Jewels on 87 Street Still-life Paintings

Red Geraniums and Yellow Curtain Original Paul Schmitt California Impressionist Geraniums in an interior setting with a yellow curtain or drape behind by Paul A. Schmitt (American, 18983-1983). Oakland, California artist. Size 23.5"H x 16.5"W Signed lower left "Paul A. Schmitt" Exhibition label on verso, "Alameda Art Association, Paul A. Schmitt Oil Still Life No 10" Painter, watercolorist, illustrator and teacher, Paul Schmitt was born in Philadelphia, in 1893 and moved to San Francisco in 1898 where he lived until the 1906 earthquake took his family home. He then moved to the Fruitvale district of Oakland. He died of natural causes at the age of 90 in San Leandro, California. Paul Schmitt studied under Perham Wilhelm Nahl, at the California College of Arts and Crafts. He also learned various crafts, woodworking and carving skills from his father, Herman Schmitt, a German wood carver working in San Francisco. Herman's works are still found in various San Francisco public buildings including the city hall chambers and the garden court of the Palace Hotel. Schmitt joined twelve other local San Francisco artists to form the group called "The Thirteen Watercolorists", a group that eventually evolved into the Society of Western Artists. Their early members included Alfred Owles, Will Cameron, Maurice Logan, Maynard Dixon and many others. Paul worked with engineers and architects doing models of many projects. He was versatile in that he also did illustrations for various publications and advertisers. He fathered thirteen children. In the late 1930's he decided to accept a teaching position in the local adult schools where he retired in his eighties. Paul was very fond of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and yearly took his large family there on camping /sketching trips. He did a series of oils of the California missions. He also traveled extensively on sketching trips including Mexico where he did a series of Mexican churches...

Delicate mid century still-life of white and pink roses in crystal vase with a soft, lime green background by listed California artist Helen Mae Enoch Gleiforst (American, 1903-1997)...

John White Alexander's graceful depictions of beautiful women earned him critical acclaim both in Europe and America. However, his career did not get off to an easy start—Alexander b...

Signed and dated oil on board landscape by French Post-Impressionist painter Victor Charreton. The piece depicts a view of Lake Chambon, near Mont-Dore - with a view of the blue moun...

Bathed in luminous Mediterranean light, Wisteria in Italy captures a dreamlike hillside scene glimpsed through a curtain of violet-blue wisteria blooms. The composition reveals Faith...

Artist/ School: J.Darras, French 20th century, signed Title: Still Life of Grapes and Fruits net to a basket, beautiful deep shades of green colors. Medium: oil painting on canvas...

Natasha Isenhour's "Morning in the High Desert" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a sunrise that colors the clouds a lavender and yellow color as they swirl above th...

“Still Life, 1936” by Katharine "Kitty" Duff Church (British, 1910-1999). This large, early painting by Katherine Church is among her finest canvases of the period. Characterized by its bold color palette, simplified forms, and expressive brushwork, this composition centers around a tabletop adorned with various objects: potted plants, a ceramic dish, bottles, and what appear to be books or papers. The two potted plants provide contrasting elements: on the left, what appears to be a cyclamen with red blossoms and delicate leaves, and on the right, a lush green plant with darker foliage. These plants, painted with loose, textured strokes, add an organic quality to the otherwise structured arrangement. The tabletop is cluttered yet thoughtfully composed, featuring additional objects like a clear, faceted glass bowl, a small bottle, and books or pads in striking red and green. The dynamic use of color blocks and the juxtaposition of shapes (round pots against rectangular books) create a sense of rhythm and harmony. The background is darker and less defined, emphasizing the brightly lit tabletop. Church's brushwork is gestural and modernist, leaning toward abstraction, challenging traditional still life conventions. This painting reflects Church’s interest in balancing everyday objects with bold artistic expression. It conveys both the simplicity and complexity of daily life, transforming an ordinary moment into a vibrant and engaging work of art. This work is oil on canvas and is signed and dated in the lower right. It is housed in its original gessoed frame and retains various labels and inscriptions on the reverse. Size: 28.25 inches tall by 36 inches wide (painting) 34 inches tall by 42 inches wide by 2 inches deep (frame) Provenance: Private collection, NY; Acquired from the above About the artist: Born in Highgate, north London, Katharine Church, known as ‘Kitty’ amongst friends and family, always wanted to paint. She trained at the Royal Academy of Arts between 1930-1933 and at the Slade between 1933 and 1934. In her early years Kitty exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy. Her first solo exhibition was in 1933 at the Wertheim Gallery. Other artists who exhibited there included Christopher Wood, Victor Pasmore and Cedric Morris. Kitty also showed with the New English Art Club, the London Group and between 1937-1947 her work was exhibited at the influential Lefevre Gallery, which supported avant-garde artists such as Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth. In 1954 the artist was invited to take part in the Figures in their setting exhibition held at the Tate Gallery. Henry Tonks and Philip Wilson Steer had a strong influence on Kitty’s early work, but it was her friendship with Ivon Hitchens that liberated her painting technique. In 1936 Kitty married Anthony West, the son of writers Rebecca West and H.G. Wells. The couple initially lived in London before moving to Quarry Farm, Chicksgrove, Tisbury, near Salisbury, where they brought up their children Caroline and Edmund. There they hosted many of their friends, including the New Zealand painter Frances Hodgkins. Other regular visitors before the War included John and Mywafany Piper, Ralph and Frances Partridge, Noel and Catharine Carrington, Julian Trevelyan and Mary Fedden. For many of those who visited Kitty would organise painting expeditions. After the war Kitty and Anthony separated, with Anthony moving to the United States. Anthony West moved to the United States to work as a journalist for The New Yorker. In the early years after their parting Kitty visited most years with the children. In the 1960s Kitty purchased Sutton House and ran the Hambledon Gallery at Blandford Forum. There she promoted the work of her early art-school friends Mary Fedden and Julian Trevelyan, alongside work by the Pipers, John Craxton...

A remarkable work by Charles Nicolas Etienne Mayre, an academic painter born in Choisy le Roi near Paris in 1819. He studied with the masters Michel-Martin Drolling and Leon Cogniet...

These stunning magnolia placed in a transparent vase. A dark background helps to reveal delicate forms of flowers and capture the reactions of light with glass. The medium used is oi...

Marsha Whitesides Piper's (US based) "Cherries and Tea" is an oil painting depicting six red cherries placed with a reflective tea kettle in a dark interior. Artist statement: The ...

Yana Beylinson's (US based) "Four Peonies" is an oil painting that depicts impressionistic pink flowers with vivid green leaves. Artist Bio: Yana is driven by a deep r...