Milton Clark Avery was born in 1885 in Altmar, New York. Largely self-taught, Avery is today regarded as one of the great early modern American artists; his inspired palette, simplified forms and unwavering commitment to a figurative tradition have secured him a place not only in the canon but also in the hearts of the American public.
Always at odds with the dominant style of the time, be it the American Scene Painting and Social Realism of the 1930s and '40s or the Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s, Avery's oeuvre is a labor of singular dedication. As a boy, Avery worked factory jobs to help support his large family following their move to Connecticut in 1898. He did not seriously begin to pursue art until sometime following his father's death in 1905, when he intermittently attended classes at the Connecticut League of Art Students. He made his artistic debut in 1915 at the Wadsworth Atheneum's Fifth Annual Exhibition of Oil Painting and Sculpture.
In 1925 Avery relocated to New York to be closer to his future bride. Following his marriage in 1926 he was able to quit working and paint full time. At this time Avery replaced the light-drenched palette of his Hartford days with more muted tones. He also exchanged his heavy impasto for thin washes of pigment, which he used to create veiled fields of color.
In 1927 Avery exhibited with the Society of Independent Artists. Success quickly followed. Two of his paintings were selected for inclusion in a 1928 group show at the Opportunity Gallery in New York. Also in 1928, renowned collector Louis Kaufman became the first person to purchase a painting by the artist; and in 1929 Duncan Phillips purchased Winter Riders (1929) for the Phillips Memorial Gallery, making it Avery's first painting to enter a museum collection.
Avery's signature figurative style characterized by simple forms and flattened shapes filled with arbitrary color "in the manner of Matisse" was fully developed by the 1940s. His work as a colorist greatly influenced succeeding generations of artists, specifically Color Field painters Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman, and Adolph Gottlieb. In 1944 he was given his first solo museum exhibition at the Phillips Memorial Gallery. That same year, he entered into a contract with famed dealer Paul Rosenberg, in which Rosenberg agreed to purchase 25 of Avery's paintings twice a year.
In 1952 the Baltimore Museum of Art hosted Avery's first museum retrospective, and Avery was the subject of a major article in Arts magazine by eminent art critic Clement Greenberg. In 1960 the Whitney Museum of American Art hosted his second museum retrospective.
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(Biography provided by Helicline Fine Art)
"Untitled (Seated Figure)" Milton Avery, Modernist, Interior Scene, Abstracted
By Milton Avery
Located in New York, NY
Milton Avery Untitled (Seated Figure), circa early 1930s Signed and inscribed on the reverse Oil on homemade canvas board 11 1/4 x 8 1/4 inches Provenance The artist Max Granick, Ne...
Canvas, Oil, Board
YOUNG GIRL NUDE
By Milton Avery
Located in Portland, ME
Avery, Milton. YOUNG GIRL NUDE. Lunn 7. Drypoint, 1935. Edition of 100. Signed, dated, and numbered 12/100 in pencil. 10 x 4 1/4 inches (plate), framed to 19 x 14 inches.Provenance H...
Drypoint
"Fish" Milton Avery, Mid-Century, Modernist Fish, Blue, Gray, Maine Artist
By Milton Avery
Located in New York, NY
Milton Avery Fish, 1952 Signed and dated twice lower left Crayon on paper 3 1/2 x 10 inches Milton Clark Avery was born in 1885 in Altmar, New York. Largely self-taught, Avery is t...
Paper, Crayon
'Little Girl' — American Modernist Signed Drypoint, 1936
By Milton Avery
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Milton Avery, 'Little Girl', drypoint, 1936, edition 60, Lunn 11. Signed, dated, and numbered '22/60' in pencil. A superb impression, in warm black ink with delicate overall plate tone, on off-white wove paper, with wide margins (2 5/8 to 4 1/8 inches); hinge stains on the top sheet edge, verso, otherwise in excellent condition. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Image size 8 3/4 x 4 3/4 inches (222 x 121 mm); sheet size 14 7/8 x 13 1/8 inches (378 x 333 mm). Collections: Cantor Arts Center, National Gallery of Art. ABOUT THE ARTIST "I never have any rules to follow; I follow myself." "I paint not by sight but by faith. Faith gives you sight." —Milton Avery 'His is the poetry of sheer loveliness.' —Mark Rothko in his 1965 eulogy to Avery. Milton Avery (1885-1965) is recognized as one of America's foremost modernist artists, renowned for his uniquely expressive style, evocative use of color, and captivating compositions. Growing up in a working-class family in Altmar, New York, Avery's early life was marked by the struggles and realities of rural New York. Despite lacking formal artistic training, he displayed an innate talent for drawing from an early age. In 1905, his family relocated to Hartford, Connecticut, where he worked various odd jobs while developing his artistic skills through self-study and experimentation. In 1915, he enrolled at the Connecticut League of Art Students, where he received formal instruction and began to refine his distinctive style. In 1918, Avery transferred to the School of the Art Society of Hartford and worked in the evenings so that he could paint during the day. He became a member of the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts in 1924. That summer in Gloucester, Massachusetts, he met the artist Sally Michael...
