Skip to main content

Viktor Schreckengost Art

American, 1906-2008
The son of a commercial potter in Sebring, Ohio, Viktor Schreckengost learned the craft of sculpting in clay from his father. In the mid-1920s, he enrolled at the Cleveland School of Art (now the Cleveland Institute of Art, or CIA) to study cartoon making, but after seeing an exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art he changed his focus to ceramics. Upon graduation in 1929, he studied ceramics in Vienna, Austria, where he began to build a reputation, not only for his art, but also as a jazz saxophonist. A year later, at the age of 25, he became the youngest faculty member at the CIA. In 1931, Schreckengost won the first of several awards for excellence in ceramics at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and his works were shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, and elsewhere. By the mid-1930s, Schreckengost had begun to pursue his interest in industrial design. For American Limoges, he created the first modern mass-produced dinnerware, called Americana. Along with engineer Ray Spiller, Schreckengost designed the first-cab-over-engine truck for Cleveland's White Motor Company. By the end of the decade, he had designed the first Mercury Bicycle for Murray, Ohio. In 1939, the bicycle and "The Four Elements" in clay were displayed at the New York World's Fair. In the 1940s, Schreckengost's designs for children's pedal cars (as well as bicycles and toys) helped Murray, Ohio become the world's largest manufacturer of pedal cars. His design and ceramic work was interrupted by World War II, when he was recruited by the Navy to develop a system for radar recognition that won him the Secretary of Navy's commendation. After the war, Schreckengost resumed his industrial design career creating products for Murray, Sears, General Electric, Salem China Company, and Harris Printing, among others. Approximately 100 million of his bicycles were manufactured by Murray, making it the largest bicycle-maker in the world. He retired from industrial design in 1972, but continued teaching at the Cleveland Institute of Art. Biography from the Archives of askART In June, 2006, Viktor Schreckengost celebrated his 100th birthday in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Of him at this event, it was written: Viktor Schreckengost, a prolific designer whose works ranging from toys, ceramics and paintings to dinnerware and trucks, have touched countless lives, expects his next inspiration to come at any time. . . (he) always seemed to know what to create by responding to needs---like improving the ride of a child's wagon or making user-friendly tableware with an artistic flair." To recognize his birthday, more than 130 galleries and museums featured his work the summer of 2006 in a "National Centennial Exhibition" that paid tribute to his legacy that "includes generations of students who became designers who shaped the output of industrial America in the post World-War II era." In February 2008, Victor Schreckengost died at age 101 at Tallahassee, Florida, where he was spending the winter.
to
1
2
1
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
4
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
5
10,734
2,827
2,495
1,414
1
4
Artist: Viktor Schreckengost
Mayan, Large 20th Century Watercolor, Cleveland School, Viktor Schreckengost
Mayan, Large 20th Century Watercolor, Cleveland School, Viktor Schreckengost

Mayan, Large 20th Century Watercolor, Cleveland School, Viktor Schreckengost

By Viktor Schreckengost

Located in Beachwood, OH

Viktor Schreckengost (American, 1906-2008) Mayan Watercolor heightened with gouache over pencil on paper Signed lower right 39 x 29 inches 45.5 x 35.5 inches, framed Registered with The Viktor Schreckengost foundation, stock no. 6891 The son of a commercial potter in Sebring, Ohio, Viktor Schreckengost learned the craft of sculpting in clay from his father. In the mid-1920s, he enrolled at the Cleveland School of Art (now the Cleveland Institute of Art, or CIA) to study cartoon making, but after seeing an exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art he changed his focus to ceramics. Upon graduation in 1929, he studied ceramics in Vienna, Austria, where he began to build a reputation, not only for his art, but also as a jazz saxophonist. A year later, at the age of 25, he became the youngest faculty member at the CIA. In 1931, Schreckengost won the first of several awards for excellence in ceramics at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and his works were shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, and elsewhere. By the mid-1930s, Schreckengost had begun to pursue his interest in industrial design. For American Limoges...

