Continental US - Wall Decorations

Brilliantly conceived and executed by Trew Hocker, an important muralist who was strongly influenced by Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood, this portrait of a young African American m...

Add elegance, sophistication, and modern artistry to your home with the Brass Accented Crystal Wall Décor. Designed with a striking geometric pattern, this decorative wall accent com...

A unique book first edition print set on a circular format retains its original case.

A gold, antique Swedish Gustavian pair of wall mirrors made of hand crafted gilded wood with its original mirrored glass, in good condition. The Scandinavian wall décor...

Selection of Jean Arp color lithographs, France, circa 1950s. They are priced at $450 each or $800 for the pair. We purchased a group of these color lithographs from the estate of a ...

Painted by one of the greatest artists of the Swedish Grace movement -- Simon Gate, best known for his spectacular series of engraved glass designs for Orrefors in Sweden -- this pai...

An antique 18th century French Verdure tapestry panel depicting a city on a hill, trees, and animals. Measurements: Height: 88" Width: 145" Depth:...

Early 20th century blue Moroccan Ceramic plate hand made in Fez. Handcrafted and glazed decorative ceramic bowl from Fez, Morocco. Featuring an elaborate hand-painted Moorish pattern...

Oil on academy board, one signed W. Sheridan. W. Sheridan was an English artist active in the 19th century. Each painting measures 22" x 29.5" including the frame. The pair togethe...

Painted in southern France circa 1885, this captivating maritime landscape captures the luminous atmosphere of the Port de Marseille along the Mediterranean coast. The oil on canvas,...

1833 Abstract gilt wire rose flower wall sculpture 2 available priced individually

A rare screen printed canvas wall hanging by the respected British graphic artist Abram Games. He designed this whimsical horse as an advertisement for the Times of London in 1962. G...

Pair of Josef Albers lithographs from formulation and articulation, published by Harry N. Abrams Inc., New York, and Ives Sillman Inc., New Haven, circa 1972. These two works are fro...

Still life, classical palette for red and blue. Oil on canvas by Columbian artist, Carlos Nariño, who lives and works in Paris since 1985. Exhibits...

Large Majolica Palissy Portuguese lobster platter, circa 1940. Decorated with mussels and shells, 9.5 inches Diameter.

Italian Modern Framed Oil on Canvas. Offered is a stunning large oil on canvas depicting a lively group of characters. This colorful oil painting is sure to be the conversation piece...

"Earth Day 1990 New York City" vintage color commemorative poster designed by well-known graphic design Seymour Chwast. Great vintage condition. Offered unframed. Ships rolled. Paper...

1960s Cubist Art Form Abstract Painting Style Paul Klee reminiscent of Paul Klee  Signed art lower right corner unable to read  14 h x 15.25 w x 2  Art 11.5 x 9.5 Original vintage Re...

Original mid century Mourlot Art Poster, Raoul Dufy art poster from the 1950s printed by Mourlot, Paris, France. French art exhibition poster Raoul Dufy, Juillet - October 1957. Ra...

Mid-Century Majolica Palissy Lobster Platter Vallauris. Mussels.shells,seaweeds. Diameter / 9.8 nches.

On offer an 18thc Large Beautiful French Wood Sculpture of a Putto/ Angel Figure. There are losses, on fingers, feet etc. Please look closely at ...

In 1969 John Lennon created a portfolio of drawings which he entitled "Bag One". These drawings depicted John & Yoko Ono's wedding and subsequent honeymoon and he presented them to ...

Mid-Century 20th Century Oil Painting of Flowers in Vase by Gerald Cooper (1898-1975). Lovely painting of poppies, hibiscus, Nicotiana an...

Exceptional 19th Century Large French Majolica Flamingo Platter or Charger. 15.7 diameter.

Vintage folk art style oil painting by Trevor James depicting a young girl holding a posey basket. The young girl has a serene facial expression and there is a gentle and quiet still...

An exquisite 18th century Italian gilded and painted wooden wall plaque. This large size antique wall decoration from Italy features a central cartouche, surrounded by a variety of m...

A handsome and most decorative pair of Italian late 19th century Basalt Wedgwood and patinated Wood plaques. Each finely detailed silhouette is identifying a Roman Emperor on a Basal...

