American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

A Fabulous, Finely Rendered 1945 Modern Seated Female Nude by Noted Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). The drawing is charcoal on paper and dates from 1945. Artwork siz...

A Timely and Prescient, 1940s WWII Era Political Cartoon / Illustration Ink Drawing by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Titled "USA No Admittance". A p...

George Morrison 18 Cornelia Street, 1944 Signed and dated "May 1944" lower left Ink on paper 8 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches Provenance The artist Carl Ashby Estate of the above Private Collec...

Leon Dolice New York Harbor Nocturne, circa 1930-40 Signed lower right Pastel on paper 12 x 19 inches The romantic backdrop of Vienna at the turn of the century had a life-long inf...

A Finely Drawn 1930s Modern Figure Study of a Standing Male Nude Model (Torso, Shoulder & Arm) by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). An early charcoal drawing b...

A Fine, Modern 1930s Academic Figure Study of a standing female nude model (with an anatomical study of a Foot) by notable Chicago artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A well exec...

Graphite with watercolor and black crayon on cream wove paper mounted to board, 12 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches (318 x 267 mm), full margins. Signed in pencil on the mount. In excellent condi...

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring an elegant design for a woman's flannel robe. Inscribed on the lower right, "Blue, purple and white flannel robe from Mandel Brothe...

Andy Warhol is arguably the most important American artist of the 20th century. In the 1950s, he was an in-demand and celebrated illustrator working for New York's toniest publicatio...

Black and white charcoal on toned Grey archival paper signed and dated by artist. fantasy cat lady

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring a colorful design for women's lounge wear & pajamas. Artwork size: 11 x 8 1/4 inches. Archivally matted to 16 x 12 inches. Prov...

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) is arguably the most important American artist of the 20th century. He not only defined Pop Art but had an unrivaled influence on artists and image-making. ...

Study for "Golden Fall", 1940 Pastel on paper, 26 x 20 inches (66 x 50.8 cm) Framed dimensions 33 1/2 x 27 1/2 inches Joseph Stella’s artistic career defies easy categorization. He ...

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring elegant designs for women's winter hat and coat, Likely an illustration study for a print advertisement for the famed Chicago depa...

A stylish, vintage, 1940s woman's fashion study featuring an elegant, colorful design titled "Personal Choice of Gertrude Lawrence, Star of Lady in the Dark". Gertrude Lawrence, fam...

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring an elegant design for a woman's autumn suit. Inscription reads: "Brown and grey suit and cape affair from Town and Country, Blum's ...

This high-fashion illustration was most likely created between 1938 and 1940 for an inside editorial in a major newspaper, such as Vogue or McCall's. It showcases Ruth Grafstrom's d...

Capitola Beach, California - Original Watercolor on Paper Beautiful watercolor painting of Capitola Beach by Ken L. Stephens (American, 20th Century). A couple sits by the water, wi...

Frank Nelson Wilcox (American, 1887–1964) Rio Puerco, New Mexico, c. 1940-1 Watercolor on paper Monogram lower right 15 x 20 inches 18.5 x 24 inches framed Frank Nelson Wilcox (O...

Dramatic imagery from FILM NOIR series of black and white monotypes, blending surrealistic mindscapes with stark realism About Tom Bennett: With quick brushstrokes, Tom Bennett crea...

Dramatic imagery from FILM NOIR series of black and white monotypes, blending surrealistic mindscapes with stark realism About Tom Bennett: With quick brushstrokes, Tom Bennett crea...

A Finely Drawn 1930s Modern Figure Study of a Standing Male Nude Model by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). An early charcoal drawing by Haydon showing his exc...

A Finely Drawn 1930s Modern Figure Study of a Standing Male Nude Model (Torso) by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). An early charcoal drawing by Haydon showing...

Cartoon art is the original Conceptual Art. Renowned British Illustrator Smilby (Francis Wilford Smith) conceptualizes a Playboy cartoon so good that no caption is needed. The exist...

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring a standing female model dressed in sunglasses wearing an elegant design for women's beach wear. Artwork size: 11 x 8 1/2 inches. ...

"Animated Discourse" WPA Mid-Century American Scene Modernism Realism Figurative. Chris Ritter (American, 1906 – 1976) "Animated Discourse," 19 x 24 (sight). Watercolor on paper. Si...

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring colorful designs for women's red Robin Hood hat, suit and coat. Artwork size: 11 x 8 1/4 inches. Archivally matted to 16 x 12 in...

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring an elegant design for women's evening wear. Artwork size: 11 x 8 1/2 inches. Archivally matted to 16 x 12 inches. Provenance: Co...