Category

20th Century American Modern Viktor Schreckengost Art

Materials

Gouache, Watercolor

Golf (Wall Plaque)
Golf (Wall Plaque)

Golf (Wall Plaque)

By Viktor Schreckengost

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Golf (Wall Plaque) Polychromed ceramic, c. 1930-1 Signed with the artist's initials: VS recto Very rare, only a few produced prior to the closure of Cowan Pottery Format: Round ceramic plate, 11 1/4 inches Designed by the artist while working for Cowan Pottery in 1930. One of Cowan's clients, an interior designer, requested plates decorated with different outdoor activities. Others in the series included "Swimming," "Tennis," "Polo," and "The Hunt." According to Henry Adams, the number of examples created was very limited due to the closing of Cowan Pottery in 1931. Very rare Condition: Good, with the usual craquelure of the glazes used. Note: Industrial design democratizes high style, and Mr. Schreckengost was widely considered among the most democratic industrial designers. He made, quite literally, the stuff of life — things found routinely in homes, backyards and garages in this country and around the world. He designed bicycles for Sears and everyday china for American Limoges...

Category

1930s Art Deco Viktor Schreckengost Art

Materials

Ceramic

Darkness Below - Abstract Marine Scene in  Cobalt Blue with Colorful Accents
Darkness Below - Abstract Marine Scene in  Cobalt Blue with Colorful Accents

Darkness Below - Abstract Marine Scene in Cobalt Blue with Colorful Accents

By Viktor Schreckengost

Located in Miami, FL

Viktor Schreckengost paints an ocean scene and moon with precise attention. The painting is part document and part flat abstraction. The uniqueness in this work is how Schreckengos...

Category

1970s Abstract Geometric Viktor Schreckengost Art

Materials

Acrylic, Illustration Board, Watercolor

Polo (Wall Plaque)
Polo (Wall Plaque)

Polo (Wall Plaque)

By Viktor Schreckengost

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Polo (Wall Plaque) Polychromed ceramic, c. 1930-1931 Signed with the artist's initials: VS recto Cowan Pottery stamp verso References And Exhibitions: Designed by the artist while working for Cowan Pottery in 1930. One of Cowan's clients, an interior designer, requested plates decorated with different outdoor activities. Others in the series included "Swimming," "Tennis," "Golf," and "The Hunt." Condition: with the usual craquelure Size: 11 1/4 inches in diameter Industrial design democratizes high style, and Mr. Schreckengost was widely considered among the most democratic industrial designers. He made, quite literally, the stuff of life — things found routinely in homes, backyards and garages in this country and around the world. He designed bicycles for Sears and everyday china for American Limoges. He designed children’s toys and pedal cars; flashlights, furniture and fans; lawn chairs, lawn mowers...

Category

1930s American Modern Viktor Schreckengost Art

Materials

Ceramic

Related Items
A Stylish Vintage 1940s Woman's Fashion Study, Town and Country, Blum’s Vogue
A Stylish Vintage 1940s Woman's Fashion Study, Town and Country, Blum’s Vogue

A Stylish Vintage 1940s Woman's Fashion Study, Town and Country, Blum’s Vogue

Located in Chicago, IL

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring an elegant design for a woman's autumn suit. Inscription reads: "Brown and grey suit and cape affair from Town and Country, Blum's ...

Category

1940s American Modern Viktor Schreckengost Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pencil

A Stylish Vintage 1940s Fashion Study, Design for Women's Beach Wear
A Stylish Vintage 1940s Fashion Study, Design for Women's Beach Wear

A Stylish Vintage 1940s Fashion Study, Design for Women's Beach Wear

Located in Chicago, IL

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring a standing female model dressed in sunglasses wearing an elegant design for women's beach wear. Artwork size: 11 x 8 1/2 inches. ...

Category

1940s American Modern Viktor Schreckengost Art

Materials

Watercolor, Paper, Pencil

A Stylish Vintage 1940s Fashion Study, Designs for Women's Active Wear
A Stylish Vintage 1940s Fashion Study, Designs for Women's Active Wear

A Stylish Vintage 1940s Fashion Study, Designs for Women's Active Wear

Located in Chicago, IL

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring elegant designs for women's active wear by Hattie Carnegie. Inscription reads: Left - White jersey slack suit Red gaberdine jacke...

Category

1940s American Modern Viktor Schreckengost Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pencil

A Stylish, Vintage 1940s Woman's Fashion Study, Cover Design for Hattie Carnegie
A Stylish, Vintage 1940s Woman's Fashion Study, Cover Design for Hattie Carnegie

A Stylish, Vintage 1940s Woman's Fashion Study, Cover Design for Hattie Carnegie

Located in Chicago, IL

A stylish, vintage, 1940s woman's fashion study featuring an elegant graphic design for a portfolio cover featuring ladies resort clothes by Hattie Carnegie. Artwork size: 11 x 8...

