took place in 1957. The 1957 show, entitled “Contemporary Bay Area Figurative Painting” also included seminal works by Richard Diebenkorn, James Weeks, Bruce McGaw and Paul Wonner. Peter Witwer would never achieve the recognition of the aforementioned artists. In fact, he spent his life in relative obscurity, working during the day at the Rincon Post Office and City of Paris department store, and painting at night in the studio of his apartment on Waller Street in the Haight. In spite of this, his recently uncovered body of work brilliantly reflects two of the most important art movements of the last 60 years. The collection showcases a newly-discovered artist working on the leading edge of contemporary painting during his time. Within the Witwer collection, several distinct art movements can be seen. Works from 1961-1963 period show a strong tendency towards the New York school of Abstract Expressionism (Hans Hoffman, Jackson Pollock and others). Highly textured Colour-Field pieces from this early 60s period also reflect the influence of the European Decollage artists that tore into built-up surfaces to reveal the shreds of paper below. Witwer experimented with plaster-like compounds for sculpting under the surface of paintings; house paints; textile and found object collage; and large-scale canvases. As his work progressed through the 1960s, the paintings take-on distinct qualities of the Bay Area Figurative movement. These works merge the human form with painterly abstraction, drawing strong comparisons to the art of his contemporaries, David Park, Elmer Bischoff, Manuel Neri and Nathan Oliveira. In the Fall of 1968 Peter Witwer was shot dead as he walked home through his Haight Ashbury neighborhood. Since then, his life’s work of nearly a hundred finished paintings has been in hiding for four decades. Reflecting the dynamic evolution of American Mid-Century painting from the Abstract Expressionism of the 1940s/50s into the Bay Area Figurative movement of the 1950s/60s Witwer’s work is a spectacular timeline of the Bay Area art scene.

Artist: Peter Witwer

Peter WitwerBay Area Figurative Movement Portrait of Man San Francisco Bay Area Peter Witwer, 1958-68

$2,120Sale Price|20% Off

Bay Area Figurative Movement Portrait of Man San Francisco Bay Area Peter Witwer

By Peter Witwer

Located in Soquel, CA

Portrait of Man San Francisco Bay Area Figurative Movement Figurative portrait of a man by San Francisco artist Peter Witwer (American, 1928-1968). Unsigned from a collection of his...

Category

1950s Abstract Expressionist Peter Witwer Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Alberto GiacomettiAbstract Expressionist female woman oil portrait, ca. 1960

$800Sale Price|33% Off

H 24.5 in W 18 in D 0.5 in

Abstract Expressionist female woman oil portrait

By Alberto Giacometti

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Beautiful portrait of a seated woman, ca. 1960. Oil on canvas measuring 18 x 24.5 inches. Unsigned. Unframed.

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Expressionist Peter Witwer Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Karnish ArtGuardians of Absoluteness: Large Abstract Acrylic Canvas Painting, 2021

$2,000

H 43.31 in W 56.7 in D 0.2 in

Guardians of Absoluteness: Large Abstract Acrylic Canvas Painting

By Karnish Art

Located in Pretoria, Gauteng

Title: The Guardians of Absoluteness Landscape Abstract Bold Modern Colorful Exclusive Investment Unique Painting Showstopper Striking Extra large artwork This work portrays the Ab...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Peter Witwer Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Gesso, Canvas, Spray Paint, Pencil

Zsolt BerszánBody in the Field #5 - Contemporary art, abstract painting, landscape, yellow, 2023

$7,679

H 58.27 in W 42.13 in D 1.19 in

Body in the Field #5 - Contemporary art, abstract painting, landscape, yellow

By Zsolt Berszán

Located in Baden-Baden, DE

Body in the Field #5, 2023 oil on canvas 55 1/8 H x 39 3/8 W in. 140 H x 100 W cm Zsolt Berszán embodies in his works the dissolution of the human body through the prism of the frag...

Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Peter Witwer Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Karnish ArtMy Beloved - Painting Maximalism Abstract Figurative Love Contemporary Invest, 2021

$1,330

H 33.08 in W 46.86 in D 0.2 in

My Beloved - Painting Maximalism Abstract Figurative Love Contemporary Invest

By Karnish Art

Located in Pretoria, Gauteng

Title: The Guardians of my Beloved Mesmerizing Striking Abstract Figurative Love Peace Invest Contemporary Maximalism This work is part of a series. It is part of a story... It por...

Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Peter Witwer Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Gesso, Canvas, Pastel, Spray Paint

John Paul JonesEverything and Always, 2025

$2,211

H 24 in W 32 in D 2 in

Everything and Always

By John Paul Jones

Located in Nottingham, GB

Incredible modern art, created from combining laser kinetics with sound to create powerful patterns.

Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Peter Witwer Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Norman CartonNorman Carton, abstract cityscape, unique oil painting hand signed twice, Framed, ca. 1951

$10,000

H 19 in W 23 in D 2.5 in

Norman Carton, abstract cityscape, unique oil painting hand signed twice, Framed

By Norman Carton

Located in New York, NY

Norman Carton Mid Century Modern Cityscape, ca. 1951 Oil on canvas painting (signed twice) Signed twice: hand signed on the front and also signed on the back Unique Frame included: T...

Category

1950s Abstract Expressionist Peter Witwer Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Wesley KimlerThe Maven - Monumental Scale Reclining Figure, Abstract Expressionist Painting, 2021

$40,000

H 110 in W 120 in

The Maven - Monumental Scale Reclining Figure, Abstract Expressionist Painting

By Wesley Kimler

Located in Chicago, IL

Wesley Kimler (born 1953) an American artist based in Chicago, Illinois, is known for his colossal paintings, up to 15 feet high and 27 feet wide. According to critic Kevin Nance, ...

Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Peter Witwer Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil

Frédéric ChoiselPetites Histories / oil on canvas, 2013

$13,000

H 60 in W 60 in D 1.5 in

Petites Histories / oil on canvas

By Frédéric Choisel

Located in Burlingame, CA

A magnificant abstract painting that bridges figuration, Inspired by living in the cities of France, New York, and San Francisco. French American visual artist Frédéric Choisel tells...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Peter Witwer Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Nguyen Quang Huy'Dreaming', 2008

$4,800

H 40 in W 40 in

'Dreaming'

By Nguyen Quang Huy

Located in Rye, NY

‘Dreaming’ is a large abstract expressionist oil on canvas painting created by Vietnamese artist Nguyen Quang Huy in 2008. Featuring a cold palette mostly made of blue and grey color...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Peter Witwer Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Andreas Claussen"Team II" (2024) By Andreas Claussen, Original Oil Painting on Canvas, 2024

$1,400

H 7.1 in W 9.45 in D 0.79 in

"Team II" (2024) By Andreas Claussen, Original Oil Painting on Canvas

By Andreas Claussen

Located in Denver, CO

"Team II" is an evocative piece from Andreas Claussen that depicts an abstract scene of an astronaut and a flamingo. Andreas Claussen (b. 1988, Hanover, Germany) is a pioneering oi...

Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Peter Witwer Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Andreas Claussen"Expect Darkness to Surround You One Day" Surreal Astronaut Painting, 2023

$7,000

H 47.2 in W 47.2 in

"Expect Darkness to Surround You One Day" Surreal Astronaut Painting

By Andreas Claussen

Located in Denver, CO

Andreas Claussen’s "Expect Darkness to Surround You" (2023) is a striking oil painting that blends surrealism and contemporary realism. Measuring 47.2 x 47.2 inches, this compelling ...

Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Peter Witwer Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Daniella QueiroloDivine Messenger - original abstract figure female form - contemporary artwork, 2026

$5,381

H 49.22 in W 35.44 in D 1.19 in

Divine Messenger - original abstract figure female form - contemporary artwork

By Daniella Queirolo

Located in London, Chelsea

We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Peter Witwer Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Previously Available Items

Peter WitwerAbstract Flower Oil Painting Bay Area Abstract Expressionist Movement, 1958-68

Sold

H 32.5 in W 26.5 in D 1.75 in

Abstract Flower Oil Painting Bay Area Abstract Expressionist Movement

By Peter Witwer

Located in Soquel, CA

Flower Still Life Abstract Floral still life abstract painting by San Francisco artist Peter Witwer (American, 1928-1968). Unsigned from a collection of his work. Provenance estate of Peter Witwer, Lost Art Solon. Image, 28.25"H x 24.25"W Frame, 28.75"H x 24.75"W x 1.75"D Posthumous show of the artists work exhibit card on verso. Born George Peter Witwer on September 6th, 1928, Peter was the son of a prominent real estate developer in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended school in New York City in the late 1940s and moved West in 1958 a part of San Francisco’s emerging gay scene...

Category

1950s Abstract Expressionist Peter Witwer Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Peter Witwer figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Peter Witwer figurative paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Peter Witwer in canvas, fabric, oil paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1950s and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Peter Witwer figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 27 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Honora Berg, Leslie Luverne Anderson, and Armand Rottenberg. Peter Witwer figurative paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,120 and tops out at $2,120, while the average work can sell for $2,120.