Mid-20th Century Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

MILTON GLASER Untitled Abstract Landscape, 1965 Monotype with Mixed Media Signed and dated 1965 on the front Unique 1960s Milton Glaser mixed media monotype landscape with letters, in original 1960s metal frame. Signed and dated 1965 in graphite on the front. This was acquired from the Helen Lesser and Gene Federico Estate in Pound Ridge New York. Gene Federico was a renowned Art Director, and Helen Lesser was a well known Graphic Designer and Book Illustrator. This work has been elegantly framed in a museum quality frame painted bold blue under UV plexiglass. Measurements: 17.5 inches (vertical) by 19.5 inches (horizontal) by 2 inches Signed monoprint: 10.5 inches (vertical) by 12.5 inches (horizontal) MILTON GLASER BIOGRAPHY Milton Glaser (1929–2020) was a giant figure in the history of graphic design. Born in the Bronx to immigrants from Hungary, Glaser graduated in 1951 from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, where he and other students received full-tuition scholarships from the endowment established by Peter Cooper. Glaser also studied in Bologna, Italy, with the painter Giorgio Morandi. This New York kid mixed together commercial art and fine art to create a potent new language. He co-founded Push Pin Studios in 1954 with friends from Cooper Union. Based in New York City, Push Pin became an international force in the 1960s and 70s, with a legacy that continues to inspire designers and illustrators today. Glaser is best known among designers for his illustrated posters and album covers. His Dylan poster...

Title: Mid Century French Abstract Expressionist Black Ink Gestural Painting Medium: Black ink/ gouache painting on paper, unframed French, circa 1950's Size: 25.75 inches x 19.75 (h...

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on board unframed: 7.75 x 7.75 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we have fo...

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 8.5 x 5.75inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we hav...

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on thick board unframed: 8 x 8 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we have fo...

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 12.75 x 9.75 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we ...

A Striking Modern Cubist / Futurist Abstract Gouache after Ivan Vasilyevich Klyun (1873-1942). Likely a well executed student copy of an original painting. Artwork size: 10 1/4 x ...

Bold and expressive abstract mixed media work on paper featuring a rich rust-red central form, energetic black linework, and vivid touches of yellow. The composition has an appealing...

Donald Stacy "Sitting in Chair" c.1950s Gouache and oil pastel on paper 24" x 18" unframed Came from artist's estate *Custom framing available for additio...

Grace Hartigan (American, 1922–2008) Watercolor on paper, signed recto Grace Hartigan’s work is defined by its bold color, gestural intensity, and a striking synthesis of abstraction...

A stylish, colorful 1950s Mid-century Modern abstract geometric textile design (depicting a polychrome patterned design of horizontal bands and spheres in red, blue and green tones) ...

Robert Andrew Parker Mid Century "Abstraction" Original Watercolor C.1960 Watercolor dimensions 24" wide x 16" high The frame measures 30.5" wide ...

On offer is a mid-century abstract landscape painting by the prominent Northern California modernist painter Alexander Nepote (1913–1986). The piece showcases Nepote’s signature fasc...

Howard Daum Untitled Abstract, 1963 Signed and dated upper left, Signed on the reverse Pencil on paper 4 1/2 x 6 inches Provenance The artist Ashby Gallery, New York Carl Ashby, New...

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 12.75 x 10 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we ha...

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 12.75 x 9.75 inches condition: excellent pr...

Title: Mid Century French Abstract Expressionist Black Ink Gestural Painting Medium: Black ink/ gouache painting on paper, unframed French, circa 1950's Size: 23.5 inches x 15.75 (he...

Joan Miró (Barcelona, 1893 – Palma, 1983) Untitled. 20/03/1934. Pastel and ink on paper. 63.6 x 47.1 cm. (134 x 110 cm). Signed on the reverse. Provenance: - Pierre Matisse...

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on thick board unframed: 8 x 8 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we have fo...

Title: Mid Century French Abstract Expressionist Black Ink Gestural Painting Medium: Black ink/ gouache painting on paper, unframed French, circa 1950's Size: 18.75 inches x 25.75 (h...

Interior Abstract by Bernard Labbe (French mid 20th century), signed, stamped verso original gouache painting on paper overall size: 16 x 12 inches condition: very good and ready to...

This colorful lithograph is part of my private collection. It is a limited edition , 1 print available, signed and numbered 25/150. It is in very good condition. Vibrant and colorful.

A stylish, colorful 1950s Mid-century Modern abstract geometric textile design (depicting a polychrome patterned design of banded ovals in red, blue and green tones) by famed French ...

Watercolor painting of a street scene with two females and a man that appears to be a beggar. The work is signed by the artist. It is framed in a black frame with a yellow matte. Dim...

Abstract composition is a fine and beautiful watercolor and tempera on paper realized by Mark Tobey in 1960. Signed and dated Tobey lower right. Certificate of authenticity by Mark ...

Marc Chagall (Liozna, Russian Empire, 1887 – Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, 1985). Study for “Moïse brisant les Tables de la Loi”. 1955. India ink, wash and gouache on paper. 23 × ...

