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Rolph Scarlett Art

American, 1889-1984

Rolph Scarlett was a painter of geometric abstraction during the American avant-garde movement of the 1930s and 1940s. Scarlett was born in Guelph, Ontario, Canada in 1889, he left Canada at the age of 18 to go to New York City and returned to Canada during the years of World War I. However, by 1924, Scarlett had established New York City as his home. While he was beginning his career as an abstract painter, he was designing stage scenery for George Bernard Shaw's play, Man and Superman and the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. In 1939, while creating the Museum of Non-Objective Painting (later the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum), Director Hilla Rebay began to take an interest in Scarlett's work. By 1940, he had become the new museum's chief lecturer. By 1953, the Guggenheim owned nearly 60 of his paintings and monoprints. Scarlett later became a resident of the Woodstock art colony for more than 25 years and showed his work in the Woodstock exhibits.

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Dealer: Arthur T. Kalaher Fine Art
“Jester”
By Rolph Scarlett
Located in Southampton, NY
Early mixed media painting composed of watercolor, gouache and oil pastel on card stock of a jester by the Canadian/American artist, Rolph Scarlett. Signed by the artist lower right ...
Category

1920s American Modern Rolph Scarlett Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Watercolor, Gouache

“Abstract Figures, 1954”
By Rolph Scarlett
Located in Southampton, NY
Original mixed media painting composed of acrylic paint, watercolor with traces of aerosol spray paint on vinyl by the Canadian/American artist, Rolph Scarlett. Signed by the artist lower right and dated 1954. Condition is very good. The artwork is housed in a contemporary matt black frame 25.5 by 21.5 inches overall. Provenance: Eric Firestone...
Category

1950s American Modern Rolph Scarlett Art

Materials

Acrylic, Watercolor

“Floating Forms”
By Rolph Scarlett
Located in Southampton, NY
Mid century modern gouache on paper by the well known Canadian/American artist, Rolph Scarlett. Signed and dated in blue pen lower left, 1947. Condition: Good. Framed in thin black matte painted frame with acid free white mat. Not examined out of frame. Overall framed 14.25 by 17 inches. ROLPH SCARLETT (1889-1984) Rolph Scarlett was born 1889 in Guelph, Ontario. His long life as an artist began in his teens as a jewelry designer and fabricator. At the age of fourteen he began to design jewelry professionally, a craft which he continued off and on for the rest of his life. His desire to learn more about art took him to New York in 1908, when American artists were just beginning to experience strong influences from major modern European artists of the day such as Cezanne and Picasso. Throughout his long career he produced, oil paintings, many works on paper, unique sculptured jewelry, modernist style industrial and furniture designs. Currently there are over 800 of his designs at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Design Collection. In 1928 he moved to Hollywood, California where he became a very successful stage and set designer. In the mid-1930s he met the director of the Museum of Non-objective Art in New York ( Hilla Rebay). He became her close associate and advisor in organizing and running the museum. He was Chief lecturer at the museum (1939 -1946) teaching the new modernism and abstraction to the new generation of artists in the New York art community. Hilla Rebay would introduce him as “Rolph Scarlett, my great find”. So considerable was her enthusiasm for Scarlett, that she and Solomon Guggenheim bought over sixty of his paintings and monotypes for the museum. After Kandinsky and Bauer, there was more of Scarlett’s work in the collection than any other artists. He participated in many of the museum exhibitions and galleries and was regularly exhibiting his work in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Art Museum, the Art Institute in Chicago, the Modern Age Gallery in N.Y., the Metropolitan Museum, the Whitney Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. He studied for a time at the Art Student League with William Merrit...
Category

1940s Modern Rolph Scarlett Art

Materials

Paper, Gouache

"Orange Face"
By Rolph Scarlett
Located in Southampton, NY
Circa 1945 Signed lower left Sight size 12 x 10.5 in Overall size in newly matted one inch wide black frame 25.5 x 21.5 in
Category

1940s Modern Rolph Scarlett Art

Materials

Gouache, Paper

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Previously Available Items
“Untitled Abstract”
By Rolph Scarlett
Located in Southampton, NY
Untitled watercolor on paper geometric abstract by the Canadian/American artist, Rolph Scarlett. Signed lower left. Condition is good. Newly matted and framed in one inch wide matte...
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1940s Abstract Geometric Rolph Scarlett Art

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Paper, Watercolor

“Invisible Eye”
By Rolph Scarlett
Located in Southampton, NY
Circa 1955 original acrylic and watercolor mixed media painting by the Canadian/American artist Rolph Scarlett. Signed lower left. Condition is very good. Great, bold colors typica...
Category

1950s Post-Modern Rolph Scarlett Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor

“Free Forms”
By Rolph Scarlett
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil pastel on archival paper by the Canadian/American artist, Rolph Scarlett. Signed lower left. Circa 1955. Condition: Very good. Newly framed in black matte frame wit...
Category

1950s Post-Modern Rolph Scarlett Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Archival Paper

“Untitled Abstract”
By Rolph Scarlett
Located in Southampton, NY
Original watercolor on archival paper by the Canadian/American artist, Rolph Scarlett. Signed middle bottom. Condition: Very good. Overall framed in matte black frame with acid fr...
Category

1940s Post-Modern Rolph Scarlett Art

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper

“Abstract, 1950”
By Rolph Scarlett
Located in Southampton, NY
Original watercolor on archival paper by the Canadian/American artist, Rolph Scarlett. Signed lower right. Condition: Very good. Circa 1950. Overall in matte black frame with whi...
Category

1950s Post-Modern Rolph Scarlett Art

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper

“Abstract in Blue”
By Rolph Scarlett
Located in Southampton, NY
Gouache, watercolor and pencil on archival paper by the Canadian/American artist, Rolph Scarlett. Signed bottom right. Circa 1950. Condition: Excellent. Provenance: Eric Firesto...
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1950s Abstract Geometric Rolph Scarlett Art

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Watercolor, Gouache, Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil

"Abstract, 1940"
By Rolph Scarlett
Located in Southampton, NY
Here for your consideration is a very complex and intricate original artwork by the well known Candadian/American artist, Rolph Scarlett. Ink and watercolor on cardboard. Circa 194...
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1930s Abstract Rolph Scarlett Art

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"Lamp Shade"
By Rolph Scarlett
Located in Southampton, NY
Signed front and bottom left, not dated Provenance: Portico New York, Inc. Framed
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1930s American Modern Rolph Scarlett Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Paper

Bandaid
By Rolph Scarlett
Located in Southampton, NY
Signed lower left Scarlett, dated 1952
Category

1950s Rolph Scarlett Art

Materials

Gouache, Paper

Bandaid
H 13.75 in W 16.125 in

Rolph Scarlett art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Rolph Scarlett art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of orange, green and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Rolph Scarlett in paint, watercolor, gouache and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Rolph Scarlett art, so small editions measuring 5 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Curtis Ripley, Bernd Haussmann, and Dmitri Wright. Rolph Scarlett art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,200 and tops out at $75,000, while the average work can sell for $6,500.

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