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Nils Gren
Three Figures in the Night
1935

Name: Three Figures in the Night
Brand: Nils Gren
Rating: 4 (2 reviews)

$2,500List Price

About the Item

Oil on board, signed and dated “Nils Gren 1935” on verso. 18 x 20 inches, in a frame measuring 23.25 x 25.25 inches The work of Nils Gren, though representational, seems to be as much about shape, texture, color, and shading as it is about the objects, people, towns or countryside that inhabit his paintings. In 1932 the San Francisco Chronicle described Gren’s paintings in these terms: “There is a peculiar somberness, both of color and of light and shadow, in his work [and]... a certain characteristic twist of line and form [that] makes his pictures tensely alive.” Born Nils Ahgren in Sweden in 1893, Nils Gren immigrated to the United States in 1919, and by 1925 Gren was living in southern California. He resided in Los Angeles, studying with Stanton Macdonald Wright and exhibiting with the Painters and Sculptors of Los Angeles in 1926, and with the Modern Art Society of Los Angeles that same year. In the late 1920s Nils Gren moved to San Francisco, exhibiting with the San Francisco Art Association in 1928 and 1929. Around 1930 Gren destroyed all his earlier work, but went on to produce paintings with what became his signature style – nocturnes and fantastic images of people, places and objects. His paintings were widely exhibited, including at the Paul Elder Gallery, where he had a solo show in 1932. His work also was exhibited in many museum shows, including the Oakland Art Gallery in 1932 and 1934, the San Francisco Museum of Art Inaugural Exhibition in 1935, the Palace of the Legion of Honor, and also at the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939 and California State Fairs throughout the decade. Also during the 1930s, Gren produced lithographs for the Works Progress Administration, and worked with other artists on murals for San Francisco’s Mission High School. He also produced a colorful mural for his friend, restaurateur and former bootlegger Isadore Gomez, for Gomez’s 848 Pacific Street restaurant. Nils Gren passed away in San Francisco 1940. His work is included in many public collections, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Oakland Museum.

Creator:
Nils Gren (1893 - 1940, American, Swedish)
Creation Year:
1935
Dimensions:
Height: 23.25 in (59.06 cm)Width: 25.25 in (64.14 cm)
Medium:
Oil
Movement Style:
American Modern
Period:
20th Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Beverly Hills, CA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU43731939583

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