Drypoint
The Print Dress (Woman with Mandolin) - Oil on Canvas Portrait Painting, c. 1935
By Milton Avery
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Milton Avery's 'The Print Dress (Woman with Mandolin)' (c. 1935) belongs to a pivotal year: in 1935 Avery had his first solo exhibition, at New York's Valentine Gallery, alongside Ma...
Canvas, Oil
Milton Avery Original Etching Pencil Signed, 1936, Little Girl
By Milton Avery
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Original Etching by Modernist Milton Avery (1885-1965) Image measures: 8 5/8" H x 4 5/8" W. Titled lower left - “Little Girl” Edition size: 6 of 60. Printed in 1936. In excellent co...
Paper, Etching
$16,000
NIGHT NUDE
By Milton Avery
Located in Portland, ME
Avery, Milton. NIGHT NUDE. Woodcut, 1953. Edition of 25 in black and white (there were a further 25 printed in black and blue). Signed, dated and numbered "6/25" in pencil, and also ...
Woodcut
Fish (Blue) Woodcut Print, Framed, Rare A/P, Circa 1952, 2.38 x 9 in
By Milton Avery
Located in Milwaukee, WI
Milton Avery Fish (blue), 1952, (A/P) Catalogue raisonné : Lunn 41. Woodcut, printed in blue2.38 x 9 in (6.05 x 22.86 cm)Framed 12.50 x 18.75 in From the blue prints, approximately 1...
Woodcut
Relaxed Conversation
By Milton Avery
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Milton Avery (1885-1965) whose lyrical command of colour and form positioned him as a pivotal figure in 20th-century art. Often described as the “American Fauve,” Avery produced pai...
Ink
$257,600Sale Price|20% Off
White Hen
By Milton Avery
Located in London, GB
Milton Avery White Hen, 1957 Mixed Media on Board 28 x 50 cm 11 x 19 ½ inches Born in Altmar, New York, in 1885, Milton Avery moved with his family to Hartford, Connecticut in 1905....
Board, Mixed Media
original lithograph
By Milton Avery
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. This lithograph was printed in 1952 for the "Improvisations" portfolio, published by the Artists Equity Association of New York on the occasion of the 19...
Lithograph
MARCH WITH BABUSHKA (HEAD OF MARCH).
By Milton Avery
Located in Portland, ME
Avery, Milton. MARCH WITH BABUSHKA (HEAD OF MARCH). Drypoint, 1948. Edition of 100, published by Collectors of American Art. Unsigned, as called for (prints from this edition were not signed). 7 x 6 5/8 inches (plate size, measured along the edges), 9 3/4 x 9 5/8 (image, measured on the diagonal, as oriented), 11 1/4 x 11 inches (sheet). In excellent condition. Three of the four corners of the plate have been trimmed to about one inch from the platemark. A spare and elegant portrait of the artist's daughter, the artist March Avery.
Drypoint
Sally with Beret Drypoint Print, Signed, 20th Century, Edition 99/100
By Milton Avery
Located in Milwaukee, WI
Signed and dated in pencil LRC "Milton Avery 1939" Numbered in pencil LLC "99/100" The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City each have a print fro...
Drypoint
$39,000
Untitled
By Milton Avery
Located in PARIS, FR
Milton Avery, in full Milton Clark Avery, (born March 7, 1893, Altmar, New York, U.S.—died January 3, 1965, New York City), painter noted in his lat...
Pencil, Paper, Ink
Standing Nude, Hand Signed Drypoint on Paper, 1941, Edition of 60
By Milton Avery
Located in Aventura, FL
Hand signed and numbered by the artist. Sheet size 19.75 x 13 inches. Image size 14 x 7 inches. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. Edition of 6...
Drypoint, Paper
"Country Haircut"
By Milton Avery
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Jim’s of Lambertville Fine Art Gallery is proud to offer this piece by Milton Avery (1885 – 1965). Milton Avery was a prominent Modernist painter whose work combined abstraction and...
Watercolor, Gouache, Paper
$16,000
H 31 in W 25 in
Henry Gasser American Scene Realism Regionalism Mid-20th Century Modern WPA
Located in New York, NY
Henry Gasser American Scene Realism Regionalism Mid-20th Century Modern WPA Henry Martin Gasser (1909-1981) "Village in Snow" Oil on canvas laid on artist's board, c. 1930s 28 x 22...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$1,200
H 12.5 in W 16.5 in D 1.25 in
A Charming 1950s Painting of Lisbon, Portugal by Famed Artist Francis Chapin
By Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A Charming, 1950s Painting of Lisbon, Portugal by Famed Chicago Modern Artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Depicting a bustling, colorful view of Lisbon's historic Black Horse Sq...
