Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
American, 1902-1971
Born Irene Rice, she took the name of her first husband, the commercial artist Umberto Pereira. She adopted the name I. Rice Pereira because then as now discrimination beset women in the arts. By the time war broke out Irene had divorced Pereira and married George Wellington Brown, a marine engineer from a prominent Boston family. Brown was an ingenious experimenter with materials, and he encouraged his petite new wife in their mutual passion for experimentation. Pereira in the 1930s was drawn to ships, not only because of George Brown, but because of their intricate machinery, their functional beauty. The inside-out infrastructure of the Pompidou museum in Paris amused Pereira, although she thought it art-historically tardy.
Irene Rice Pereira was a lovely, fragile being. Her presence was hushed. She spoke almost in a whisper and listened far more than she spoke. She was a prodigious autodidact and a spellbinding lecturer. The main body of her metaphysical library today resides in the Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. Her papers and the manuscript for her still unpublished book, Eastward Journey, are available to scholars in the Schlesinger Library at Harvard.
Pereira won recognition for her abstract geometric work, particularly her jewel-like works on fluted and coruscated layers of glass, throughout the 1940s and early 1950s. In 1953 the Whitney Museum, then in Greenwich Village, gave her a retrospective exhibition with Loren MacIver, and that same year Life magazine published a centerfold photo examination of her work.
By the late 1950s Abstract Expressionism had swept Manhattan, flattening such nascent movements as Geometric Abstraction. Such artists as Stuart Davis, Stanton MacDonald Wright, George L.K. Morris, George Ault, Jan Matulka, Richard Leahy, Philip Guston and many others were eclipsed. Pereira believed that a European angst, brought to our shores in the wake of the Holocaust, had introduced a cynicism and a profoundly anti-female sensibility that boded ill for art in America. Rightly she pointed out that even when the works of women were acquired by museums they were rarely shown, a disgrace that persists to this day. The women who did achieve success, she said, were often collaborators with more famous male artists and tastemakers.
Pereira died in 1971 in Marbella, Spain, ill and broken-hearted. She had been evicted from the Fifteenth Street studio in Chelsea where she had painted for more than thirty years. Suffering from severe emphysema, she could barely negotiate a few stairs.
But by the 1980s a new generation of women scholars and curators had begun to resurrect her stature. A considerable following has formed to honor a pioneer artist who cared about other artists and willingly paid the price to denounce what others feared in silence. Indeed when Pereira sold a painting she had two immediate impulses: buy a new hat, and give the money to an artist friend in trouble. She loved hats but loved to help fellow artists even more.to
1
1
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
3
2
3
2
1
3
2
1
1
1
19
664
619
464
342
2
3
Artist: Irene Rice Pereira
Irene Rice Pereira Modernist Gouache Drawing Painting Abstract Expressionist Art
By Irene Rice Pereira
Located in Surfside, FL
Irene Rice Pereira,
Mixed Media on Paper (American, 1902-1971)
Titled "The East Wind Carries the Seed"
Hand signed l.r. "I. Rice Pereira".
Paper: 14.1/8"h x 18.25"w
Irene Rice Pe...
Category
Mid-20th Century Abstract Expressionist Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Paper, Gouache
"Composition with Figure, " Irene Rice Pereira
By Irene Rice Pereira
Located in New York, NY
Irene Rice Pereira
Composition with Figure, 1951
Inscribed, signed and dated Salford/Pereira 2/51 (lr); inscribed I Rice Pereira/2669 Great Clowes St/Sa...
Category
1950s Abstract Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Paper, India Ink, Casein
Radiant Reflections Abstract 1950s Oil Mid 20th Century American Woman Artist
By Irene Rice Pereira
Located in New York, NY
Radiant Relections. Abstract Non-Objective 1950s Oil Mid 20th Century American Woman Female Artist. Signed lower right.
Provenance:
Estate of Foy C. Casper, Norfolk, Virginia (a close personal friend of the artist and a former director of the Irene Rice-Pereira Foundation).
Sothebys American art sale October 10, 2008.
The canvas measures 50 x 40. The work has been restored, relined and is housed in its original frame, made by the artist's second husband, George Wellington Brown, a marine engineer from Boston.