James Brown (American, 1951-2020) "Study on the Nuba" (African men drawings) 1981 Graphite on brown paper, two works framed together Bears gallery labels verso Dimensions: approx. 16"h x 12"w (each sheet), 24.5"h x 35.25"w (frame) Provenance: Galerie Bernd Klüser, Bears label verso They represented internationally renowned artists such as Joseph Beuys, Tony Cragg, Enzo Cucchi, Jannis Kounellis, Mimmo Paladino and Andy Warhol. Their first exhibitions were with Andy Warhol, Tony Cragg, Julião Sarmento...

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring an elegant design for a woman's hat and lace muff, Lily Daché. Artwork size: 11 x 8 1/4 inches. Archivally matted to 16 x 12 in...

Frank Nelson Wilcox (American, 1887-1964) Construction on the Pass, Montana, c. 1950 Unsigned Watercolor on Whatman board 22 x 30 inches Provenance: From the estate of Frank Nelson Wilcox Frank Nelson Wilcox (October 3, 1887 – April 17, 1964) was a modernist American artist and a master of watercolor. Wilcox is described as the "Dean of Cleveland School painters," though some sources give this appellation to Henry Keller or Frederick Gottwald. Wilcox was born on October 3, 1887 to Frank Nelson Wilcox, Sr. and Jessie Fremont Snow Wilcox at 61 Linwood Street in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, a prominent lawyer, died at home in 1904 shortly before Wilcox' 17th birthday. His brother, lawyer and publisher Owen N. Wilcox, was president of the Gates Legal Publishing Company or The Gates Press. His sister Ruth Wilcox was a respected librarian. In 1906 Wilcox enrolled from the Cleveland School of Art under the tutelage of Henry Keller, Louis Rorimer...

Frank Nelson Wilcox (American, 1887–1964) Riders Near Camel Rock Monument, Santa Fe, New Mexico, c. 1937 Watercolor on paper Monogram lower right, titled verso 14.5 x 20 inches 18....

Old Tree and September Wind Clouds, 1961, by Charles Burchfield (1893-1967) Conte crayon on paper 13 ½ x 19 ½ inches unframed (34.29 x 49.53 cm) 19 ¾ x 25 ½ inches framed (50.165 x 6...

Frank Nelson Wilcox (American, 1887–1964) Rainbow on Santa Fe Trail, New Mexico, c. 1937 Watercolor on paper Signed lower right, titled verso 15 x 20 inches 18.5 x 24 inches framed ...

Perfect for any hockey enthusiast! A dynamic 1950s pastel and charcoal on paper drawing of a hockey game by artist Francis Chapin. Artwork size: 9 x 12 inches; Matted size: 14 x 18 inches. Estate stamped on reverse. Provenance: Estate of the Artist. Francis Chapin, affectionately called the “Dean of Chicago Painters” by his colleagues, was one of the city’s most popular and celebrated painters in his day. Born at the dawn of the 20th Century in Bristolville, Ohio, Chapin graduated from Washington and Jefferson College near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before enrolling at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1922. He would set down deep roots at the Art Institute of Chicago, exhibiting there over 31 times between 1926 and 1951. In 1927 Chapin won the prestigious Bryan Lathrop Fellowship from the Art Institute – a prize that funded the artist’s yearlong study trip to Europe. Upon his return to the United States, Chapin decided to remain in Chicago, noting the freedom Chicago artists have in developing independently of the pressure to conform to pre-existing molds (as was experienced by artists in New York, for example). Chapin became a popular instructor at the Art Institute, teaching there from 1929 to 1947 and at the Art Institute’s summer art school in Saugatuck, Michigan (now called Oxbow) between 1934 – 1938 (he was the director of the school from 1941-1945). Chapin’s contemporaries among Chicago’s artists included such luminaries as Ivan Le Lorraine Albright...

Frank Nelson Wilcox (American, 1887–1964) The Adobe, c. 1940-41 Watercolor on paper Signed lower right 14 x 20 inches 18.5 x 24 inches framed Frank Nelson Wilcox (October 3, 1887 –...

Louise Nevelson Female Nude, circa 1935 Pencil on paper 9 15/16 x 13 7/16 inches Provenance The artist Estate of the artist Bobbie Greenfield Gallery, Santa Monica, California Priva...

Frank Nelson Wilcox (American, 1887-1964) Oxen and Mule Drawn Wagon on the Trail, 1949 Oil on board Signed and dated lower right 22 x 30 inches Frank Nelson Wilcox (October 3, 1887 – April 17, 1964) was a modernist American artist and a master of watercolor. Wilcox is described as the "Dean of Cleveland School painters," though some sources give this appellation to Henry Keller or Frederick Gottwald. Wilcox was born on October 3, 1887 to Frank Nelson Wilcox, Sr. and Jessie Fremont Snow Wilcox at 61 Linwood Street in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, a prominent lawyer, died at home in 1904 shortly before Wilcox' 17th birthday. His brother, lawyer and publisher Owen N. Wilcox, was president of the Gates Legal Publishing Company or The Gates Press. His sister Ruth Wilcox was a respected librarian. In 1906 Wilcox enrolled from the Cleveland School of Art under the tutelage of Henry Keller, Louis Rorimer...

