August Biehle Original Vintage Antique Cleveland School Fauve Expressionist Still Life Oil Painting
Original vintage antique (circa 1930) oil on canvas still life by German American Fauve Expressionist August Biehle, Jr, (1885-1979). The painting is a lovely and colorfully vibrant still life, and is on overall good original condition with no overpaints or restoration. Verso, on the side wood stretcher bar is a stamp from gallery that previously held the painting in its collection that reads: Bert Daily Inc. Dayton, Ohio. The painting is signed. In tge lower right corner. There is a scratch in the lower portion of the painting, near the signature. Additionally, the inset of the antique art nouveau frame has seperated and will need to be permanently reset. The painting measures 16" X 20". In frame, the entire artwork measures approximately 26" X 30".
August F. Biehle, Jr., was an American modernist painter known for his prolific work and exceptional skill in design and draftsmanship. BIehle's artistic journey spanned several movements and media, demonstrating his versatility and talent.
Biehle's artistic foundation began with an apprenticeship under his father, August F. Biehle, Sr., a master decorator who immigrated to the United States from Germany. Biehle, Jr., later furthered his studies in Munich, Germany at the Kunstgewerbeschule and at the Royal Academy of Fine Art.
During his time in Germany, Biehle was particularly influenced by the Art Nouveau Movement and was later exposed to avant-garde art through exhibitions such as those of the German Expressionists, Der Blaue Reiter.
Returning to Cleveland, Ohio, Biehle became a significant figure in the "Cleveland School" of artists, a group of modernists who played a vital role in shaping the city's artistic landscape in the first half of the twentieth century. He was an active member of the Kokoon Arts Club, a hub for Cleveland's avant-garde artists.
Biehle's artistic style evolved throughout his career, encompassing Expressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, and American Scene Realism. He masterfully employed various media including graphite, oil, gouache, pastel, tempera, and lithography. He was particularly known for his skillful use of wateecolor, often combined with crayon or pencil, in which he explored the transparency and luminosity of the medium, sometimes influenced by Impressionism and Cubism.
Biehle's body of work included portraits, still lifes, and a significant number of landscapes. He frequently depicted scenes of Cleveland and its industrial landscapes, as well as the rural landscapes of Ohio, notably the area of Berlin Heights and Zoar.
In his later years, Biehle embraced abstraction, incorporating diagonal lines and exploring the interplay of color and form, while still maintaining a connection to his earlier influences.
August Biehle's work has been featured in numerous exhibits, and is held in various collections, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, and the Whitney Museum in New York City. He is remembered as an important link between European Modernism and Ohio painters, and his dedication to capturing the beauty and essence of the visual world through his art, continues to resonate.