Skip to main content

Robert Blackburn Art

American, 1920-2003

Robert Blackburn participated in the rich mix of art programs and creative groups available in Harlem as he was growing up, including Charles Alston's Harlem Arts Workshop, the Harlem YMCA, and later the Harlem Artists’ Guild. In 1937, Blackburn joined the WPA at the Harlem Community Art Center, the largest New York center for instruction in the arts. There, he was exposed to Harlem's most prominent artists, among them Aaron Douglas, William Henry Johnson, and Jacob Lawrence. Blackburn studied with Will Barnet and Vaclav Vytlacil at the Art Students League, which he attended in the early 1940s on scholarship. In 1949, he founded the Printmaking Workshop, an artist's cooperative modeled on Stanley William Hayter's Atelier 17. Blackburn's ongoing commitment to the workshop and his innovative approach to the art of lithography was critical in shaping the development of the medium. In his capacity as a master printmaker, Blackburn collaborated with many major American artists, including Romare Bearden, Robert Motherwell, Jasper Johns, and Helen Frankenthaler. From an early age, Blackburn was the recipient of many awards and fellowships, including the Frederick Douglass Guidance and Art Medals, John Wanamaker Memorial Medal, Spingarn Award, Robert Pious Award, Poussant Award, G. T. Pinckney Award, and the John Hay Whitney Traveling Fellowship. Blackburn's work is represented in numerous major American art museums and collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Library of Congress.

to
1
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
11,084
2,852
2,494
1,431
1
Artist: Robert Blackburn
Reclining Nude — Mid-Century Modernism, Renowned African American Artist

Reclining Nude — Mid-Century Modernism, Renowned African American Artist

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

Robert Blackburn, Untitled (Reclining Nude), brush and ink, c. 1948, unsigned. A fine, spontaneous work, on cream wove paper. Slight toning to the sheet edges; otherwise in excellent condition. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Image size 18 3/4 x 23 1/2 inches (476 x 597 mm). Provenance: Adrienne E. Wheeler Collection, acquired from the artist. ABOUT THE ARTIST Robert Blackburn (1920 - 2003) participated in the rich mix of art programs and creative groups available in Harlem as he grew up, including Charles Alston's Harlem Arts Workshop, the Harlem YMCA, and later the Harlem Artist's Guild. In 1937 he joined the WPA at the Harlem Community Art Center, the largest New York center for instruction in the arts. There he was exposed to Harlem's most prominent artists, Aaron Douglas, William Henry Johnson...

Category

1940s American Modern Robert Blackburn Art

Materials

Ink

Related Items
Morris Graves, Abandon Nest, 1950, drawing
Morris Graves, Abandon Nest, 1950, drawing

Morris Graves, Abandon Nest, 1950, drawing

By Morris Graves

Located in New York, NY

This is a complicated drawing, even for Morris Graves (1910-2001), known as the Mystical Painter of Nature. Graves tried to be sensitive to the slightest tremor or breeze that a sma...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Robert Blackburn Art

Materials

Ink, Watercolor

An Avant-Garde, Mid-Century Modern Abstract Female Figure Study by Harold Haydon
An Avant-Garde, Mid-Century Modern Abstract Female Figure Study by Harold Haydon

An Avant-Garde, Mid-Century Modern Abstract Female Figure Study by Harold Haydon

By Harold Haydon

Located in Chicago, IL

A Dynamic, Avant-Garde, Mid-Century Modern Abstract Female Figure Study by Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A striking, black & white figural studio ink drawing on paper depictin...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Robert Blackburn Art

Materials

Paper, Ink

A Delightful, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Ink Drawing of a Resting Cat
A Delightful, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Ink Drawing of a Resting Cat

A Delightful, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Ink Drawing of a Resting Cat

By Harold Haydon

Located in Chicago, IL

A Delightful, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Ink Drawing of a Resting Cat by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Artwork size: 9 1/4” x 11 1/2” (Sheet), unframed, mat...

Category

1950s American Modern Robert Blackburn Art

Materials

Paper, Ink

Original California Figurative Abstract Still Life Ink Drawing Joyce Treiman
Original California Figurative Abstract Still Life Ink Drawing Joyce Treiman

Original California Figurative Abstract Still Life Ink Drawing Joyce Treiman

By Joyce Treiman

Located in Surfside, FL

Joyce Treiman Ink on paper, framed under glass; signed in pencil lower right; Dimensions: 16 1/2 x 13 3/4 inches; 18 3/4 x 14 3/4 inches frame. Joyce Wahl Treiman was an American p...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Robert Blackburn Art

Materials

Paper, India Ink

Watercolor Painting American Modern Painting Bridge Harbor Female Artist 1950
Watercolor Painting American Modern Painting Bridge Harbor Female Artist 1950

Watercolor Painting American Modern Painting Bridge Harbor Female Artist 1950

By Dorothy Rivo

Located in Buffalo, NY

Dorothy Rivo Untitled (Bridge Tower), c. 1960s–70s Acrylic on paper, floated in a mat Framed dimensions: 30 in. H × 24 in. W Contemporary walnut or black wood frame with white archiv...

