Henrietta Berk Original Mid Century San Francisco Bay Area Figurative Bridge Generation Expressionist Portrait Oil Painting
Original, vintage San Francisco Bay Area Figurative movement portrait oil painting, by California expressionist painter Henrietta Berk, (January 9, 1919 - January 15, 1990). The painting is a portrait of a man in a semi-profile, peering over his shoulder, gazing directly at the viewer. The painting is an oil on artist canvasboard, and is in very good original condition. It is estimated to have been created between approximately 1955-1959. During Berk's time at the California College of Arts and Crafts, (CCAC), and the years immediately following, Berk painted portraits of people in her close circle. There are a few highly notable men she painted during this exact window, including Richard Diebenkorn and Harry Krell. The sitter in this portrait, with light blonde hair, with chiseled features, bears a likeness to the artist and Berk's instructor Harry Krell. The dimensions of the painting are approximately 16" x 20", plus the original vintage mid century frame. With the frame, the dimensions are approximately 17.24" x 21.24". The painting is signed in the lower right corner. Please review all of the images for condition details, as supplemental to the written condition report, for quality assurance.
Henrietta Berk, (1919-1990), was an American painter, celebrated for her major contributions to the mid- century, Bay Area Figurative movement. Her artwork stands out for its radiant, highly saturated oil colors, heavy impasto textures, and strong geometric angles, and structures.
Born Henrietta Robin in Wichita, Kansas, her family moved to San Francisco when she was young. Following her father's abandonment, her seamstress mother placed Berk in the Pacific Hebrew Orphan Asylum, due to extreme financial strain.
Henrietta Berk graduated from Polyyechnic High School in 1936, later marrying physician Dr. Morris Berk. For years, she lived a conventional 1950s housewife lifestyle, raising two children. Urged by her husband "keep herself busy", she enrolled in evening classes at the California College of Arts and Crafts, (CCAC), in Oakland, from 1955 to 1959, where she was nearly twice the age of her peers. At CCAC, Henrietta Berk studied directly under premier artists such as Richard Duebenkorn and Harry Krell.
Berk became a fixture of the "Bridge Generation" of the Bay Area Figurative movement, creating alongside artists such as Nathan Oliviera and Paul Wonner. Her work brilliantly blended representation, with the energetic movement of Abstract Expressionism.
Henrietta Burk hosted her first gallery exhibition, in 1959. Throughout the 1960s, her work was prominently displayed at the San Francisco Museum of Art, the de Young Museum, and the Oakland Museum.
In the late 1960s, Berk was diagnosed with severe diabetes, which progressively destroyed her eyesight until she was legally blind, by the mid 1970s. Refusing to stop painting, she adapted by working on massive canvases, so she could continue to differentiate shapes and vibrant colors. She passed away in Oakland on January 15, 1990.
Henrietta Berk's dynamic career was reintroduced to contemporary audiences through a massive retrospective titled, "Henrietta Berk: In Living Color", at the Hilbert Museum of California Art, (2021-2022).
Contact Us:
Pacificfineart@gmail.com
424-259-3290