BIO
Periera was an American abstract artist, poet, and philosopher who played a significant role in the development of modernism in America. She is known for her work in the Geometric abstraction, Abstract expressionist, and lyrical abstraction genres and her use of the principles of the Bauhaus school. She helped found the Federal Art Project...
Category
1950s Abstract Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Related Items
Multi Textured Figurative Abstract
Located in Soquel, CA
Bright and colorful highly textured abstract with figurative elements by Weston (American, 20th Century). Signed and dated "Weston '92" lower right corner. Tempera on acrylic sheet. ...
Category
1990s Abstract Expressionist Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Tempera, Plastic
French 20th Century Vibrant Geometric Pink and Purple Quirky Abstract Figure
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition
signed by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924)
oil painting on canvas, unframed
canvas size: 24 x 20 inches
condition: overall very good, a few min...
Category
Late 20th Century Abstract Expressionist Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$389 Sale Price
30% Off
H 24 in W 20 in
French 20th Century Vibrant Abstract Swirls of Orange Yellow Green and Blue
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition
by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924)
signed oil painting on canvas, unframed
dated 93
canvas size: 22 x 18 inches
condition: overall very good, ...
Category
Late 20th Century Abstract Expressionist Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Landscape Large Abstract Composition On Canvas
By Eric Balint
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Landscape Abstract Composition.
Canvas size 48"x48" with frame 56"x56".
Eric Balint was born in 1957 in the small city of Poti in Georgia, USSR. His father was French and his mother...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$2,800 Sale Price
49% Off
H 56 in W 56 in D 3.5 in
French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition
by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011)
gouache painting on paper/ card
unframed: 10.75 x 8.25 inches
condition: very good and impressive
provenance: all th...
Category
20th Century Abstract Expressionist Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Gouache
Jacques Coulais (1955-2011)French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance
$422 Sale Price
30% Off
H 10.75 in W 8.25 in
Antique Rare Framed European Modernist Town Center Architectural Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Wonderful mid 20th century European modernist cityscape oil painting. Framed. Oil on board. Signed. Image size, 20H by 26L.
Category
1960s Abstract Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$1,475
H 21 in W 27 in D 2 in
Signed Spero Large Antique American Abstract Expressionist Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring 43 by 33 inches overall and 40 by 30 painting alone.
Category
1960s Abstract Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$1,475
H 43 in W 33 in D 2 in
Surrealist Underwater Scene with Female Swimmer Jellyfish and Marine Landscape
By Sula Repani
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Surrealist underwater painting in oil on canvas featuring a female swimmer surrounded by jellyfish and flowing marine vegetation in deep ocean hues.
This dreamlike underwater scene by Sula Repani captures a suspended moment beneath the surface, where a lone female figure glides among jellyfish and sea currents. Painted in oil on canvas, this surrealist marine composition blends figurative clarity with gestural abstraction, evoking serenity, transformation, and immersion in nature. The palette of sea green, cobalt blue, and soft turquoise creates a layered aquatic space, vibrant yet meditative.
Rooted in her Mediterranean heritage and shaped by her Galician surroundings, Repani’s practice often explores the relationship between body and water, myth and reality. This underwater oil painting...
Category
2010s Abstract Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
$1,304
H 18.12 in W 21.66 in D 0.79 in
Contemporary Watercolor Painting,
Design for Panel
, C. 1994 by David Ruth
By David Ruth
Located in Oakland, CA
This is a contemporary abstract watercolor painting by artist David Ruth. This series of paintings often feature bright colors and vibrant layouts that draw the viewer in. They are c...
Category
1990s Abstract Expressionist Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Study #26, 1960s Gouache painting Signed Framed Pace
Hudson Gallery provenance
By Jack Youngerman
Located in New York, NY
Jack Youngerman
Untitled Study #26, 1967
Gouache painting on paper (with original JL Hudson and PACE Gallery labels)
Hand signed and dated '67 on the front; J.L. Hudson Gallery Label on Verso.
