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William Thon Art

American, 1906-2000

William Thon was an American artist noted for his highly abstracted landscape images. He was born in New York City and spent his childhood summers camping on Staten Island. He developed a great love of travel, and in 1933 made an eight-month voyage to Cocos Islands in the Pacific. He debuted as a professional artist in the 1939 Corcoran Gallery Biennial exhibition. He joined the Navy during World War II, and shortly after the war won the Prix de Rome, a fellowship in Rome to the American Academy, for which he later served as a trustee. He received further recognition with his participation in the 1942 '"Artists for Victory" exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He held his first one-person show at the Midtown Galleries in New York in 1944. The gallery continued to represent him throughout his career. He had subsequent solo exhibitions at the Smith College Art Museum, the Fort Wayne Museum of Art and the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine. He received an honorary Doctor of Arts from the Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, in 1957. He was a member of The American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, and the National Academy of Design. In 1947, Thon’s year-long study at the American Academy proved pivotal in his career, when he began working in watercolor. Upon his return to America, he submitted a watercolor to the 1949 exhibition of the National Academy of Design, and that year, he was voted into the Academy membership. From thereon, he frequently exhibited at the Academy and won prizes, including the Benjamin Altman Prize in 1951, 1954, 1961, 1967 and 1969. In 1951, Thon received a grant from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He often traveled to Italy, and in 1955 served in Rome as Artist-in-Residence at the American Academy. Thon chose to live in the relative isolation of Port Clyde, Maine, on a peninsula overlooking the sea, a quiet place, especially in winter. He preferred the company of sailors, craftsmen, lobstermen, a few fellow artists and his beloved wife, Helen. This area is credited as inspiring a stylistic breakthrough for Thon when he discovered an abandoned quarry near his property. There, he created numerous, increasingly abstract paintings of spidery trees with rectilinear slabs of interspersed granite. Each season, Thon would send his paintings off to the prestigious Midtown Galleries in New York City. His works bore the imprint of his vital connection to the raw, natural beauty of rural Maine, its rugged terrain, beautiful virgin forests, intemperate seas, and the human-made scatter of wooden buildings along its rocky shoreline. Thon continued to work even after macular degeneration had left him legally blind. From his estate gift of four million dollars, the Portland Museum of Art, Maine, received the biggest cash donation to that time. Thon was awarded numerous prizes and is represented in over 60 museum collections including, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, The Butler Institute of American Art, the Columbus Museum of Art, and in Maine, the Farnsworth Art Museum, the Portland Museum of Art, and the Ogunquit Museum of American Art.

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Artist: William Thon
UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #1

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #1

By William Thon

Located in Portland, ME

Thon, William (American, 1906-2000) UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #1. Ink on paper, not dated, but circa 1960s. Unsigned.The sketchbook identified by an Estate label on its cover. 5 x ...

Category

Mid-20th Century William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #4

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #4

By William Thon

Located in Portland, ME

Thon, William (American, 1906-2000) UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #4. Ink on paper, not dated, but circa 1960s. Unsigned.The sketchbook identified by an Estate label on its cover. 5 x ...

Category

Mid-20th Century William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #2

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #2

By William Thon

Located in Portland, ME

Thon, William (American, 1906-2000) UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #2. Ink on paper, not dated, but circa 1960s. Unsigned.The sketchbook identified by an Estate label on its cover. 5 x ...

Category

Mid-20th Century William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

"Silvery Day, " William Thon, ink wash, sailboats, coastal, modernist
"Silvery Day, " William Thon, ink wash, sailboats, coastal, modernist

"Silvery Day, " William Thon, ink wash, sailboats, coastal, modernist

By William Thon

Located in Wiscasset, ME

William Thon, although born in New York, painted and lived most of his adult life in coastal Maine. Thon studied at the Arts Student League in New York, and exhibited in the 1930s an...

Category

20th Century Modern William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #15

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #15

By William Thon

Located in Portland, ME

Thon, William (American, 1906-2000) UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #15. Ink on paper, not dated, but circa 1960s. Unsigned.The sketchbook identified by an Estate label on its cover. 5 x...

