Bowler uses fine strokes to create a vibrant display of red and pink tulips spiraling outwards amidst a mass of strong, green leaves in a unique, white cornucopia vase. The arrangement is placed directly in the daylight on a white window bench along with a a silver plate of two apples and a pear dangerously close to the edge of the bench.The bright colors of the natural items seem almost out of place in the starkly white surroundings. About the Artist: Born in Syracuse, NY Bowler attended the Syracuse University College of Fine Arts and there received a postgraduate award for study in Paris. He was best known for painting official portraits of prominent political, military, and theatrical figures such as dancers Ruth St. Denis and Michel Fokine; humorist Will Rogers, actor Vincent Price, and explorer/author Richard Halliburton. Bowler also traveled to Washington, D.C. to paint portraits of Secretary of State Cordell Hull and Vice President John Nance Garner, among others. But Bowler also was passionate about landscapes and still lifes. A 1940 newspaper article implies that his two works at NDG were part of “a series of flower paintings done for all the tuberculosis hospitals in New York” (Allentown, PA Morning Call 31 Mar. 1940: 16). During World War II, Bowler served as Director of Design for a camouflage section of the 909th Air Force Engineers, organizing a 1943 show of their work at Macy’s Department store. It was after a 32-mile training hike that he painted a well-known image entitled “After the Hike”—a picture of his worn pair of army shoes—that was exhibited in the Library of Congress. Bowler also served as director of an arts program for the American Red Cross and as a USO portrait artist during the war (Syracuse Herald-Journal 23 July 1965: 14). After 1945 Bowler continued to live and work in Bucks County, PA. A critic attending the Phillips’ Mill Art Exhibition wrote that he had “all the majesty and power of great people who see great movements and think great things. A realist, his ‘Little Red Barn’ is characterized by a sensitive brush, a direct approach, rich colors and mellow overtones and an uninhibited technique — all contributing to the aching loveliness of this farm scene” (Muhlenberg Weekly 14 Oct. 1948: 2). In addition to producing many paintings, Bowler was an art teacher for much of his professional life. 1 work at Smithsonian American Art Museum. 3 works at Michener Art Museum. 2 more images at FAP.
Light pastels of white, red, green, and silver create a delicate and private image of an East Asian figurine behind a short pot of flowers, possibly lilies. The background is very bare and gray-scale, emphasizing the bright colors of the flowers. The white-to-red color transition of the flowers from left to right implies a period of change, more specifically from purity to maturity. About the Artist: Born in Syracuse, NY Bowler attended the Syracuse University College of Fine Arts and there received a postgraduate award for study in Paris. He was best known for painting official portraits of prominent political, military, and theatrical figures such as dancers Ruth St. Denis and Michel Fokine; humorist Will Rogers, actor Vincent Price, and explorer/author Richard Halliburton. Bowler also traveled to Washington, D.C. to paint portraits of Secretary of State Cordell Hull and Vice President John Nance Garner, among others. But Bowler also was passionate about landscapes and still lifes. A 1940 newspaper article implies that his two works at NDG were part of “a series of flower paintings done for all the tuberculosis hospitals in New York” (Allentown, PA Morning Call 31 Mar. 1940: 16). During World War II, Bowler served as Director of Design for a camouflage section of the 909th Air Force Engineers, organizing a 1943 show of their work at Macy’s Department store. It was after a 32-mile training hike that he painted a well-known image entitled “After the Hike”—a picture of his worn pair of army shoes—that was exhibited in the Library of Congress. Bowler also served as director of an arts program for the American Red Cross and as a USO portrait artist during the war (Syracuse Herald-Journal 23 July 1965: 14). After 1945 Bowler continued to live and work in Bucks County, PA. A critic attending the Phillips’ Mill Art Exhibition wrote that he had “all the majesty and power of great people who see great movements and think great things. A realist, his ‘Little Red Barn’ is characterized by a sensitive brush, a direct approach, rich colors and mellow overtones and an uninhibited technique — all contributing to the aching loveliness of this farm scene” (Muhlenberg Weekly 14 Oct. 1948: 2). In addition to producing many paintings, Bowler was an art teacher for much of his professional life. 1 work at Smithsonian American Art Museum. 3 works at Michener Art Museum. 2 more images at FAP.