A landmark sign from downtown Los Angeles. This metal sign is comprised of 16 pieces and was the business sign for the Los Angeles Times newspaper. It was on the front of their build...

Mid-Century Danish Abstract Painting Osmund Hansen (1908 - 1995) This captivating piece by the Danish artist Osmund Hansen, entitled "Abstract Fish Painting," is a mesmerizing ble...

A fine Wedgwood blue jasperware plaque with a neoclassical figural composition. The Wedgwood impressed mark appears on verso. Female figures are honoring the devilish Eros who they a...

This sun-drenched scene, drawn with a vivid palette of bright Mediterranean blues and chalk whites, shows a pattern of gridding by the artist, indicating that this drawing served as ...

Watercolor ink depicting a woman in a purple dress with her eyes shaded in blue with a crowd in the background in orange, pink and yellow tones. Presented in a silvertone metal...

A magnificent 1970s decorative brass tree sculpture in the style of Curtis Jere, this large-scale piece captures the era’s fascination with sculptural form, light play, and natural m...

Pair 70s woven Oaxaca School abstract fiber art tapestries, A fine companion pair, from the Ole Oaxaca School, one titled 'Zig-Zag' , the other number '3', (r...

A serene 19th century pastoral landscape oil on canvas signed by F. Allen, depicting a tranquil countryside scene. The composition features cows drinking from a calm river beside a r...

The suzani fragment on the frame is from a 19th C. Suzani. It is hand backed on linen and streched over a strecher and finish with a wooden frame. Ready to go on any wall. The item ...

This rare and striking woodcut print by Robert Pajer-Gartegen, an Austrian artist, depicts a nude male figure in a slender wood boat, using a long pole to mo...

American Country (early 20th Century) folk art embroidery of a US flag portrayed with small pompoms in a wood frame behind glass.

This is a wonderful example of a rural landscape painting. It has serene coloring and is framed in a versatile champagne-silver wood frame. This landscape is stylish enough to hang a...

Majolica oyster plate attributed to Keller Et Guerin Saint Clement, circa 1890. Reference / page 98 "Collecting oyster plates" of Jeffrey B. Snyder.

Venetian style dolphin and clam wall decor set from the 1960's in silver leafed resin with hand painted gold highlights. Together, they make a striking baroque focal point in any roo...

A Flemish tapestry from the late 16th century, with the renowned Roman general, Scipio at left, after having conquered Carthage in the Battle of Zama, en...

Baseball in Small Town America - 1930s. Original, painting by Lynn Curlee Acrylic on stretched canvas. Gallery wrapped with painted edges. This painting was used as an illustration...

A modern raku ceramic hanging relief sculpture depicting a boy cycling on a bike by Steven Kemenyffy and Susan Hale Kemenyffy. Signed on edges. Circa late 1960s and early 1970s. For ...

Colorful Palissy wall platter signed Hippolyte Boulenger Choisy le Roi, circa 1880. Decorated with fishs,snake, snail,bugs,shells,mussel and lea...