Category

Mid-20th Century William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

Upper Tuscany — Mid-century American Expressionism
Upper Tuscany — Mid-century American Expressionism

Upper Tuscany — Mid-century American Expressionism

By William Thon

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

William Thon, 'Upper Tuscany', a two-sided watercolor, c. 1955. Signed, lower right; titled verso. A fine, expressionist work, with fresh colors, on cream watercolor paper; the image...

Category

1950s American Modern William Thon Art

Materials

Watercolor

The Ruby R

The Ruby R

By William Thon

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

William Thon, 'The Ruby R', watercolor, c. 1990. Signed, lower right; titled verso. A fine, expressionist work, on off-white watercolor paper; the image extending to the sheet edges....

Category

1950s American Modern William Thon Art

Materials

Watercolor

Alongside

Alongside

By William Thon

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

William Thon, 'Alongside', watercolor, c. 1990. Signed, lower right; titled verso. A fine, expressionist work, on off-white watercolor paper; the image extending to the sheet edges, ...

Category

1950s American Modern William Thon Art

Materials

Watercolor

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #16

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #16

By William Thon

Located in Portland, ME

Thon, William (American, 1906-2000) UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #16. Ink on paper, not dated, but circa 1960s. Unsigned.The sketchbook identified by an Estate label on its cover. 5 x...

Category

Mid-20th Century William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

UNTITLED (DRAWING OF A TOWN IN ITALY)

UNTITLED (DRAWING OF A TOWN IN ITALY)

By William Thon

Located in Portland, ME

Thon, William (American, 1906-2000). UNTITLED (DRAWING OF A TOWN IN ITALY) Ink and watercolor on paper. Not dated. Unsigned. 14 x 17 inches. In excellent condition. From a sketchboo...

Category

Mid-20th Century William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

"At Sea, " William Thon, ink wash, sailboat, modernist, 20th century
"At Sea, " William Thon, ink wash, sailboat, modernist, 20th century

"At Sea, " William Thon, ink wash, sailboat, modernist, 20th century

By William Thon

Located in Wiscasset, ME

William Thon, although born in New York, painted and lived most of his adult life in coastal Maine. Thon studied at the Arts Student League in New York, and exhibited in the 1930s an...

Category

20th Century Modern William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #3

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #3

By William Thon

Located in Portland, ME

Thon, William (American, 1906-2000) UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #3. Ink on paper, not dated, but circa 1960s. Unsigned.The sketchbook identified by an Estate label on its cover. 5 x ...

Category

Mid-20th Century William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #5

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #5

By William Thon

Located in Portland, ME

Thon, William (American, 1906-2000) UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #5. Ink on paper, not dated, but circa 1960s. Unsigned.The sketchbook identified by an Estate label on its cover. 5 x ...

Category

Mid-20th Century William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

UNTITLED (DRAWING OF A BOAT #1; LIKELY IN ITALY)

UNTITLED (DRAWING OF A BOAT #1; LIKELY IN ITALY)

By William Thon

Located in Portland, ME

Thon, William (American, 1906-2000).; UNTITLED (DRAWING OF A BOAT #1; LIKELY IN ITALY). Ink and wash on paper. Not dated. Unsigned. 14 x 17 inches. In excellent condition. From a ske...

Category

Mid-20th Century William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

UNTITLED (DRAWING OF A BOAT #2; LIKELY IN ITALY)

UNTITLED (DRAWING OF A BOAT #2; LIKELY IN ITALY)

By William Thon

Located in Portland, ME

Thon, William (American, 1906-2000).; UNTITLED (DRAWING OF A BOAT #2; LIKELY IN ITALY). Ink and watercolor on paper. Not dated. Unsigned. 14 x 17 inches. In excellent condition. From...

Category

Mid-20th Century William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #17

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #17

By William Thon

Located in Portland, ME

Thon, William (American, 1906-2000) UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #17. Ink on paper, not dated, but circa 1960s. Unsigned.The sketchbook identified by an Estate label on its cover. 5 x...