Pierre MONTHEILLET (1923-2011) Composition in green and yellow Mixed media on paper - monotype Signed and dedicated “pour mes amis Sallaz” lower right Dimensions of the work: 28.5 x ...

A stylish 1950s Mid-Century Modern abstract geometric textile design in brown, yellow and pale pink tones by famed French costume, set and fashion designer Andre Delfau (1914-2000). Artwork size: 19 x 14 1/2 inches; Unframed. Presented in an archival mat measuring 26 x 20 inches (ready to frame). Estate stamped on reverse. Provenance: Estate of the artist. One from a series of related Modern textile designs by Andre Delfau. Please see our other 1stDibs gallery listings. Born in Paris, France in 1914, Andre Delfau became an internationally acclaimed stage, set and costume designer who worked world-wide from the 1930s to the 1980s. Delfau was a life long artist and painted independently of his noted design career. His artwork is recognized for it’s vibrant color and form, and a particularly keen use of line. He was highly influenced by the French Modern trends of Cubism and Surrealism, and his artwork is often infused with a dramatic sense of architecture and perspective. Delfau created fashion designs for such major Paris couture houses as Balmain, Jean Patou and Balenciaga. He completed noteworthy set designs and costumes for numerous international operatic and ballet productions, including those at the Royal Danish Ballet, the Royal Ballet of Great Britain, the Paris Opera, the Dance Theater of Harlem, the Ruth Page International Ballet, the Civic Ballet of Chicago, the Chicago Opera Ballet and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, among others. Most notably, Delfau designed the elaborate stage sets and costumes for the 1986 PBS television production of the Viennese operetta, "Die Fledermaus...

Title: Sunlit Romanesque Cloister Arches Interior Watercolor of Stone Columns Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) Watercolor on paper, mounted in a loose card mount, unframed Size: inclu...

Walter Thrift (American, 1922-1969), Pair of Abstract Compositions, Mixed Media Collages, one signed lower left and one signed lower right, giltwood frames. Image: 7.5" H x 6.25" W;...

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 12.5 x 7.15 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we h...

Italian Modern Abstract Work on Paper Color Field Non-Objective European Mid-Century - "Gonage" Dorazio completed "Gonage" in 1949 when just after the artist had been awarded a stipend by the French government and admission to the Academy Beaux Arts. There he met George Braque who became great friends but also an influence on Dorazio, of which "Gonage" is a living testament. "Gonage" actual size of the drawing measures 12 x 9 1/2 inches. It is signed on the lower right. The work is affixed to a 19 x 15 inch board which includes the artist's signature and date. There is a torn table on the lower left entitling the piece "Gonage". Provenance follows this piece as a gift in 1950 to the artist-colleague Luigi Lucioni, who then gifted it in 1955 to his friend, the uncle of the current owner who has owned the work since 1988. Bio Born in Italy, Piero Dorazio studied architecture in Rome. At the same time his first abstract works were executed. In 1947 he received a scholarship from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts in Paris, where he contacted Modern artists, who lived in Paris. He founded the galleries "Age d'Or" in Florence and Rome to represent avant-garde arts in Italy. During a one year stay in the USA he got acquainted with leading artists of Abstract Expressionism such as Marc Rothko...

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 9.5 x 9.5 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we hav...

A fine and delicate, watercolor landscape showing a view of the rural Philippines by this celebrated Philippine Modernist. Signed, lower right, in graphite, 'Romeo V Tabuena' for Rom...

Serbian artist Dordevic (or Djordjevic) Miodrag (1936 -), known as "Miodrag," designed this stunning abstract drawing. This work is a charcoal on paper depicting a brutalist abstract...

Title: Mid Century French Abstract Tree Expressionist Ink Painting Medium: Black ink and wash on paper, unframed French, circa 1950's Size: 23.75 inches x 15.75 (height x width) Condition: The work is structurally sound though with visible creasing, surface rippling and age related toning throughout the sheet. There is a horizontal fold line across the centre and light edge wear consistent with storage. The ink remains bold and stable. This would benefit from professional flattening and framing. Provenance: from a large collection in Paris Description: A striking mid-century French abstract expressionist ink painting on paper, executed in bold black gestural marks with a strong sense of movement and rhythm. The composition reads as a lively field of calligraphic brushwork, with sweeping strokes, broken textures, and clustered forms that suggest foliage, energy, or a landscape fragment without becoming literal. The confident use of black against the raw paper creates a dramatic, graphic impact, making this an ideal piece for modern interiors, particularly for collectors drawn to monochrome abstraction, post-war European modernism, and expressive works on paper. In this particularly powerful example, the abstract gestures resolve into a sculptural tree form. A thick, sweeping trunk rises from the lower edge of the sheet, curving upward into branching limbs that extend dramatically across the upper half of the composition. The bold, loaded brushstrokes create dense black passages, contrasted with dry-brushed edges that reveal the speed and physicality of execution. The central mass gives the composition weight and presence, while the upward branching creates a sense of growth and vitality. The organic structure is rendered through expressive, economical mark making, aligning closely with the spirit of post-war French Art Informel and modernist landscape abstraction. This fabulous mid century original French expressionist abstract tree painting...