Category

1940s American Modern Robert Blackburn Art

Materials

Archival Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper, Acrylic

Charles Bunnell Quitting Time, 1941 American Modernist Abstract Painting
Charles Bunnell Quitting Time, 1941 American Modernist Abstract Painting

Charles Bunnell Quitting Time, 1941 American Modernist Abstract Painting

By Charles Ragland Bunnell

Located in Denver, CO

Painted in 1941, Quitting Time is a compelling example of Charles Ragland Bunnell's mature modernist vision and his pioneering contribution to American abstraction. Created during a ...

Category

1940s American Modern Robert Blackburn Art

Materials

Charcoal, Ink, Watercolor

UNTITLED PORTRAIT

UNTITLED PORTRAIT

By John Heliker

Located in Portland, ME

Heliker, John. (American, 1909-2000). UNTITLED PORTRAIT. Ink on paper, not dated, likely 1930s. The image is of a man, likely a factory worker, seated, wearing a cap, leaning his face on one hand, with factory structures in the background. Signed, lower right. c. 8 x 8 inches 0n a larger sheet. In excellent condition. Heliker was born in Yonkers and spent his adult life dividing his time between Manhattan, where he taught art for decades, and Great Cranberry Island...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Robert Blackburn Art

Materials

Ink

An Intimate, 1940s Mid-Century Modern Female Figure Study, Standing Nude
An Intimate, 1940s Mid-Century Modern Female Figure Study, Standing Nude

An Intimate, 1940s Mid-Century Modern Female Figure Study, Standing Nude

By Harold Haydon

Located in Chicago, IL

An Intimate, Finely Drawn 1940s Modern Female Nude Figure Study by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). The drawing is ink on paper and dates circa 1945. Artwork ...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Robert Blackburn Art

Materials

Paper, Ink

A Humorous, Vintage Mid-Century Modern Cartoon Ink Drawing, The Water Cooler
A Humorous, Vintage Mid-Century Modern Cartoon Ink Drawing, The Water Cooler

A Humorous, Vintage Mid-Century Modern Cartoon Ink Drawing, The Water Cooler

By Harold Haydon

Located in Chicago, IL

A Quirky, Humorous 1950s Mid-Century Modern Cartoon Illustration Ink Drawing ("The Water Cooler") by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Artwork size: 9 x 7 Inc...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Robert Blackburn Art

Materials

Paper, Ink

Mission Impossible Original TV Guide Drawing Illustration Caricature Mid Century
Mission Impossible Original TV Guide Drawing Illustration Caricature Mid Century

Mission Impossible Original TV Guide Drawing Illustration Caricature Mid Century

By Albert Al Hirschfeld

Located in New York, NY

"Mission Impossible" Original TV Guide Drawing Illustration Caricature Mid Century NYC with Greg Morris, Barbara Bain, and Steve Hill. This original drawing...

Category

1960s American Modern Robert Blackburn Art

Materials

Ink, Board

A Fine, Mid-Century Modern 1950s Academic Anatomical Figure Study (Female Feet)
A Fine, Mid-Century Modern 1950s Academic Anatomical Figure Study (Female Feet)

A Fine, Mid-Century Modern 1950s Academic Anatomical Figure Study (Female Feet)

By Harold Haydon

Located in Chicago, IL

A Fine, Mid-Century Modern 1950s Academic Anatomical Figure Study of Female Feet by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A well executed ink composite figure study...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Robert Blackburn Art

Materials

Paper, Ink

A Stylish, Brightly Colored 1950s Mid-Century Modern Abstract Textile Design
A Stylish, Brightly Colored 1950s Mid-Century Modern Abstract Textile Design