Category

Mid-20th Century William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

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Thunderstorm over Boston. July 14, 1930. Ink and watercolor on paper. 10 5/8 x 17 5/8 (sheet 12 x 19 1/4). Signed and dated and titled in ink, lower right; titled verso and annotated...

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Sunset
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Previously Available Items
UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #18

UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #18

By William Thon

Located in Portland, ME

Thon, William (American, 1906-2000) UNTITLED SKETCHBOOK DRAWING #18. Ink on paper, not dated, but circa 1960s. Unsigned.The sketchbook identified by an Estate label on its cover. 5 x...

Category

Mid-20th Century William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

Victorian Atlanta
Victorian Atlanta

William ThonVictorian Atlanta

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H 34 in W 21 in D 2 in

Victorian Atlanta

By William Thon

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Victorian Atlanta, by 1953, oil on canvas, 34 x 21 inches, Midtown Galleries label verso with artist’s name and title, label verso reads: “Norton Gallery of Art / Crate No. / Box _3 / No. 6 / Use Ball Point Pen”, exhibited: 15th Southeastern Exhibition, Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL, Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC, Norton Gallery, Palm Beach, FL, and seven other southern museums, 1953 – 1954 (see 1) American Contemporary Exhibition Opens Today, The Birmingham News, May 3, 1953; 2) Shocking, Thought Provoking Modern Paintings on Display, The State, October 4, 1953; and 3) ECK, 15th Southeastern Exhibition Is Opened At Norton Gallery, The Palm Beach Post, December 31, 1953), literature: Gruskin, Alan, The Painter and His Techniques: Wiliam Thon, The Viking Press (1964), p. 150, provenance includes Midtown Galleries, New York and the Estate of Robert Clary...

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1950s William Thon Art

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Canvas, Oil

Island Fisherman's Houses

Island Fisherman's Houses

By William Thon

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

William Thon, 'Island Fisherman's Houses', watercolor, c. 1950. Signed, lower right; titled verso in pencil. A fine, expressionist work, with fresh colors, on cream watercolor paper;...

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In The Woods

William ThonIn The Woods, c. 1990

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H 17.88 in W 23.88 in

In The Woods

By William Thon

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

William Thon, 'In The Woods', watercolor, c. 1990. Signed, lower right; titled verso. A fine, painterly work, on off-white, wove watercolor paper, the ima...

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1950s American Modern William Thon Art

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Watercolor

UNTITLED
UNTITLED

William ThonUNTITLED, 1989

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H 16 in W 20 in

UNTITLED

By William Thon

Located in Portland, ME

Thon, William. UNTITLED. Ink on paper, not dated, but 1989. Signed in brown ink, lower right. About 9 x 12 inches, framed to 15 3/8 x 18 3/8 inches. Provenance, collection of Roz and...

Category

1980s William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

Under Way
Under Way

William ThonUnder Way

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H 9.69 in W 12.94 in

Under Way

By William Thon

Located in Wiscasset, ME

William Thon, although born in New York, painted and lived most of his adult life in coastal Maine. Thon studied at the Arts Student League in New York, and exhibited in the 1930s an...

Category

20th Century Modern William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

"Lobster Boats, Maine Coast, " William Thon, ink wash, nautical, seascape, modern
"Lobster Boats, Maine Coast, " William Thon, ink wash, nautical, seascape, modern

"Lobster Boats, Maine Coast, " William Thon, ink wash, nautical, seascape, modern

By William Thon

Located in Wiscasset, ME

William Thon, although born in New York, painted and lived most of his adult life in coastal Maine. Thon studied at the Arts Student League in New York, and exhibited in the 1930s an...

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20th Century Modern William Thon Art

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Homeward Bound
Homeward Bound

William ThonHomeward Bound

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H 7.38 in W 11.44 in

Homeward Bound

By William Thon

Located in Wiscasset, ME

William Thon, although born in New York, painted and lived most of his adult life in coastal Maine. Thon studied at the Arts Student League in New York, and exhibited in the 1930s an...