A handsome and sophisticated mixed media on canvas by American artist John Rigsby. Found in a original state of preservation. His works are few and far between. The following biography was submitted by John David Rigsby, Jr., son of the artist. The author is Lisa Rigsby Peterson, daughter of the artist, and owner of the copyright of the biography. John David Rigsby was born on October 10, 1934, the seventh child of an Alabama Depression-era sharecropper's son. He and his family moved frequently, from one one-room structure to another, often with no running water, no plumbing, no heat but the stove. His father was killed in a car accident when Rigsby was just 9 years old. Life for the remaining eight family members proved tumultuous and difficult -- food wasn't plentiful, nor money. The family moved from place to place, following work -- Rigsby attended 30 different schools before graduating from high school. Despite living in poverty, Rigsby demonstrated academic and artistic aptitude at a young age. Two oil paintings on covers ripped off of old books that he painted when he was eight years old show the promise of an imaginative and gifted eye. Rigsby was drafted by the U.S. Army in 1953. As he later wrote, "When basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, was over, I was told to go out and find a job. Jasper Johns was painting visual aids for the 28th Regimental Headquarters. He suggested the Band Training Unit." Rigsby played the clarinet in that unit, and after 2 years of service, he enrolled at the University of Alabama on the G.I. Bill to study art. After just two years, he left school and followed his mentor (and one of the greatest and longest-lasting influences on his art), Japanese artist and U of A art instructor Tatsu Heima, to New York City. Heima introduced him to Isamu Noguchi and suggested that Rigsby work as Noguchi's assistant. Instead, Rigsby chose a job as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, since "the notion of seeing all of that art appealed more to me than the boring task of studio assistant." The opportunity was a rich one for Rigsby. He had a chance to study the masters, and cited Rembrandt with his simplicity and elegance as another of the most important influences on his work. In the years between 1957 and 1963, when Rigsby eventually earned his BFA in sculpture, the artist traveled back and forth between New York and Tuscaloosa, alternating study with forays into the fertile New York art scene. Rigsby exhibited some of his early sculpture work in 1958 at a small New York gallery, which was also exhibiting the work of Willem and Elaine de Kooning and Theodore Stamos. Shortly thereafter, searching for an educational venue closer to New York City, Rigsby visited New Haven, Connecticut, and spent an afternoon speaking with Josef Albers at Yale. Albers agreed to accept Rigsby into the Yale program on the condition that he take freshman drawing all over again. A brilliant opportunity, but, in Rigsby's words, "When it was time to register, I was hitchhiking back to Alabama, looking for food and shelter." Rigsby had his first one-man show at the University of Alabama in 1959. A visiting critic from New York, J.F. Goosen, reviewed the show and wrote "here is a talent which produces art because that is the thing for a gifted person to do. In his effortless ease of conception and execution, he has already achieved a goal that eludes many artists for a lifetime." Finally, in 1963, Rigsby received his degree in sculpture, dissolved a short-lived marriage, visited his family, packed up his car and headed permanently for New York. That year, his work was included in a group show at the Delgado Museum in New Orleans - which led to a one-man exhibit at the Delgado in 1964. During 1964, Rigsby took drawing classes at Columbia University, and worked at the General Post Office at night. He met his future wife, Linda Palmieri, and married. In 1965, his daughter Lisa was born, followed in 1966 by the birth of his son, John David Jr. In 1966, Rigsby had a successful one-man show at the Pietrantonio Gallery in New York. Shortly thereafter, he and the family moved to Tunis, Tunisia at the suggestion of a colleague, who urged him to "come paint by the light of Klee." Rigsby worked for the United States Information Agency as a teacher, and he spent the next year and a half painting over ninety paintings inspired by the smells, light, and Phoenician and Roman art surrounding him. He also executed a number of character and landscape drawings, capturing the Tunisian way of life. During his time in Tunisia, Rigsby's work was shown there in two major exhibits. Upon the family's return to the U.S. in 1968, Rigsby once again exhibited at the Pietrantonio Gallery. Later that year, Rigsby enrolled in Southern Connecticut State College's Urban Studies program, earning a master's degree in 1970. During his time at SCSU, Rigsby worked as the city of Bridgeport's Curator of Exhibits, driving a mobile art gallery from schools to neighborhood fairs and housing projects. After completing his degree, Rigsby had an exhibit at the Telfair Museum in Savannah, Georgia. This exhibit caught the attention of a member of the search committee looking to hire an artist for a newly-developed program in neighboring South Carolina. In 1970, Rigsby was selected as the first Artist-in-Residence in the state of South Carolina for the National Endowment for the Arts Artists in Schools program. His work with the newly-integrated students at Beaufort (SC) High School over the term of his residency precluded substantial work on his own art. He did, however, set up a studio in downtown Beaufort, and was able to create a modest number of paintings, which were included in exhibits at the Columbia Museum in South Carolina in 1971 and Yale University in 1973. At the end of his residency in 1974, Rigsby was named the National Visual Arts Coordinator of the Artists in Schools program for the NEA, a post he held for two years. In this position, Rigsby traveled the country, reviewing grant applications, meeting with state leaders in government, education and the arts to promote program concepts and explore local opportunities. The message he repeated over and over again echoed that of one of the other major influences on Rigsby as an artist - Ruth Asawa Lanier, whose words taught him that all of the work that the artist does is the artist's work, not simply the paintings he creates. In his capacity as National Coordinator, as well as many times in the future, Rigsby stressed that artists function in the same way as any other person in society, and deserved the same respect and place for their work as did all other professions. After two years traveling the country, Rigsby was ready for a change, saying "for the first time in my adult life, there was not a body of paintings to show for the years put into my work." In 1976, a summer retreat to the mountain community of Central City, Colorado, led to a permanent relocation. Eventually settling in the small town of Evergreen, Rigsby followed his own advice about artists becoming actively involved in their communities, and he established the Evergreen Visual Arts Center. The Center provided working space for artists, classes for adults and children, and, most importantly, a place for Rigsby to create his own work. Buoyed by the opportunity to concentrate once again on his art, and inspired by his new surroundings, Rigsby entered an extremely prolific period in his career. In 1977, he organized a traveling exhibition of his paintings, which showed at the Kimball Arts Center in Utah, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and the Arvada Center in Colorado. 