Category

1940s American Modern Viktor Schreckengost Art

Materials

Paper, Pencil, Color Pencil, Watercolor

A Stylish, Vintage 1940s Woman's Fashion Design Study, Marshall Field & Co.
A Stylish, Vintage 1940s Woman's Fashion Design Study, Marshall Field & Co.

A Stylish, Vintage 1940s Woman's Fashion Design Study, Marshall Field & Co.

Located in Chicago, IL

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring elegant designs for women's winter hat and coat, Likely an illustration study for a print advertisement for the famed Chicago depa...

Category

1940s American Modern Viktor Schreckengost Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pencil, Color Pencil

A Stylish Vintage 1940s Fashion Study, Design for Women's Hats, Lily Daché
A Stylish Vintage 1940s Fashion Study, Design for Women's Hats, Lily Daché

A Stylish Vintage 1940s Fashion Study, Design for Women's Hats, Lily Daché

Located in Chicago, IL

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring a colorful design for a women's hat by Lilly Daché. Artwork size: 11 x 8 1/4 inches. Archivally matted to 16 x 12 inches. Water...

Category

1940s American Modern Viktor Schreckengost Art

Materials

Paper, Pencil, Watercolor

A Stylish, Vintage 1940s Woman's Fashion Design Study, Marshall Field & Co.
A Stylish, Vintage 1940s Woman's Fashion Design Study, Marshall Field & Co.

A Stylish, Vintage 1940s Woman's Fashion Design Study, Marshall Field & Co.

Located in Chicago, IL

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring an elegant design for a woman's coat, hat and muff, inscribed "Marshall Field & Co". Likely an advertisement illustration study for...

Category

1940s American Modern Viktor Schreckengost Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pencil

Vé et Astrology Ceramic Pendant, Art Deco, Signed, 1950s, 7x5.5 cm
Vé et Astrology Ceramic Pendant, Art Deco, Signed, 1950s, 7x5.5 cm

Vé et Astrology Ceramic Pendant, Art Deco, Signed, 1950s, 7x5.5 cm

By Jean Cocteau

Located in CANNES, FR

Jean Cocteau ( 1889 - 1963 ) Vé and Astrology ceramic's pendant : Vé : signed underneath White 1ere variant ( Terre blanche en relief ). page 212 Size: 7 x5.5 cm catalogue rai...

Category

1950s Art Deco Viktor Schreckengost Art

Materials

Ceramic

Evening in The Tropics, Geometric Tiles in Yellow, Miami Sunset Patterns
Evening in The Tropics, Geometric Tiles in Yellow, Miami Sunset Patterns

Evening in The Tropics, Geometric Tiles in Yellow, Miami Sunset Patterns

By Natalia Roman

Located in Barcelona, ES

These series of paintings by Natalia Roman gather their inspiration from geometric, minimalist shapes and paintings from the beginning of Modernism, with a special emphasis on Art De...

Category

2010s Abstract Geometric Viktor Schreckengost Art

Materials

Watercolor, Acrylic, Handmade Paper

Chaim Gross Mid Century Mod Bronze Sculpture Mother and Baby Playing WPA Artist
Chaim Gross Mid Century Mod Bronze Sculpture Mother and Baby Playing WPA Artist

Chaim Gross Mid Century Mod Bronze Sculpture Mother and Baby Playing WPA Artist

By Chaim Gross

Located in Surfside, FL

Chaim Gross (American, 1904-1991) Cast bronze sculpture Caring (or Mother and Child) signed Mounted on wooden plinth Featuring a mother raising her child up in superb high relied i...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Viktor Schreckengost Art

Materials

Bronze

Previously Available Items
Sunset from a Train

Sunset from a Train

By Viktor Schreckengost

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Signed lower right. Exhibited: Cleveland Museum of Art May Show, 1950 (label) Note: This watercolor received a "Special Award" in the 1950 May Show. It was purchased at the show fo...

Category

Art Deco Viktor Schreckengost Art

Viktor Schreckengost art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Viktor Schreckengost 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 blue and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Viktor Schreckengost in ceramic, paint, watercolor and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the Art Deco style. Not every interior allows for large Viktor Schreckengost art, so small editions measuring 12 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Alexander Rosenfeld, Frank Henry Mason, and Curtis Jeré. Viktor Schreckengost art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $3,000 and tops out at $18,000, while the average work can sell for $4,750.