Category

20th Century Modern William Thon Art

Materials

Ink, Watercolor

Late Winter
Late Winter

William ThonLate Winter

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H 25 in W 42 in D 1 in

Late Winter

By William Thon

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

William Thon (1906-2000). Late Winter, 1963. Oil on masonite panel, 25 x 42 inches; 30 x 47 inches framed. Signed lower right. Gallery labels affixed en verso. Excellent condition. Biography: Addresses: Brooklyn, NY; Port Clyde, ME Profession: Painter Studied: ASL, 1924-25; Bates College (hon. D.F.A., 1957). Exhibited: Salons of Am., 1934; Corcoran Gal. biennials, 1939-53 (7 times); VMFA, 1939-46; AIC, 1940-46; WMAA, 1941-58; PAFA Ann., 1941-66; Kansas City AI, 1942-46; Albright Art Gal., 1944-46; Pepsi-Cola Exh., 1944-46; BM, 1942 (prize), 1945 (prize); NAD, 1944 (prize), 1969 (Altman Prize); SC, 1942 (prize); Philadelphia WCC, 1968 (Dawson Medal); AWCS, 1970 (Gold Medal of Honor); Midtown Gal., NYC, 1970s. Member: ANA; Salmagundi Club; Brooklyn Soc. Art; Brooklyn P&S; All. Artists Am.; NIAL; Am. Acad. Arts & Letters (fellow) Work: Swope Art Gallery; MMA; Butler Inst. Am. Art; Munson-Williams-Proctor Inst., Utica, NY; CPLH; Bloomington (IL) AA; Farnsworth Gal., Rockland, ME Comments: Positions: trustee, Am. Acad. in Rome. William Thon was an American artist noted for highly abstracted landscape paintings. He debuted as a professional artist in 1939 at the Corcoran Gallery Biennial* exhibition. He was born in New York City in 1906, and spent his childhood summers camping on Staten Island. He also developed a great love of travel, and in 1933 made an eight-month voyage to the Cocos Islands in the Pacific. He joined the Navy during World War II, and shortly after the war won the Prix de Rome*, a fellowship in Rome to the American Academy,* which he later served as trustee. Recognition for him continued with his participation in the 1942 "Artists for Victory" exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art*, and in 1944, Midtown Galleries in New York held his first one-person show. This gallery then continued to be his representative throughout his career. He had subsequent solo exhibitions at Smith College Art Museum, Fort Wayne Museum and Farnsworth Museum in Rockland, Maine. He earned an honorary Doctor of Arts from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine in 1957, and was a member of The American Academy* and Institute of Arts and Letters, as well as the National Academy of Design*. In 1947, the year-long study at the American Academy proved highly influential on his career, especially with him beginning to paint as much with watercolor as oil. Returning to America, he submitted a watercolor into the 1949 exhibition of the National Academy of Design, and that year was voted into Academy membership. From thereon, he exhibited frequently at the Academy and won prizes including the Benjamin Altman Prize* in 1951, 1954, 1961, 1967 and 1969. In 1951, Thon received a grant from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He also taught painting at Ohio University, and painted aspects of the Apollo Space Program...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Expressionist William Thon Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Full Sail
Full Sail

William ThonFull Sail, July 1964

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H 9.5 in W 13.5 in

Full Sail

By William Thon

Located in Wiscasset, ME

Born in New York, William Thon painted and lived most of his adult life in coastal Maine. Thon studied at the Art Students League in New York, and exhibited in the 1930s and 40s at t...

Category

1960s Modern William Thon Art

Materials

Ink

Two Boats

William ThonTwo Boats

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H 9 in W 11.5 in

Two Boats

By William Thon

Located in Wiscasset, ME

Born in New York, William Thon painted and lived most of his adult life in coastal Maine. Thon studied at the Arts Student League in New York, and exhibited in the 1930s and 40s at t...

Category

Modern William Thon Art

Materials

Gouache, Watercolor

William Thon art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic William Thon art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by William Thon in paint, watercolor, ink and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large William Thon art, so small editions measuring 9 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Gordon Grant, William Grauer, and Robert Noel Blair. William Thon art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $225 and tops out at $4,400, while the average work can sell for $1,650.

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