1978 brought more exhibits, notably in Aspen and Denver, as Rigsby's work continued. He took an extended trip to visit his mentor, Tatsu Heima, in Japan, where he climbed Mt. Fuji, followed by travels to Tehran, Delhi, and several European countries. He chronicled his impressions from his travels in a small collection of paintings upon his return to the U.S. - the beginning of a practice which would continue through the rest of his life. In 1979, Rigsby's marriage failed, and at the same time he lost the lease to his Evergreen studio to redevelopment plans. In response to the personal chaos around him, Rigsby began a series of what he called "hard-nosed process paintings," the watercolor paintings of dots which marked his work from this period. The paintings gained him an NEA Individual Artist grant in 1980, as well as a Yaddo fellowship in 1981. The polka dot paintings were followed by a series of cupcake-like images, again examining space and color. During the early 1980s, Rigsby lived in a suite of old dentists' offices in a rundown part of Denver, with a studio in an area that reminded him of the Bowery in New York. In 1984, Rigsby founded the Progreso Gallery in the building where he lived, using the space both to show his own work and also to mount shows of the work of many Colorado artists. The gallery also served as a focal point for Denver's local arts community, hosting weekly discussion groups and classes. In 1984, Rigsby traveled to the Baja Peninsula and then in 1985 to Yugoslavia. After each sojourn, Rigsby returned to create vibrant and explosive paintings based on his experiences, showing them at his Progreso gallery and another alternative gallery in Denver, the Edge Gallery. The economic recession of the mid-eighties hit the art market and Rigsby hard, however, and although he continued to create new works of art, major exhibitions were difficult to come by. In 1987, Rigsby decided to leave Denver and spent six months in Barcelona, Spain. It was an electrifying trip for him. Rigsby wrote of that time: "The streets alone are a visual feast, and the additions of museums from Saarinen, Picasso and Miro to 12th century icons produced artistic indigestion. My paintings are always about the way things look and feel. Barcelona was a time machine extending those sensory and emotional concerns back to the Middle Ages. I felt the need to reduce my work to essential elements of color, scale, drawing and format. The [resulting] color studies speak eloquently for themselves, and in doing so, redefine all of the work I've done in the past 35 years of painting." Rigsby completed over a hundred paintings while in Barcelona - color studies, street portraits of the characters he encountered on a daily basis, and a number of dark landscape paintings. He found time to run with the bulls in Pamplona, and began writing stories about his adventures that were later published. Upon his return to Denver in 1988, Rigsby continued to explore the alter egos of the color studies - he concentrated on a series of dark paintings, all prominently featuring back. He commented about these black paintings that he " decided it was time to explore the perception of the eye and physical space as defined by low -light conditions…I find these paintings elegant, joyous and light-filled, with no feeling of heaviness at all." In mid-1988, Rigsby moved permanently to Houston, Texas, where he would spend the last five years of his life. Once in Houston, Rigsby made a discovery that would serve as the inspiration and material for some of the last works of his career. In 1989, he discovered a salvage yard filled with scrap rubber, and he began working on black rubber sculptures, as well as paintings with rubber elements incorporated. He made strong connections in the Houston alternative arts scene, and became a regular contributor and art critic for a local weekly newspaper, The Public News. From 1989 through 1992, he exhibited his sculptures and paintings at Houston's Brent Gallery, Fountainhead Gallery, and Blaffer Gallery. He also produced an installation of his rubber sculptures on the roof of the Diverse Works Gallery in Houston. 1992 also marked Rigsby's return to Denver when he exhibited his sculptures at the Payton-Rule Gallery in Denver, leading to an Absolut Rigsby commission by Carillon Importers. The 1990s were a tremendous struggle for Rigsby, with financial crises compounded by physical trauma (he accidentally sawed off the top joint of the index finger of his left hand while working in his studio). Although his work was being shown, it wasn't selling, and the tremendous financial pressure he felt weighed heavily upon him. He spent an increasing proportion of his time going to flea markets and garage sales, rehabilitating and repairing the things he bought there, and then re-selling them simply to raise enough money to keep a roof over his head. He had little time to paint or sculpt, the things in life that had always, no matter what the circumstances, brought him joy. Rigsby's final works were a series of intricate paintings and drawings on used books that he purchased at the flea market. Most of these drawings, which he referred to as sculptural form drawings, were executed on page after page of science texts, music books, and a Korean bible and fill hundreds of pages. Additionally, Rigsby created an exquisite book he titled 28 de los Angeles, in which his twenty-eight simple and elegant drawings of angels resonated with the influence of Rembrandt he had so admired in his early days. In a sense, Rigsby's final works, art created on used books which were the only materials he could afford, brought his work and life full circle from his childhood days. Rigsby's life, though begun and ended in adversity, was nonetheless illuminated and enriched by the irresistible impulse he had to create art and beauty. John David Rigsby was killed in a one-car accident in Colorado in August, 1993. Biography from the Archives of askART Following is a review by Michael Paglia of the artist's July 2004 retrospective at the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art. It was submitted by John Rigsby, Jr., son of the artist. There's a magnificent retrospective at Denver's Museum of Contemporary Art devoted to the work of the late John David Rigsby, who was a major powerhouse in Colorado's art scene. "Dots, Blobs and Angels" surveys more than forty years' worth of the remarkable artist's paintings and sculptures. The year 1993 was strange, and by that I mean terrible. Many of the city's galleries closed because of bad economic times, and then the artists started dying. In a matter of a few months, Denver lost three significant artists: Rigsby, experimental photographer Wes Kennedy...

