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"Labor", Handsome WPA-Era Painting with Nudes by Muralist Lichtenauer

$6,500
£4,935.60
€5,644.23
CA$9,081.44
A$10,100.55
CHF 5,274.19
MX$122,912.91
NOK 67,359.47
SEK 63,171.30
DKK 42,125.06
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About the Item

Because Joseph Mortimer Lichtenauer is best known for his public murals, it's not surprising that this easel painting -- with its frieze-like array of nude and Classically dressed figures stretching across the scene -- has a mural-like quality. The artist titled it "Labor," and indeed the scene depicts a group of male nudes offloading a wagon laden with large sacks, probably filled with flour, given that the figures to the left seem to be handling loaves of bread. Others are quaffing wine, so the entire scene suggests a world of peace and plenty, all expressed in rich, muted colors. Lichtenauer is known for his murals for New York's theaters -- including the Shubert and the Adelphi -- and other murals of his continue to grace Washington Irving High School on Irving Place in New York. This painting is tempera on gessoed board, and is signed in the lower righthand corner.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 15 in (38.1 cm)Width: 19 in (48.26 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
  • Style:
    Art Deco (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    Circa 1930s
  • Condition:
    Minor losses. The painting shows a series of small paint losses which appear as whitish areas across the surface.
  • Seller Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU865136900432

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