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Paul Meltsner, Portrait of a Youth, American Modernist Realism O/C, c. 1940
About the Item
American Art Deco
Modernist Social Realism
Paul Raphael Meltsner
Portrait of a Youth
Oil on canvas
Circa 1940
DIMENSIONS
CANVAS: 26 x 20 inches
FRAMED: 30 .5 x 24.5 inches
DETAILS
Signed ‘Paul Meltsner’ lower left.
Vintage wood frame with linen insert.
ABOUT PAINTING
This handsome portrait of a youth has been executed by Paul Meltsner, a widely recognized American painter and lithographer, in a deliberately cold but sensual and stylish Art Deco esthetics and, simultaneously, in his signature genre of Modernist Social Realism; an art movement that became prominent in the US between the two world wars. Circa 1940, this work reveals the artist’s remarkable painting manner is especially noticeable in the neat lines, clear geometry and unexpected palette. Skillfully combining cubism, classicism and mannerism, Meltsner had managed to create a certain mystery in the image of his model, giving this portrait a very special magnetic appeal.
PAUL RAPHAEL MELTSNER (AMERICAN, 1905 - 1966)
Born in New York City, painter and lithographer Paul Raphael Meltsner studied at the National Academy of Design and began his career as a magazine illustrator. With the onset of the Great Depression, Meltsner found employment with the Federal Arts Project of the Works Progress Adminstration and toured the United States, portraying industrial and agricultural workers in their everyday surroundings in paintings, prints, and murals.
His lithographs, in bold social realist style, won approval from everyday collectors as well as museums. His paintings found their way into numerous private collections and institutions including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, The Museum of Fine arts in Boston, The Whitney Museum, and the Detroit Institute of the Arts, and many others.
In his later years, Meltsner turned to celebrity portraits and retired from New York City to Woodstock, New York, where he died.
- Dimensions:Height: 26 in (66.04 cm)Width: 20 in (50.8 cm)Depth: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)
- Style:Art Deco (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:ca. 1940
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. We make our best effort to provide a fair and descriptive condition report. Please examine photos attentively for they are an important part of the description. Send us a message to request more details or discuss price.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2819338881512
About the Seller
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