Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 8

"Under the El", WPA-Era Painting of Philadelphia Market by Van Loan

About the Item

Brilliantly painted in a palette of canary yellow, orange-red, browns and blues, this WPA-period painting of an open-air market under the Market-Frankford elevated train line ("the El") in Philadelphia was executed by Dorothy Van Loan, one of America's most talented -- and under-appreciated -- Modernist painters. Van Loan includes produce vendors and another vendor selling shoes and coats, with a line of vividly-hued row houses behind the scene and the heavy steel of the El overhead. The artist studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and exhibited at the Carnegie Institute, Mint Museum of Art, Los Angeles Museum of Art, and the Washington Watercolor Club. Her art reminds us of the pioneering work of another woman artist of the period -- Marguerite Zorach. The painting is initialed in the lower righthand corner of the painting, which is oil on canvas. Dimensions include the frame; visible painting is 15.5 inches high by 24 inches wide.
  • Creator:
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 22.5 in (57.15 cm)Width: 31 in (78.74 cm)Depth: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)
  • Style:
    Art Deco (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    Circa 1940s
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU865137048832

More From This Seller

View All
Fine, WPA-style Oil Painting, 1935, by Dorothy Van Loan
By Dorothy Van Loan
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Executed in gorgeous shades of coral, dove gray and olive, this scene of two nude women perched on folding chairs was painted by Dorothy Van Loan, a c...
Category

Vintage 1930s American Paintings

Materials

Canvas

"Of Truth or Consequences", WPA-style Oil Painting, 1940s, Deep Pink, Van Loan
By Dorothy Van Loan
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Executed in gorgeous shades of deep pink, dove gray and olive, this scene of two nude women perched on folding chairs was painted by Dorothy Van Loan, a celebrated modernist from Phi...
Category

Vintage 1940s American Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

"Youth with Pipes and Valves, " Sensitive Portrait of Young Man, Dorothy Van Loan
By Dorothy Van Loan
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Beautifully and sensitively painted, this WPA-period portrait of a young man in an unusual setting -- perhaps a boiler room or plumbing closet -- was executed by Dorothy Van Loan...
Category

Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Paint

"Labor", Handsome WPA-Era Painting with Nudes by Muralist Lichtenauer
Located in Philadelphia, PA
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 fi...
Category

Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Paint

"Provincetown Dock Scene, " WPA-Era Painting w/ Fishermen by Sterne in Red & Blue
By Maurice Sterne
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A superb example of WPA-era painting that celebrates the American worker, this dockside scene in Provincetown, Massachusetts by Maurice Sterne depicts ...
Category

Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Paint

"Under the Aqueduct, " Very Fine 1920s Trumeau from Philadelphia Estate
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This beautiful pairing of mirror and painting, framed in dark green and old gold, comes from a historic estate in the Philadelphia area. The upper painting depicts a bustling Italia...
Category

Early 20th Century American Beaux Arts Paintings

Materials

Mirror, Wood, Canvas

You May Also Like

Selection of Three WPA Era Paintings
Located in Atlanta, GA
Group of Three WPA Era Paintings, American, circa 1930s-1950s. From left to right, they are: 1) Brick mason oil painting, American, circa 1930s. It ...
Category

Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood

Selection of Three WPA Era Paintings
$550 Sale Price / item
83% Off
The Party Painting of Crowded Market
Located in Queens, NY
Copy of Middle Eastern streetscene painting "The Party" showing harem women dancing in crowded market square
Category

Late 20th Century American Rococo Paintings

Materials

Paint

Oil Painting Of The Spaniard Bullfighter El Cordobés
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This is an Oil Painting of El Cordobés. It depicts the Spaniard bull fighter, El Cordobés facing with gallantry and gracefulness the strong and wild bull in a bull ring. He is wearin...
Category

20th Century Paintings

Materials

Canvas

WPA Painting Featuring Visitors to the Zoo
Located in Wiscasset, ME
Great WPA period painting featuring visitors to the zoo with aviaries in the background, possibly NYC. Some of the visitors have a very Botero feel. Oil on canvas, unframed measuring...
Category

Vintage 1930s American Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Paint

Painting under Glass from the Beginning of the 20th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Painting under glass from the beginning of the 20th century representing the countryside of Saint-Denis.  
Category

Early 20th Century French Arts and Crafts Paintings

Materials

Paper

Market painting by Barbara Stephens 1980
Located in Dallas, TX
For Sale: **"Market" Painting by Barbara Stephens (1980)** Add a stunning, one-of-a-kind piece of art to your collection with this **"Market" painting by Barbara Stephens**, created...
Category

Antique 19th Century Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Recently Viewed

View All