Ink on paper, signed in Hebrew and dated.

Clinton Hill (1922-2003), created quintessential mid-century images, but figures are unusual in his work. This is from a very early period. In 1951 Hill studied at the Academie de la...

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 12.75 x 10 inches condition: excellent prov...

Outstanding pencil on paper Abstract drawing. Marcel Dumont was a Liège artist who painted in oils and gouache, also produced collages and was an illustrator and engraver, doing so in a number of different styles. Early on in his career, he tended to produce paintings displaying a poetic realism but this changed over time until, in 1957, he was employing geometric abstraction and later still, the influence of pop art could be discerned. His geometric style has strong linear structure which occasionally veers to expressionism and the effect of this is an interesting sense of detachment that the viewer of the work can feel and one engages with the subject on a different level than one would normally expect. A critic wrote of him," Sometimes expressionist, sometimes linear, the abstraction forms itself willingly, in Marcel Dumont's world, to leave the rectangular structure to connect to carefully prepared tones. He retains also, in his abundant output, a few poetic pop-art collages together with a number of drawings and engravings illustrating Stefan Zweig...

Scenography Study  is a beautiful original watercolor drawing on paper , realized by the Greek-French artist  Alkis Mathéos.  Not signed.. In very good conditions. The artwork repr...

Title: French Modernist Still Life With Wine Bottles Glasses And Wooden Crate Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) Watercolour on artist paper, unframed Size: 19.25 x 25.25 inches (height...

Rufino Tamayo Flying Bird, 1967 Colored crayon and graphite on paper Sheet dimensions: 9.87 x 13.12 inches Framed dimensions: 16.62 x 19.87 inches We're pleased to showcase Mexican ...

The Flower Pot by Josine Vignon (French 1922-2022) signed pastel on paper, unframed painting: 19 x 25 inches good condition provenance: from the artists estate, France Josine Vigno...

A nice, creative letter by the french poet and dancer Boris Kochno to Countess Pecci-Blunt. This composition was realized as letter of greetings for New Y...

A captivating 1930s Surrealist graphite still life drawing with a hammer, palette and chopper by notable New York Modern artist, Jan Matulka. Artwork size: 8 1/2 x 11 inches. Archivally matted to 14 x 16 1/2 inches. Estate stamped. Provenance: Estate of the artist. An innovative drawing by Matulka reminiscent of the famed series of Modern works by the American painter and contemporary of Matulka, the New York artist Stuart Davis. In 1927, Davis began work on a series of five paintings based on a still life he had created by nailing an eggbeater, an electric fan, and a rubber glove to a table in his studio. Using this group of incongruous and unlikely items, he created his first truly abstract works. An example of these paintings, Egg Beater...

Title: Vintage French Advertising Poster Design Martini and Rossi Bitter Cocktail Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) Gouache on artist paper, u...

Benjamin Benno (1901-1980) Untitled (Cubist Composition) Pen and ink on paper, 1938 Signed, dated, and copyrighted by the artist (see photo) Inscribed verso: BG Benno/9 rue Compagne ...

Roger Lersy, "Abstract Seascape with Boats," Circa 1958. A vibrant lithograph on paper by French artist Roger Lersy (1920–2004), this stunning Cubist-inspired composition features an...

Unique historic work Hand signed and dated on the front An exceptionally early gouache from 1957, executed on the verso of a Wells Street Gallery invitation card - one of the first c...

Roland Ayers (1932-2014). The Split Second After, ca. 1959 Lithograph on paper, image measuring 14 × 18 inches. Sheet measuring 18 × 23 inches. Unframed. Minor staining of sheet...

Figure with Orange and Blue - Original Signed Abstract Expressionist Work Dynamic figural abstract piece by Felix Ruvolo (American, 1912-1992). In the center of the composition is a...

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 10 x 6.5 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we have...

Title: Café Interior with Seated Figures French Modernist Gouache by Guy Nicod Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) Gouache on artist paper, unframed Size: 13.75 x 10.5 inches (height x w...

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 12.75 x 9.75 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we ...

Timbro DM 1997 in basso a destra Opera su carta olio, di DORA Maar Colore Turchese blu Timbro MD atelier Siglato sul retro

Title: Mountain Landscape with Cypress French Modernist Gouache by Guy Nicod Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) Gouache on artist paper, unframed Size: 15.75 x 18.75 inches (height x wi...

A Dynamic, 1945 Mid-Century Modern Cubist Studio Scene, Artist's Sketch Class by Noted Chicago Painter, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Artwork size: 11 x 8 1/2 inches, unframed, mo...

Work on paper Black plastic frame with glass pane 31,5 x 41 x 2 cm

Title: Dancing Couple in Evening Dress French Modernist Abstract Gouache Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) Gouache on artist paper, unframed Size: 15.75 x 19 inches (height x width) Pr...