French Majolica bird swallow plate signed Sarreguemines, circa 1880.

It is becoming very rare to find a desirable original Bruce of Los Angeles vintage photograph. Especially with the iconic black and white checkerboard ...

Antique English Regency / Georgian style pole or fire screen on stand. Made of mahogany featuring scrolled pierced / reticulated adjustable screen framing a floral tapestry backed w...

This Fine Monumental Signed Heinz Pinggera Oil Painting, "Shakespeare at the Queen's Court" is a stunning depiction of a historic and dramatic scene. The artist, Heinz Pinggera, mast...

An exceptional mid-19th century American coverlet handwoven in Pennsylvania during the 1840s, this richly detailed textile features a sophisticated four-color palette of navy blue, r...

Large vintage Textile wall Art. Circa 1970s Features a stretched canvas with a forest inspired design printed in vibrant earth tone colors. ...

Antique Central Asian Silk Ikat Panel, Uzbekistan A large mounted silk and cotton ‘adras’ ikat panel with a dynamic 4-color design of large red rings with white centers surrounded b...

Modern wall Tapestry Designed by Guido Maggiori (b. 1944) Bold, Colorful Abstract Composition Entitled "Rouge, Vert, Jaune, Noir & Bleu". (Red, Green, Y...

Majolica bird with cherries plate Wasmuel, circa 1890.

Large French Majolica asparagus plate Orchies, circa 1880.     

ABOUT An original vintage Chinese propaganda poster, "Lessons from Dazhai". Bright, vivid colors. Framed with a black, metal frame and acrylic. Not a Chinese export poster. Produced...

Fantastic pair of rare framed etchings by Peter Max (American b. 1937) V3 X and XI. In the manner of Picasso each color pencil signed lower ce...

Beautiful needlepoint nude. After Rokebay Venus. From an estate out of Miami, Fl.

Large Mid Century Modern Enamel and Brass Rod Wall Sculpture brutalist elements.Nicer then most of the wall hangings I've come across.Great size.. form..Great use of color ,space and...