1970s Threesome Swingers Cocktail Party by Dink Siegel. If anyone has ever put pen to paper and tried to draw a face or a figure with any level of success, then you know how hard it...

A Quirky, Humorous 1950s Mid-Century Modern Cartoon Illustration Ink Drawing by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Depicting a young man diligently working at a ...

Abraham Walkowitz, Untitled (Figurative Abstraction of Isadora Duncan #7), pencil, 1918. Signed and dated in pencil, bottom center. A fine, spon...

Carl Ashby, Pensive Lady, 1942, ink and watercolor, retains fresh, clear color. A native of New Mexico, Carl Ashby (1914-2004) moved to New York City in 1938 following a stint with ...

Flapper Fanny - Female Cartoonist of the Golden Age Sylvia Sneidman was originally a fashion illustrator, but assumed the helm of the famous jazz-age panel cartoon "Flapper Fanny Sa...

Jay Alan Babcock is a St. Louis-based graphic designer and painter. His work exhibits his interest in the visual language of Americana, including old ...

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring an elegant design for a women’s hat & coat for Saks Fifth Avenue. Inscription reads: "Wolf great coat from Sak's Fifth Avenue". Ar...

Bertha Corbett Melcher's The Sunbonnet Babies, with their flat, minimalist, semi-abstract, and symbolic style, are an early example of American Modernism/Surrealism by a lesser-known female artist/illustrator. The present work demonstrates a delicate balance between abstraction and representation and between the commonplace and the mysterious. Her signature use of a hat or sunbonnet to hide the identity of her subjects is a big conceptual and visual idea that has been overlooked in the fine art canon. The exact meaning of this is unknown, but 120 years after they were done, it resonates as somewhat surrealistic. Her work is a contradiction. She shows innocent children engaging in everyday activity but are depicted in vail of mystery. Why does she not show the faces of her subjects? Watercolor on paper (each) Six drawings in all on one board. 6-1/8 x 5 inches (15.6 x 12.7 cm) (each) One signed; two initialed; three not signed. Six drawing in all on one board. 6-1/8 x 5 inches (15.6 x 12.7 cm) (each) One signed; two initialed; three not signed The Sunbonnet Babies characters were created by illustration Bertha L. Corbett when she was challenged to create a faceless character who nonetheless was engaging and appealing. The characters were a wild hit and appeared in books, comics, and popular collectibles. They also became a popular motif in quilting. Few of Corbett's original drawings for the babies are known to survive, making this a rare offering. From: Wikipedia Sunbonnet Babies are characters created by commercial artist Bertha Corbett Melcher (1872–1950). Sunbonnet Babies featured two girls in pastel colored dresses with their faces covered by sunbonnets. Sunbonnet Babies appeared in books, illustrations and advertisements between the years of 1900 and 1930. Sunbonnet Babies were later used as a popular quilting pattern also known as Sunbonnet Sue.[1] Melcher created a male version of the Sunbonnet Babies, named the 'Overall Boys' in 1905.[2][3] History Bertha L. Corbett Melcher Sunbonnet Babies were created by Bertha Corbett Melcher (1872–1950).[4] Melcher was born in Denver and moved with her family to Minneapolis in the 1880s. Melcher attended art school in Minneapolis with plans to become a commercial artist.[5] She may have also studied with Howard Pyle.[6] By the 1920s, Melcher had moved to Topanga, California.[7][4] Melcher started drawing the Sunbonnet Babies in 1897. The origin of the signature style of the faces being covered by sunbonnets is contested by different members of Melcher's family and by Melcher herself. In an interview, Melcher's brother said their mother suggested Bertha avoid the difficulty of drawing faces by covering them with sunbonnets.[4] Melcher herself said that covering faces allowed her to communicate with body position.[4] Melcher has also said that the design came about in "answer to a friend’s challenge to convey emotion without a face."[2] Melcher published her first book, The Sun-Bonnet Babies in 1900.[3] Later, she shopped her illustrations to publisher Rand McNally of Chicago, and nine subsequent books were written by Eulalie Osgood Grover and illustrated by Bertha Corbett. In 1905, Melcher wrote The Overall Boys.[3] Many of these books were used as primers and used widely in primary schools in the midwest. Melcher used the sunbonnet babies in advertising and later established the Sunbonnet Babies Company. She started a studio to illustrate and create merchandise of the Sunbonnet Babies.[2] The characters also appeared in a comic strip.[2] Quilting Melcher herself did not originate the use of the sunbonnet babies as quilting pattern. The Sunbonnet Babies quilting pattern appeared in textile art 1910's in the Ladies Home Journal 1911–1912 in a quilt stitched by Marie Webster. The pattern was popular during the Great Depression. In the American South, it was often known as "Dutch Doll" until the 1970s.[3] There was also a quilt pattern based on the "Overall Boys," known by the various names including “Overall Bill, “Overall Andy,” “Sunbonnet Sam,” “Suspender Sam,” “Fisherman Jim."[3] Many patterns for quilts and sewing were designed by Ruby Short McKim and published in nationally syndicated newspapers.[8] Sunbonnet Sue became symbolic of 'female innocence and docility'.[9] Linda Pershing collected accounts from women quilters who depicted 'Sues' doing activities such as smoking, wearing more revealing clothing, and subverting feminine stereotypes.[10] In 1979, the “Seamsters Union Local #500," a group of quilters from Lawrence, Kansas, created “The Sun Sets on Sunbonnet Sue," a quilt depicting the character murdered in a variety of ways.[3] Collectibles Sunbonnet Babies merchandise includes school books, valentines cards, postcards, china, and quilts.[2][5][11] Sunbonnet Babies were adapted into three dimensional porcelain collectibles and pottery made by Royal Bayreuth Company in the early 1900s. The Royal Bayreuth China...

