William Sommer Nude Drawings and Watercolors
American, 1867-1949
William Sommer is seen as a key person in bringing European modernism to Northeast Ohio. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, and in his youth apprenticed for seven years to a lithographer.
He briefly studied at an art academy in Germany and then worked as a lithographer in New York before moving to Cleveland, where he was awarded a major contract with the Otis Lithography Company. There he became friends with sculptor and painter William Zorach, and the two, determined to be fine artists, began painting together on weekends. They also became intrigued by avant-garde movements, especially after Zorach's trip to Paris in 1910.
In 1911, Sommer co-founded a group in Cleveland called the Kokoon Club, a mixed group of commercial artists and radical modernists who sought the freedom to pursue their independent tendencies. They converted a tailor's shop into a studio and held exhibitions and lectures and organized an annual masked ball that became the focus of Cleveland's bohemian life.
In 1913, he and his colleagues began painting at Brandywine, about 30 miles south of Cleveland and made a school house into a studio. They devoted increasing time to watercolor painting because they could work spontaneously and it would dry quickly. Rejecting the conventional ideas of beauty, they strove for the expression of emotion and spontaneity and fantasy. One of Sommer's most successful students was Charles Burchfield.
As he was perfecting his mature style, he had financial difficulties because he made his living from commercial lithography, which was becoming obsolete, and the Depression was hitting the nation causing him to lose his job. He became a WPA artist, doing murals in northeastern Ohio.
After his death at age 82, he was largely forgotten until 1980 when Hilton Kramer, a "New York Times" critic, praised his work. In May to July, 1994, the Ohio Arts Council held a retrospective of his work at the Riffe Gallery in Columbus. His work is found in many public collections including the National Museum of American Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.to
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Artist: William Sommer
Nude Woman in Chair
By William Sommer
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Nude Woman in Chair
Watercolor, gouache, ink, and pencil on heavy paper, c. 1930-35
Signed with the artist's Estate stamp lower right (see photo)
Note: "Matchstick" ink drawing of fe...
Category
1930s American Modern William Sommer Nude Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Watercolor
Seated Nude Leaning on her arm, facing right
By William Sommer
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Seated Nude Leaning on her arm, facing right
Pen and ink, c. 1920
Signed lower right with estate stamp: Wm Sommer
Created at a live model session at the Kakoon Arts Klub, Cleveland
C...
Category
1920s American Modern William Sommer Nude Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink
Standing Nude with Japanese Lanterns
By William Sommer
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Standing Nude with Japanese Lanterns
Ink drawing on wove paper, mounted on wove paper support, c. 1916
Signed with the estate stamp B
Provenance: Estate of the Artist
...
Category
1910s American Modern William Sommer Nude Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink
Standing Female Nude
By William Sommer
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Standing Female Nude
Match stick and ink drawing, c. 1925
Signed with the estate stamp B
Sheet size: 21 x 16 inches
Created at the Kakoon Arts Klu...
Category
1920s American Modern William Sommer Nude Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink
Nude, arms raised
By William Sommer
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Nude
Matchstick and ink drawing heightened with conte crayon
c. 1925
Signed with the Estate Stamp "B"
Provenance: Joseph A. Erdelac (1914 -2005), Cleveland
Acqu...
Category
1920s Art Deco William Sommer Nude Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink
Female Nude Study
By William Sommer
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Female Nude Study
Graphite and crayon on wove paper, c. 1928
Signed with the Estate stamp "B" (see photo)
Provenance: Estate of the Artist
Edward Sommer (his so...
Category
1920s American Modern William Sommer Nude Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Crayon
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William Sommer nude drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic William Sommer nude drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by William Sommer in ink, crayon, paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large William Sommer nude drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 13 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Harold Haydon, Jean Chapin, and Alberto Ziveri. William Sommer nude drawings and watercolors prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,000 and tops out at $5,000, while the average work can sell for $2,750.