Impressionist Portrait Painting of Circus Clown, 1950

Modernist portrait of a young man in rich reds and blues. Signed on reverse H. Friedlander, 1959. Oil on board. Unframed. Large not framed provenance rare New York gilt g...

"Mexican Woman" Mid-Century Modern painting by American/German artist Ake Tugel. Oil on masonite. Painted with palette knife. Dated 1959 and signed with ...

"Ballerinas" impressionist painting by Andre Gisson (1921-2003). Soft colors and bright light are hallmarks of Gissons work. Although American born Andre Gisson is best known for hi...

Bohemian woman Budapest, Hungary 1925 by Bertha De Hellebranth. Fabulous period painting brings to life the bohemian intelligentsia of Europe in ...

When it comes to pictorial imagery on the theme of clowns, complexity emerges, often revealing multiple layers of interpretation. Beyond the laughter and amusement associated with circus performers, there are poignant undercurrents of potential suffering and personal anguish. This oil portrait explores the duality inherent in the clown...

European Artist. Oil on board. Portrait of a clown. Expressionist style with impasto strokes. Colouristic palette. Dated 1962 on the back. Indistinctly signed. In perfect condition. ...

This portrait of a clown by Maurice Kish is part from a series of carnival figures, circus clowns and carousel horses and riders that he did in the 30s and 40s. The artist uses a vibrant color palette and controlled brushstrokes to depict the subject in a realistic way. The imagery of Maurice Kish (1895-1987), whether factories or carousels, reliably subverts expectations. His vision hovers just around the unraveling edge of things, where what is solid and clear becomes ambiguous. He is fascinated, often delighted, by the falling apart. This unexpected, fresh perspective results in oddly affecting pictures of a now long-gone New York. Born Moishe in a town called Dvinsk, Russia (what is now Daugavpils, Latvia), Kish came with his family to New York when he was in his teens. The family settled in Brownsville, and for the rest of Kish’s life Brooklyn remained his home, though he moved from one neighborhood to another. He was close to his parents, who recognized his talent and supported his desire to become an artist. Kish attended the National Academy of Design as well as Cooper Union. His fellow students included many other immigrants and children of immigrants who were particularly receptive to the Modernism coming from Europe. As his career progressed, Kish himself applied different strains of Modernism to different purposes. For him, the story was held above all else. For years, Kish used the skills he acquired in art school to earn his living at a Manhattan glass...

Portrait of a clown in three quarter view, with expressive brushstrokes and use of color by Marjorie Blake (1920-1994). Unsigned, but was purchased with...