A Stylish, Brightly Colored 1950s Mid-Century Modern Abstract Textile Design

By Andre Delfau

Located in Chicago, IL

A stylish, colorful 1950s Mid-Century Modern abstract geometric textile design (in black, yellow, blue, pale pink, red tones) by famed French costume, set and fashion designer Andre Delfau (1914-2000). Artwork size: 15 1/4 x 12 inches; Unframed. Presented in an archival mat measuring 26 x 20 inches (ready to frame). Estate stamped on reverse. Provenance: Estate of the artist. One from a series of related Modern textile designs by Andre Delfau. Please see our other 1stDibs gallery listings. Born in Paris, France in 1914, Andre Delfau became an internationally acclaimed stage, set and costume designer who worked world-wide from the 1930s to the 1980s. Delfau was a life long artist and painted independently of his noted design career. His artwork is recognized for it’s vibrant color and form, and a particularly keen use of line. He was highly influenced by the French Modern trends of Cubism and Surrealism, and his artwork is often infused with a dramatic sense of architecture and perspective. Delfau created fashion designs for such major Paris couture houses as Balmain, Jean Patou and Balenciaga. He completed noteworthy set designs and costumes for numerous international operatic and ballet productions, including those at the Royal Danish Ballet, the Royal Ballet of Great Britain, the Paris Opera, the Dance Theater of Harlem, the Ruth Page International Ballet, the Civic Ballet of Chicago, the Chicago Opera Ballet and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, among others. Most notably, Delfau designed the elaborate stage sets and costumes for the 1986 PBS television production of the Viennese operetta, "Die Fledermaus...

Category

1950s American Modern Robert Blackburn Art

Materials

Ink, Gouache, Graphite, Paper

Previously Available Items
Abstraction II — African American artist
Abstraction II — African American artist

Abstraction II — African American artist

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

Robert Blackburn, Untitled (Abstraction II), lithograph, c. 1950, unsigned, no edition–proofs only. A superb, richly-inked impression, on cream wove paper; the full sheet with margins (2 3/8 to 3 1/8 inches), in excellent condition. Image size 13 1/8 x 7 5/8 inches; sheet size 19 x 13 inches. Extremely scarce. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Provenance: Adrienne E. Wheeler Collection, acquired from the artist. ABOUT THE ARTIST Robert Blackburn participated in the rich mix of art programs and creative groups available in Harlem as he grew up, including Charles Alston's Harlem Arts Workshop, the Harlem YMCA, and later the Harlem Artist's Guild. In 1937 he joined the WPA at the Harlem Community Art Center, the largest New York center for instruction in the arts. There he was exposed to Harlem's most prominent artists, Aaron Douglas, William Henry Johnson, and Jacob Lawrence. He studied with Will Barnet and Vaclav Vytlacil at the Art Students League, which he attended in the early 1940s on scholarship. In 1949 he founded the Printmaking Workshop, an artist's cooperative modeled on Stanley William Hayter's Atelier 17. Blackburn's ongoing commitment to the workshop and his innovative approach to the art of lithography was critical in shaping the development of the medium. In his capacity as master printmaker, Blackburn collaborated with many major American artists, including Romare Bearden, Robert Motherwell, Jasper Johns, and Helen Frankenthaler. From an early age, Blackburn was the recipient of many awards and fellowships, including the Frederick Douglas...

Category

1950s Abstract Expressionist Robert Blackburn Art

Materials

Lithograph

Abstraction I — African American artist
Abstraction I — African American artist

Abstraction I — African American artist

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

Robert Blackburn, 'Untitled (Abstraction I)', lithograph, c. 1950, unsigned, no edition–proofs only. A superb, richly-inked impression, on cream wove paper; the full sheet with margins (2 3/8 to 4 3/4 inches), in excellent condition. Extremely scarce. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Image size 10 x 8 1/8 inches; sheet size 19 x 13 inches. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Provenance: Adrienne E. Wheeler Collection, acquired from the artist. ABOUT THE ARTIST Robert Blackburn participated in the rich mix of art programs and creative groups available in Harlem as he grew up, including Charles Alston's Harlem Arts Workshop, the Harlem YMCA, and later the Harlem Artist's Guild. In 1937 he joined the WPA at the Harlem Community Art Center, the largest New York center for instruction in the arts. There he was exposed to Harlem's most prominent artists, Aaron Douglas, William Henry Johnson, and Jacob Lawrence. He studied with Will Barnet and Vaclav Vytlacil at the Art Students League, which he attended in the early 1940s on scholarship. In 1949 he founded the Printmaking Workshop, an artist's cooperative modeled on Stanley William Hayter's Atelier 17. Blackburn's ongoing commitment to the workshop and his innovative approach to the art of lithography was critical in shaping the development of the medium. In his capacity as master printmaker, Blackburn collaborated with many major American artists, including Romare Bearden, Robert Motherwell, Jasper Johns, and Helen Frankenthaler. From an early age, Blackburn was the recipient of many awards and fellowships, including the Frederick Douglas...

Category

1950s Abstract Expressionist Robert Blackburn Art

Materials

Lithograph

Robert Blackburn art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Robert Blackburn art available for sale on 1stDibs. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of David LaChapelle, Paul Resika, and Mercedes Matter.

Artists Similar to Robert Blackburn