Appleton Wall Decorations

This striking, large-scale Italian mixed-media architectural relief panel from the 1970s is an unusually sophisticated decorative interpretation of Pablo Picasso’s celebrated portrai...

James Strombotne is a contemporary artist who has had a successful career, since 1956. His artwork is held in many prestigious museums and private collections, including those of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Hirschhorn Museum of the Smithsonian Institute. According to Strombotne, "Any subject is fair game...

This vintage silver gelatin photograph documents Torso of the Monument to Blanqui by Aristide Maillol, one of the most important sculptural works of the early twentieth century. The ...

Henry Rox (1899–1967) Banana Canoe on Watermelon Whale c. 1940–1945 Vintage silver gelatin print 8 x 10 inches Verso copyright stamp: “Copyright Henry Rox, 102 College Street, South ...

An extraordinary, full-scale painted stage backdrop created for the 2013 Princeton University production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George painted by Susan Donner....

Henry Rox Art Critic Altered by Viewing Post-War Abstract Painting (1948) from Photo-Sculpture: Reflections on Modern Art Vintage silver gelatin print 8 x 10 inches Estate stamp ve...

Painted in 1984, Foghorn Time is a sweeping and immersive abstraction by Tino Zago (Italian-American, b. 1937)( MIlo Baughman). Executed in acrylic on canvas, the monumental format—m...

An E. Alvarado 1959 mosaic wall panel commissioned at the Taxco showroom of Los Castillo Plateros depicting the 1467 reconstruction of the temple of Huitzilopochtii after its damage ...

Leroy Setziol Monumental Carved Yellow Cedar/ Wall Sculpture for United States National Bank of Portland, 1963 Beginning in 1949, the United States National Bank of Portland embarked on a long-term program of acquiring and commissioning works by Oregon artists for installation throughout its growing network of branches. Working with artists, architects, landscape designers, and craftsmen, the bank sought to create public spaces that reflected the culture, economy, and character of Oregon communities. The program included paintings, sculpture, stained glass, ceramics, and architectural commissions and was celebrated in the 1963 exhibition A Bank As Art Patron at the Museum of Art, University of Oregon. This monumental wall mural by Leroy Setziol (1915–2005) was commissioned in 1963 as part of that initiative. Measuring nearly sixteen feet in length and just over three feet in height (191" x 37" x 7"), the work is composed of multiple hand-carved yellow cedar panels and represents an early large-scale architectural commission created during a formative period in Setziol's career. Composed of multiple hand-carved yellow cedar panels, the sculpture demonstrates Setziol's ability to create a unified visual statement from deeply incised geometric forms, rhythmic patterns, and abstract imagery. Individual sections of the mural vary dramatically in character, ranging from tightly ordered geometric passages to more organic and intuitive carving. Together they create a composition that rewards prolonged viewing and reflects the artist's belief that wood itself could serve as both material and subject. Particularly notable is the panel at the far right of the mural, which incorporates a series of carved livestock brands. Research conducted with the Oregon Department of Agriculture has identified these as registered Oregon cattle brands associated with ranching operations in the Junction City area. Their inclusion provides a rare documentary element within Setziol's otherwise abstract carving and establishes a direct connection between the artwork and the community in which it was installed. More than decorative motifs, the brands appear to acknowledge the agricultural families, ranches, and businesses that formed an important part of the local economy. In doing so, the mural transcends pure abstraction and becomes a reflection of community identity. The carving recognizes an important aspect of the region's agricultural heritage and establishes a direct connection between the artwork and the local community in which it was installed. Born in Portland in 1915, Leroy Setziol followed an unlikely path to becoming one of the Pacific Northwest's most respected sculptors. After service in the United States Army during World War II, he spent time in New York before returning to Oregon. Drawn to carving but lacking formal artistic training, he established a small studio behind the Portland home of his father, a Lutheran minister. During his first year as a professional sculptor he reportedly earned only fifteen dollars from the sale of his work. Working largely in isolation, Setziol developed a highly personal approach to carving that relied on intuition rather than academic training. His sculptures combined deeply incised geometric structures with forms inspired by nature, mythology, and the inherent character of wood itself. By the early 1960s his work had attracted the attention of architects and corporate patrons seeking original works that could be integrated into modern buildings. Commissions such as this mural for United States National Bank marked the beginning of a period that would lead to some of the most significant architectural projects of his career. The following year, architect John Storrs commissioned Setziol to create a series of monumental relief panels for Salishan Lodge in Gleneden Beach...

Complex overlays of brass, iron and copper make this Butterfly garden an interesting execution of metal surfaces. Presented in a heavy wooden frame with a secondary pierced iron arab...

This 19th century Japanese Pharmacy sign advertises a popular stomach medicine, Aifu from the Juwa Co. in Osaka. The hand-painted registered trademark of the world looking through bi...

A wonderful mosaic of ceramic and iridescent tile that captures the vitality and color of a neighborhood in Paris with small shops, a cafe, a pharmacie, along a tree lined boulevard ...

A graphically bold, lifesize embroidered textile depicting Moa Zedong grasping a symbolic red umbrella and shoulder satchel. The banner was created as a potent visual tool in announc...

Homage to Eduardo Kingman "Waiting for the Final Three" a dramatic central figure in gray and blue surrounded by three equally expressive faces in gree...

A compelling painting by a midcentury outsider artist. This graphically bold painting utilizing bright colors and a potent figurative composition engages contemplation. Unsigned. ...

James Strombotne is a contemporary artist who has had a successful career since 1956. His artwork is held in many prestigious museums and private collections, including those of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Hirschhorn Museum of the Smithsonian Institute. According to Strombotne, "Any subject is fair game...

A Navajo sand painting mosaic art wall panel of the Navajo mythological Father Sky or Thunderbird created in the 1960s in a non traditional format...

A Navajo sand painting mosaic art wall panel of the Navajo mythological Yei Dancers Rainbow Guardians created in the 1960s in a non traditional fo...

A large mosaic panel artwork representing the bicentennial celebration in New York harbor on the evening of July 4, 1976. A memorable evening throughout the United States and partic...

Warren McArthur rare original pencil proposal sketch (SK 1749) for an aircraft passenger seat for the Lockheed Corporation. This proposal was accepted and the seat was manufactured...

Interesting vintage proposal drawing in 1/2 scale of an aircraft co-pilot seat. Dated 1/12/46 from the Warren McArthur Corporation. Drawing measures 26 x 4...

Henry Rox Art Critic in a Moment of Insight Before Post-War Abstraction c.1948 from Photo-Sculpture: Reflections on Modern Art c. 1946–1950 Vintage silver gelatin print 8 x 10 inch...

James S. Strombotne is an American painter and renowned contemporary artist. He was born in 1934 in Watertown, South Dakota, but was raised and educated in Southern California, rece...