After receiving his bachelor of fine arts in painting and art history from the Emily Carr School of Art in 1974, Richard Hambleton launched his “Mass Murder” series. The series was painted on the streets of over 15 cities across Canada and the United States. Hambleton would outline friends in chalk drawings, splashing them with red paint to mimic the remnants of a crime scene.
In 1979, Hambleton moved permanently to the Lower East Side of New York City. It was here that Hambleton gained notoriety for his “Shadowman” paintings of the early 1980s. Over the course of the next decade, his ominous silhouettes painted in unsuspecting corners, alleys and side streets had appeared in over six hundred locations in major cities, including New York City, London, Paris, as well as both sides of the Berlin Wall.
A departure from the spontaneity of the traditional street tag, Hambleton’s paintings were site-specific conceptual works intended to provoke unsuspecting pedestrians with a sobering moment of contemplation. His first solo exhibition opened in the Lower East Side of New York in 1982, and just two years later, his work was included in the Venice Biennale. He was included in the Venice Biennale again in 1988. From 2009–11, a major retrospective was mounted in collaboration with Giorgio Armani, touring multiple venues that included the Moscow Museum of Modern Art and Phillips de Pury in New York.
Shadowman, a film about Hambleton by director Oren Jacoby, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 21 2017. Today, Hambleton’s works are held in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum, the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Moco Museum in Amsterdam, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, among others. Hambleton continued to live and work in New York until his death in 2017.
Find a collection of Richard Hambleton art on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by Chase Contemporary)
"4 Shadows", 2012
By Richard Hambleton
Located in Edinburgh, GB
This work belongs to Richard Hambleton’s late Shadow period, in which the human figure is reduced to a haunting silhouette—simultaneously present and anonymous. In Four Shadows, Hamb...
Oil, Canvas
Standing Shadow - Run
By Richard Hambleton
Located in London, GB
2018 Giclée on 308gsm Hahnemuhle paper 145 x 77 cm Edition of 75 Numbered by Hambleton in pencil as well as bearing the Richard Hambleton Archive stamp verso Excellent condition Fram...
Paper, Giclée
Untitled Rodeo
By Richard Hambleton
Located in London, GB
2003 Acrylic on paper 66 x 53 cm (26.1 x 21 inches) Framed Richard Hambleton (1952–2017) was a Canadian-born artist and a pioneering figure in street art, best known for his 'Shadow...
Paper, Acrylic
Vendimiadora (Grape Harvester)
By Roman Frances
Located in Atlanta, GA
Small limited edition run of 49 and 6 E.A."s (Edition of the artist). Each canvas reproduction is crafted by a skilled printer under the supervision of the artist. Román Francés has...
Canvas, Oil, Giclée
Beach landscape on Atlantic French coast
Located in BELEYMAS, FR
Jean-Georges PASQUET (Périgueux 1851 - 1936) Pointe de Suzac at Saint Georges de Didonne Oil on canvas H. 59 cm; W. 85 cm Signed and dated 1885 lower left Provenance: Private collec...
Oil, Canvas
$405
H 24 in W 18 in
La Lumbre - Abstract Brown Tone Figurative Cowgirl Portrait Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jesse’s imagery often merges playful and gritty elements, blending floral patterns, vintage-inspired designs, and bold outlines with a touch of whimsy. His artwork exudes a sense of ...
Paint, Paper, Acrylic
$1,866
H 19.69 in W 25.2 in
Mecano by Christophe Dupety - Portrait painting, red, blue, figurative, man
By Christophe Dupety
Located in Paris, FR
Mecano is a painting on paper by French contemporary artist Christophe Dupety, dimensions are 50 × 64 cm (19.7 x 25.2 in). The artwork is signed, sold unframed and comes with a certi...
Paper, Acrylic
$430
H 25.6 in W 19.69 in D 0.04 in
Contemporary abstract expressive woman's portrait acrylic painting on paper
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary abstract expressive woman's portrait acrylic painting on paper was created by French artist Natalya Mougenot. Contemplating the Present captivates with its bold use...
Paper, Acrylic
Men portrait
Located in BELEYMAS, FR
Jean François Marie Bellier (Paris 1745 – Paris 1836) Portrait of a Man Oil on oval canvas laid flat H. 45 cm; W. 55 cm Signed on the left Circa 1790 Jean François Marie Bellier occ...
Canvas, Oil
Holy family under an oak tree on a gold background
Located in BELEYMAS, FR
French school circa 1870 Holy Family under an oak, after Raphaël, on gold background Oil on canvas H. 92 cm; W. 60 cm This aesthetic curiosity takes up the very famous composition b...
Canvas, Oil
$9,572
H 28.35 in W 23.23 in
The sculptor Jean-Paul Aubé working on a statue of Shakespeare
Located in BELEYMAS, FR
Antoine Louis MANCEAUX (Calvi, 1862 - Beauvais, 1939) The sculptor Jean-Paul Aubé working on the plaster cast of a statue of Shakespeare Oil on canvas, formerly mounted on cardboard ...
Canvas, Oil
Splendor
By Roman Frances
Located in Atlanta, GA
Small limited edition run of 49 and 6 E.A."s (Edition of the artist). Each canvas reproduction is crafted by a skilled printer under the supervision of the artist. Román Francés has...
Oil, Canvas, Giclée
$23,931
H 21.46 in W 18.12 in
Presumed Portrait of Jean-Jacques-Blaise Baloin de Belvèse, Baron de Vennac
Located in BELEYMAS, FR
Marianne Loir (Paris 1705 – Paris 1783) Presumed Portrait of Jean-Jacques-Blaise Baloin de Belvèse, Baron de Vennac (?-1781) Oil on oval canvas H. 54.5 cm; W. 46 cm Unsigned Grandda...
Canvas, Oil
$466
H 25.6 in W 19.69 in D 0.04 in
Contemporary abstract acrylic painting faceless portrait of two woman on paper
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This painting, titled "Unbreakable Bond," was created by French artist Natalya Mougenot as part of her ongoing series dedicated to women, one of her favorite themes. In this work, sh...
Paper, Acrylic
Thoughtful
By Roman Frances
Located in Atlanta, GA
Small limited edition run of 49 and 6 E.A."s (Edition of the artist). Each canvas reproduction is crafted by a skilled printer under the supervision of the artist. Román Francés has...
Canvas, Oil, Giclée
Sold
H 24 in W 31 in
Untitled (Black Headshadow with Yellow and Orange Background)
By Richard Hambleton
Located in Los Angeles, CA
New York Times art critic Michael Brenson, when commenting on Hambleton's exceptional skill at handling paint, wrote, "When he throws white or black on the canvas, his waves break, h...
Mixed Media, Canvas