Title: French Gouache Painting of Sioux Scalp Dance Ritual in South Dakota by Emile GALLOIS (1882-1965, French) Signed: Yes Medium: Original gouache painting on thick unframed paper,...

Antique American modernist pastel drawing by noted New Jersey/Philadelphia New Deal Muralist Charles William Ward. Pastel on paper. Gorgeously framed in an antique frame.. Signed low...

Jim’s of Lambertville Fine Art Gallery is proud to offer this piece by Milton Avery (1885 – 1965). Milton Avery was a prominent Modernist painter whose work combined abstraction and...

Title: Vibrant French Gouache Painting of Navajo Jewelry Makers in Albuquerque by Emile GALLOIS (1882-1965, French) Signed: Yes Medium: Original gouache painting on thick unframed p...

A fine ca. 1938 graphite on paper, study of classical drapery by notable New York Modernist artist, Jan Matulka. The image is drawn on the back of a typewritten, folded sheet of bus...

Frank Nelson Wilcox (American, 1887–1964) Sun Drenched Pueblo, c. 1950 Watercolor on paper Monogram lower right 15 x 20 inches 18.5 x 24 inches framed "All these things are, of co...

A Fine 1930s, Art Deco Modern Academic Figure Study Drawing of a Standing Male Nude Model by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). An exceptionally well executed ea...

Viktor Schreckengost (American, 1906-2008) Mayan Watercolor heightened with gouache over pencil on paper Signed lower right 39 x 29 inches 45.5 x 35.5 inches, framed Registered with The Viktor Schreckengost foundation, stock no. 6891 The son of a commercial potter in Sebring, Ohio, Viktor Schreckengost learned the craft of sculpting in clay from his father. In the mid-1920s, he enrolled at the Cleveland School of Art (now the Cleveland Institute of Art, or CIA) to study cartoon making, but after seeing an exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art he changed his focus to ceramics. Upon graduation in 1929, he studied ceramics in Vienna, Austria, where he began to build a reputation, not only for his art, but also as a jazz saxophonist. A year later, at the age of 25, he became the youngest faculty member at the CIA. In 1931, Schreckengost won the first of several awards for excellence in ceramics at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and his works were shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, and elsewhere. By the mid-1930s, Schreckengost had begun to pursue his interest in industrial design. For American Limoges...

A Striking, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Ink Drawing of a Dancing Couple by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Depicting an embracing couple engaged in the classic, romantic "Apache...

KARL SCHRAG (German - American 1912 - 1995) SELF PORTRAIT IN THE GERMAN MANNER, 1991 Monotype, Signed titled, dated and annotated "Monotype with touches of Oil color, I /I" Plate an...

Leon Bibel, 'Untitled (War Machine)', brush and ink, c. 1936. Estate stamped, verso. A fine expressionist rendering, on cream wove drawing board, with marg...

A Striking, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Ink Drawing of a Dancing Couple by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Depicting an embracing couple engaged in the classic, romantic "Apache...

A brightly colored, Mid-Century, watercolor and charcoal on paper image of a boy by notable artist Margo Hoff, titled "Sun Child". Image size: 31" x 22". Framed size: 34" x 25". ...

A Charming 1930s Charcoal Study of Three Young Men Reading by a Lakehouse Window by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Most likely completed during the summer mo...