Three women and one man are seen riding horses along a muddy trail; a younger rider with two braided pigtails leading them. A faded building is seen in the background--and we remind ourselves that this is New York City. There seem to be three distinct parts of this painting: the upper includes the building and the top parts of the trees; the middle includes the horses and the people. The bottom part of the painting is separated distinctly where the grass meets the trail, including the horses' feet and the muddy trail. About the Artist: We haven’t located much reliable information about this artist. As his NDG painting suggests, Dowling appears to have specialized in sporting art. He created an historical painting, “Saratoga, 1917” that showed Racing Association members living and deceased (New York Herald 6 Aug. 1918: 3). Nine years later Dowling was asked to add 13 additional figures on the strength of his reputation in England and the US, which had included a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt. He also ran a series of portraits in Town and Country depicting the opera singer Enrico Caruso, lawyer Paul D. Cravath, financier Otto H. Kahn, and broker Henry Rogers Winthrop (The Saratogian 15 Aug. 1927: 5).
A deft hand with tonal color renders Fastovsky's autumnal landscape somewhat different from what we expect in paintings of that season. We look down upon a valley whose brightest colors are literally marginalized--as borders between agricultural fields--except for blazing oranges at middle right. Houses and roads leading down a precipitous hillside, along with a mountain rising on the valley's other side, allow for an unusually large area for such a compact composition. About the Artist: Born in Chernobyl, Russia, Fastovsky studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts in Kiev before immigrating to the US in 1913 and becoming a citizen in 1921. He showed his work at Municipal Art Galleries, New York, in 1938. Fastovsky legally changed his name to Isaac Foster in 1946 and by 1955 was living in Tuscon, AZ, showing his paintings at local sites and restoring old canvases. Looking back upon his work for various federal art projects, he estimated that he had created 40-50 paintings during this period: “Someday I’m going to visit various state and federal buildings throughout the country and see if I can locate the pictures. I don’t have any idea where they’re hanging now” (Arizona Daily Star 16 Oct. 1955: 24). 9 more images at FAP.
A simple still life (perhaps deceptively so) includes as its ostensible objects a Grecian vase, flowers, and red grapes. Whether intentional or not, each element evokes a somewhat different artistic tradition: classical sculpture, informal nature in the form of daisies and zinnias, and European still life as represented by grapes. The entire arrangement sits upon a reflective surface. About the Artist:We haven’t located any reliable information about this artist. Please help us if you have any information. 2 more images at FAP.
We see a small chapel with terra cotta roof and a small bell. The only spots of color are the red roof tiles and the teal of bricks aroud the door. The rest of the painting is bleached, faded to hues of pale beige and blue. The door inside, framed by both the only vibrant blue in the painting, and by the circular arch of the chapel's portico, is made the focus of the painting. About the Artist: The son of Irish immigrants, Alger was born in Boston, MA and studied at the Lowell Institute of Design and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Around 1914, he began dividing his time between Massachusetts and showing his work in New York group exhibitions; a 1921 review of the Whitney Studio Club declared that its “chief interest centers about the technical novelty of John Alger. He has painted some sand dunes with a sweeping grace despite the fact that his colors, always modest, are laid down flatly and without accent” (New York Tribune 18 Dec. 1921: 50). Another admiring critic thought Alger had “developed a point of view which represents the utmost in simplification without, however, becoming in any sense of the word an abstractionist” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle 7 Mar. 1926: 66). Alger was a founding member of the Salons of America. In later years, he seems to have taught art lessons in addition to his painting. 5 more images at FAP.