Unique Abstract Expressionist work on paper
Frame included
Framed
Measurements:
Framed:
15 inches by 15 inches by 1.5 inch
Artwork:
7.75 inches by 7.5 inches
Provenance
From the estate of Anne Markley Spivak
J. L. Hudson Gallery Label affixed to verso (back).
The J.L. Hudson Gallery, Detroit, Michigan
This 1967 unique, signed gouache painting by renowned abstract expressionist painter Jack Youngerman was acquired from the estate of Anne Markley Spivak. It is held in the original vintage metal frame with the original J.L. Hudson Gallery label, as well as the PACE gallery label on the verso
The artwork has been newly loated and framed in a museum quality white wood frame; the original labels from the original back board have been affixed to the back to preserve provenance.
Jack Youngerman Biography
Jack Youngerman was born in St. Louis, Missouri on March 25, 1926. He moved to Louisville, Kentucky in 1929 and studied at the University of Missouri, Columbia from 1944 to 1946 under a wartime navy training program. He graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 1947 and, that same year, he returned to Missouri to finish his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism before moving to Paris on a G.I. scholarship.
In Paris, Youngerman enrolled at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, studying drawing with Jean Souverbie. He explored Paris, taking in the cathedrals, museums, and history in order to grasp a greater sense of art history. He also traveled to the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Italy, and Greece on fine art excursions.
In 1948, Youngerman became friends with Ellsworth Kelly, Eduardo Paolozzi, and Cesar – fellow students at Ecole des Beaux-Arts. He married Delphine Seyrig in 1950, and later that year he had his first group exhibition at Galerie Maeght in Paris. He visited the studios of Constantín Brancusi and Jean Arp and became heavily influenced by the organic forms present in their work. He also met artist Alexander Calder through his father-in-law, Henri Seyrig, and experimental filmmaker and artist, Robert Breer...
Category
1960s Abstract Expressionist Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Gouache
$15,000
H 15 in W 15 in D 1.5 in
Surreal Nude Woman Abstract Signed Framed Mid Century Modern Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring 31 by 21 inches overall and 30 by 20 painting alone.
Category
1960s Abstract Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$775
H 31 in W 21 in D 2 in
Symbolic Landscape with Bare Tree and Fiery Cloud Oil Contemporary Nature
By Sula Repani
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Symbolic landscape oil painting depicting a bare tree beneath a red cloud at twilight, blending expressive figuration with atmospheric color and seasonal tension.
This striking land...
Category
2010s Abstract Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$426 Sale Price
20% Off
H 10.24 in W 7.68 in D 0.79 in
Previously Available Items
Untitled
By Irene Rice Pereira
Located in New York, NY
Oil on canvas. Signed in oil by the artist lower right corner.
Category
Mid-20th Century Abstract Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
The Spirit of Air
By Irene Rice Pereira
Located in Denver, CO
Presented in a custom frame, outer dimensions measure 51 ¾ x 37 ¾ x 2 ½ inches. Image size is 50 x 36 inches.
Irene Rice Pereira was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and was consider...
Category
Mid-20th Century Abstract Expressionist Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Abstraction
By Irene Rice Pereira
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
Signed lower right
Considered the most avid Bauhaus proponent in the United States during the 1930's and 40's, Irene Rice Pereira's oeuvre reflects her commitment to machine-age mat...
Category
Mid-20th Century Abstract Geometric Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Abstraction
By Irene Rice Pereira
Located in New York, NY
The Transcendental Formed Logic of the Infinite : The Evolution of Cultural Forms. Signed. 9 7/8 x 6 5/8"
Good Condition.
I.Rice Pereira was an American abstract artist, poet, a...
Category
1960s Abstract Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Untitled
By Irene Rice Pereira
Located in New York, NY
White and Yellow gouache on black paper 1961. (Inscribed 1963) Signed and Dated.
Provenance: The Artist
I.Rice Pereira was an American abstract artist, poet, and philosopher who pla...
Category
1960s Modern Irene Rice Pereira Abstract Paintings
Materials
Gouache
Irene Rice Pereira abstract paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Irene Rice Pereira abstract paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of abstract paintings to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Irene Rice Pereira in paint, canvas, casein paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1950s and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Irene Rice Pereira abstract paintings, so small editions measuring 28 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Robert McIntosh, Leonard Nelson, and Agnes Hart. Irene Rice Pereira abstract paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $3,000 and tops out at $29,000, while the average work can sell for $16,000.