Nathan Hoffman

"Central Park N.Y. Looking South East With General Motors Bldg." Oil Painting

1968

New York City scene of two women walking down a sidewalk with a park in the background, in the foreground a man is walking a small dog. American life is captured in this Clyde Sing...

Born in Russia, the son of Friede (1878 – 1956) and Benjamin Hoffman (1878 – a. 1942). Benjamin was a dealer in mineral and seltzer water and the family resided on Snediker Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, just down the streetfrom the home where George Gershwin (1898 – 1937) was born. This area of Brooklyn, known as Brownsville, “witnessed the development of one of the largest communities of Eastern European Jewish immigrants during the last decade of the 19th century and the first two decades of the 20 th century.” Today, little remains of this once thriving Jewish section of Brooklyn, which today houses many commercial and repair businesses. Hoffman studied at the Art Students League of New York, the National Academy of Design and in the art program at Cooper Union. His work at the National Academy received praise, and in 1921 he was awarded the 2nd prize and an honorable mention from the John Armstrong Chaloner Paris Prize Foundation at the National Academy, which allowed the recipient to study in Paris, France for as long as five years. The following year he was awarded the 1 st prize in the competition (with The Reform Advocate running the headline “Young Jew Wins Art Prize”) as well as the Suydam Bronze Medal for his achievements in the Academy’s Men’s Night Class. In 1923 he was residing in Long Branch, New Jersey, when he was awarded 4th place in the Chaloner competition. Early on, Hoffman exhibited his work throughout the city, including in 1925 with the recently organized Society of Independent Artists. He also received several solo exhibitions during the first part of his career, including one at Ferargil Galleries in 1929. In the spring of 1930 a solo exhibition of his portraits, including paintings and drawings, was held at at Babcock Galleries, where a reviewer noted: “Portraiture is obviously Mr. Hoffman’s specialty… his best work is characterized by a sensitive appreciation of character set down in a vigorous decisive statement. Later that same year, in August, he participated in Babcock’s summer exhibition where reviewer Jerome Klein, writing for The Baltimore Sun, felt Hoffman’s and other artists work was already becoming old fashioned, remarking “…if an effort toward accomplishment is to be made, it must be in the language of today. It is for that reason that such contemporaries as Eugene Higgins and Nathan Hoffman, in this show, seem artists of a bygone era…” The onset of the Great Depression appears to have slowed his success, as was the case for many up-and-coming artists. By 1939 Hoffman had become a gallerist in addition to being a painter, operating the collective exhibition space “Sutton Gallery,” which was originally located at 358 East 57th Street. There Hoffman exhibited his own works as well as those created by other prominent New York artists including David Burliuk (1882 – 1967), Charles C. Curran (1861 – 1942), Louis Eilshemius (1864 – 1941), Ann Goldthwaite (1869 – 1944), Maurice Kish (1895 – 1987), Lawrence Lebduska (1894 – 1966), Bradford Perin and Ellis Wilson...

Impressionist New York City peaceful Central Park Boathouse scene depicting fully bloomed trees with pedestrians and sail boats enjoying a leisurely day. Birds flying high above the ...

This exceptional 1924 original oil painting by influential Colorado modernist John E. Thompson depicts the historic High Bridge—New York City’s oldest surviving bridge—as it rises gracefully above the Harlem River. A rare and dynamic example of Thompson’s early modernist style, the work blends architectural realism with expressive, textured brushwork. The elegant stone arches, rhythmic spans, and atmospheric urban setting reveal Thompson’s mastery of composition and color. Signed and dated in the lower right, the painting carries strong historical authenticity and collector appeal. It is presented in a custom vintage frame that complements the period and enhances its refined, timeless presence. This rare early 20th-century view of New York City architecture is an important acquisition for collectors of American modernism, urban landscapes, and historic engineering landmarks. It captures a pivotal moment where traditional realism meets the burgeoning energy of modernist vision—making it a standout work in any distinguished collection. About the Artist: John E. Thompson – Pioneer of Colorado Modernism John Edward Thompson (1876–1945) is celebrated as the “Dean of Colorado Artists” and a foundational figure in introducing European modernism to the American West. Educated at the Art Students League of Buffalo and later in New York, he absorbed avant-garde influences while working in Europe, particularly inspired by Paul Cézanne. Settling in Denver in 1914, Thompson became a catalyst for the region’s modern art movement. He taught at the University of Denver and the Santa Fe Art School, working alongside Andrew Dasburg, B.J.O. Nordfeldt, and Walter Ufer. His mentorship shaped artists such as Józef Bakoś and Walter Mruk, co-founders of the influential group Los Cinco Pintores...

Impressive early American modernist central park, new york city oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvasboard . Image size, 18H by 24L.

Olive Rush Washington Square, 1913 Signed lower right Oil on canvas 32 x 24 inches Exhibited Indianapolis, John Herron Art Institute, circa 1914. Art Institute of Chicago, 1914. Literature The Fairmount News, Fairmount, Indiana, November 26, 1914, p. 4. Olive Rush studied at Earlham College, the art school associated with the Corcoran Gallery of Art and at the Art Students League before becoming an illustrator in New York. She was well known for her portraits and paintings of children and women, many of which were featured in magazines such as Woman's Home Companion and St. Nicholas. In 1904 she moved to Wilmington, Delaware, to study with Howard Pyle, and she stayed until 1910. She spent the next year in Europe studying British and French painters, and finished her art education at the Boston Museum School in 1912. In 1913 Rush returned to Europe with her friend, the watercolorist Alice Schille...

Richard Hayley Lever (American, 1876–1958) Hyde Park Promenade at Apsley Gate, c. 1900–1905 Oil on canvas laid down on board Signed ‘Hayley LEVER’ (lower right) 6.75 x 9.625 in. (17....

Very finely painted American impressionist painting of Washington Square Park in New York City by Robert Wesley Amick (1879 - 1969). Framed. Oil o...

American plein air impressionist Peter Mayer was born 1887-1993. Exhibited painting of Broadway and West 72nd street in New York, Verdi Square. T...

Artist: Harold Altman (American, 1924-2003) Title: Sunday, Central Park Year: c. 1985 Medium: Color lithograph Edition: Numbered 56/285 in pencil Paper: Wove Image size: 17.5...