Louis Schanker Large Vintage American WPA NY Abstract Expressionist School Composition Original Oil Painting
Extraordinary abstract composition by Louis Schanker, (1903-1981). The painting is an oil an canvas, and an early original, vintage American New York abstract expressionist (Hans Hofmann School of art), painting, estimated from the late 1930s to early 1940s. The painting is signed in the lower right corner. The signature/artist initials are what appears to be a year, but it is illegible. Extraordinary abstract composition of layered color.
About the artist:
Louis Schanker (1903 – May 7, 1981) was an American abstract artist known for his vibrant and innovative work.
Schanker grew up in an Orthodox Jewish environment in the Bronx, New York, as one of six children to Sam, a tailor, and Fannie Schanker, both of Romanian descent. From an early age, he was interested in both art and music, studying at Cooper Union, The Educational Alliance, and The Art Students League alongside notable artists like Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko, and Milton Avery. During this time, he shared a cold-water studio with the Soyer brothers, Chaim Gross, and Adolph Gottlieb.
In 1920, Schanker traveled across the country, living in a minimalist manner, and joined the Sparks and Barnum and Bailey circuses, while also working as a thresher in the Great Plains' wheat fields. These experiences influenced his works, such as the circus murals for Neponsit Beach Children's Hospital and the print "Man Cutting Wheat." Returning to New York in 1924, he resumed his friendships and artwork, eventually spending 1931 and 1932 in Europe, where he studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and adopted a Cubist style.
During the 1930s Depression, Schanker participated in the Public Works of Art Project and the WPA Federal Art Project as both an artist and a supervisor. He collaborated with artists like Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Burgoyne Diller, Byron Browne, and Stuart Davis. In 1935, he co-founded The Ten, a group protesting the Whitney Museum's focus on representational art, and in 1937, he helped establish the American Abstract Artists to promote abstract art.
Schanker’s works, characterized by "conglomerations of color-patches," were initially polarizing but eventually gained critical acclaim. His WPA mural at the WNYC municipal building studios was noted for its "lyric feeling." By 1938, his piece "Street Scene From My Window" was praised for its delicate color and geometric forms.
In the mid-20th century, Schanker transitioned to teaching, first at the New School for Social Research and then at Bard College from 1949 until his retirement. Life Magazine in January 1955 highlighted his influence on a generation of younger artists, particularly as one of the earliest U.S. woodcut artists to embrace abstraction.
Schanker continued to exhibit his work throughout his life, including solo shows at the Brooklyn Museum and a retrospective at the Associated American Artists in 1978. Even shortly before his death, his works were featured in a major show at the Martin Diamond Gallery and exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
In December 1960, Schanker married socialite Libby Holman, and they remained together until her death in 1971.
Louis Schanker passed away on May 7, 1981, at Lenox Hill Hospital at the age of 78, after suffering a stroke. His legacy endures through the continuing interest in his animated and emotionally resonant works.
American Abstract Expressionist, Early Action Painting
The painting measures approximately 50"W X 36.5"H, plus frame.
The painting is in the original vintage, wood frame, which is similar to the original craftsman frame on several of Schanker's original paintings. (The canvas was stretched and attached to the wood frame, originally)
The painting is in very good condition. There are no overpaints on the painting; all of the paint present is original. The signature is in the lower right corner. Brush strokes and color are reflective of the New York school of abstract expressionism including Hans Hofmann. Very mature early abstract expressionist work.
The canvas on the reverse is fairly old for an abstract expressionist painting. Estimated to have been painted approximately 1947, but canvas appears much older from reverse; possibly from as early as the 1930s.
This item is oversized for shipping, and special arrangements will need to be made for pick up by the buyer in the West Los Angeles/Marina del Rey area, after payment has cleared.
Contact Us:
pacificfineart@gmail.com
424-259-3290