Brilliant colors of red, white, green, and deep blues and purples stand out in this crown of flowers set against a monochrome backdrop. The flowers are supported via ceramic vase, as the flowers fawn out from the mouth of the vase; this whole arrangement supported by a small, light grey table that seems to blend the foreground into the background. The grey, monochromatic backdrop presents a calming effect as the eye is drawn to the bright flora. It is impossible to miss the South Western painted rooster that sits beside the vase, adding yet another element of character and culture to the piece. About the Author: Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Mary Monrad came from an artistic family. She studied at the Académie Julian with Benjamin Constant and Jean-Paul Laurens, and with James Whistler. In 1906 she married Walter Ufer, a fellow painter, while both were living in Chicago. Thereafter her life was a struggle due to family finances, his alcoholism-fueled anger, and gender norms that forced her into a role supporting her husband. In 1914 the two moved to Taos, NM, and became influential figures in its nascent artists colony. In order to make ends meet she gave art lectures across the country, becoming a sought-after speaker and promoting the work of Taos artists. She was teaching art classes for the WPA art classes in Minneapolis, MN when her husband died in 1936; moving to New York forced her from the New Mexico relief rolls, and in New York she had trouble securing support because she was over 65 years of age. It is the state’s good fortune that eventually Federal Art Project support was granted. 1 work at the Harwood Museum. 11 more images at FAP. Sources Consulted: Dean Porter, Teresa Hayes Ebie and Suzan Campbell, Taos Artists and Their Patrons, 1898-1950 (University of New Mexico, 1999); Lonnie Pierson Dunbier, AskArt.com
Ufer, Mary Monrad (Frederikson), 1869-1947
Alger paints a beautiful bouquet of pink, red and yellow chrysanthemums in a yellow vase. What strikes you immediately is the balance of his painting, the chrysanthemums rising symmetrically to fill the frame, their leaves drooping down to further balance the frame and fill negative space. The colors, too, are congruous: vibrant reds and fuchsias of the chrysanthemums are complemented by softer yellows of their discs and the vase; lush greens are contrasted by the dry brown of dying leaves. Alger's brushwork is visible enough to be striking, but he blends enough that the strokes are soft on the eye. About the Artist: The son of Irish immigrants, Alger was born in Boston, MA and studied at the Lowell Institute of Design and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Around 1914, he began dividing his time between Massachusetts and showing his work in New York group exhibitions; a 1921 review of the Whitney Studio Club declared that its “chief interest centers about the technical novelty of John Alger. He has painted some sand dunes with a sweeping grace despite the fact that his colors, always modest, are laid down flatly and without accent” (New York Tribune 18 Dec. 1921: 50). Another admiring critic thought Alger had “developed a point of view which represents the utmost in simplification without, however, becoming in any sense of the word an abstractionist” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle 7 Mar. 1926: 66). Alger was a founding member of the Salons of America. In later years, he seems to have taught art lessons in addition to his painting. 5 more images at FAP.
A cascade of water runs diagonally in Widlizka’s composition, separating two areas of trees standing on what appears to be rocky foundation. Much of the water is obscured by the trees, several of which are very dark green with some lighter shades behind them. It is hard to see what lies in the background, rendering the source of this torrent more obscure and mysterious. About the Artist: Born in Vienna, Austria, Widlizka (also Widliczka and Widlicka) studied with Joseph-Eugen Hörwarter in that city and then Nikolaus Gyzis in Munich. He was influenced by the art circles surrounding Franz von Lenbach and Hermann von Kaulbach. Returning to Vienna, Widlizka was among those artists of the so-called “Vienna Secession” who resigned from the more mainstream Association of Austrian Artists. During World War I he worked for the War Press Office, later registering the consequences of that conflict in his painting “Family Fate, 1918.” Widlizka immigrated to the United States in 1922 with his father and mother. He appears to have been comfortable with a range of subject matter: urban cityscapes, natural landscapes, and portraits. 7 more images at FAP. Source Consulted: Wikipedia Germany.
This painting features a vase of flowers and a spilling fruit bowl on an upholstered chair. The left half of the painting is busier than the right, which gives a sense of unbalance. Warm colors are used, such as reds and pinks, and brush strokes are visible. The objects seem stranglely placed and slightly disharmonious, as vases and fruit bowls are not usually displayed on chairs. About the Artist: Born to Russian parents in Tours, France, Blumenfeld immigrated to Brooklyn when he was three years old. He was a child prodigy, painting oils in his bedroom by age 10 and giving one of his paintings to President Franklin Roosevelt at age 15. In 1936, at age 17, Blumenfeld submitted his oil painting “Refreshments” to a prestigious National Academy of Design contest; the committee, apparently mistaking him for a messanger, awarded the work its Julius Hallgarten prize for artists under 35. Meanwhile, Blumenfeld was president of his high school oil painting club and voted “most modest boy” by its senior class (Brooklyn Daily Eagle 17 Mar. 1936: 3). After graduation, Blumenfeld worked for the Federal Art Project before enlisting in the US Army in 1940. After World War II, becomes a commercial artist for Triple Nickel Books (on its Davy Crockett series); for Topps Baseball Cards (in 1953); and Topps Trading Cards including Western Round Up, Mars Attacks, Battle, Batman, and Civil War News. Many of these series now are highly sought after by collectors. 1 work at the National Gallery of Art, which was created for the Index of American Design. 9 more images at FAP.