Oil, Canvas, Board
$850
H 11 in W 13 in D 1 in
A Charming 1950s Modern Painting of a Red House in Calais, Vermont
By Harold Haydon
Located in Chicago, IL
A charming 1950s Modern painting of a little red house, titled "Corner of the Brick House with Last Snow Bank, Calais, VT" by notable Chicago artist, Harold Haydon. Painted near the...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$489
H 16 in W 12 in
America impressionist portrait young boy 1937 Modern Figurative Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
A fantastic modern portrait of a young boy. This work is signed what appears to be Paul Sellers and dated 1937, but we have not found information on the artist. The work dated 1936...
Oil, Board
$24,500
H 15 in W 20.5 in
Theresa Bernstein, American Modernist, "Coney Island", Foster Bros period frame
By Theresa Bernstein
Located in Rockport, MA
Painting size without frame: 15"x20 1/2" Painting size with frame: 21"x26 1/2" Period Foster Brothers Frame Painting is signed lower right. A lively boardwalk scene by Theresa Ber...
Oil, Board
"Dragon, " Original Pastel Drawing
By Quang Ho
Located in Denver, CO
"Dragon," by Quang Ho, is a secondary market work with one previous owner. It is signed and dated (1988) on the lower left. The painting comes with it's original frame (measures 50 x...
Paper, Pastel
$150
H 15.75 in W 11.82 in
French Contemporary Art by Claudine Loquen - Elsa Triolet Et Les Loups
By Claudine Loquen
Located in Paris, IDF
Claudine Loquen is a French artist born in 1965 who lives and works in Sassetot-le-Mauconduit, France. Like Colette with the literature, the artist makes the apology of painting wi...
Handmade Paper, Etching
$3,600
H 43.5 in W 35.5 in D 1 in
A Large, Captivating 1930s Modern Portrait of a Jamaican Man in a Linen Suit
By Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A Large, Captivating 1930s Modern Portrait of a Jamaican Man in a Linen Suit by famed Chicago artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). A skilled and colorful portrait of a black man seated in a white linen suit, most likely completed during Chapin's trip to Kingston, Jamaica in the 1930s. Chapin exhibited examples of his Jamaican paintings...
Oil, Canvas
$2,400
H 27.75 in W 20.75 in D 1 in
A Charming 1940s Summer Harbor Scene of Saugatuck, Michigan, Bathers & Boathouse
By Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A charming, colorful summer harbor scene in Saugatuck, Michigan by notable Chicago Modern artist, Francis Chapin. Dating circa 1945, oil on board, the painting depicts a lively summ...
Oil, Board
$1,100
H 24.5 in W 20.5 in D 1.5 in
A Contemplative 1940s Modern Studio Portrait, Seated Young Female Ballet Dancer
By Walter Burt Adams
Located in Chicago, IL
A Contemplative 1940s Modern Studio Portrait of a Seated Female Ballet Dancer by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Walter Burt Adams (Am. 1903-1990). The painting a is well executed, i...
Oil, Canvas
$55,000
H 67 in W 46 in
"Portrait of Kathleen Curry, the Artist's Wife" John Steuart Curry
By John Steuart Curry
Located in New York, NY
John Steuart Curry Portrait of Kathleen Curry, the Artist's Wife, 1938 Signed and titled "Kathleen" lower left Oil on canvas 55 x 34 inches Provenance The artist Kathleen Curry, the...
Canvas, Oil
$29,640Sale Price|20% Off
H 29.5 in W 33.25 in
Peintre et Modèle, 43/50, circa 1964 — Pablo Picasso, Etching & Aquatint
By Pablo Picasso
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Peintre, et Modèle Avec un Noeud Dans Les Chevaux, circa 1964, by Pablo Picasso. Original etching and aquatint on RFK Rives, edition 43/50. Published by Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris....
Archival Paper, Aquatint, Carborundum Etching
Man with Pipe
By Milton Avery
Located in New York, NY
A very good, richly-inked impression of this scarce drypoint. Signed, dated and numbered 22/60 in pencil by Avery. This is a portrait of the artist Vincent Spagna.
Drypoint
Standing Nude
By Milton Avery
Located in New York, NY
A superb, richly-inked impression of this drypoint with strong contrasts. Signed, dated and numbered 32/60 in pencil by Avery.
Drypoint
Rooster
By Milton Avery
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
DESCRIPTION Woodcut in colors on Japan paper 9 5/8 x 7 inches (image size) 12 x 9 inches (paper size) Signed and dated lower right Set aside from an edition of 100 Cat. Raisonné – Lu...
Paper, Woodcut
Figure on the Beach (Lone Sunbather)
By Milton Avery
Located in Fairfield, CT
PROVENANCE Makler Gallery, Philadelphia; to Private collection, 1967; [Sale: Sotheby's, New York, December 1, 2004, lot 240]; to Private collection, New York, until 2021
Watercolor, Board, Pencil
Sold
H 17.75 in W 14.75 in
"March Avery in Beret, " Milton Avery, American Modernism, Portrait of Artist
By Milton Avery
Located in New York, NY
Milton Clark Avery (1885 - 1965) March Avery in a Beret, 1951 Black crayon and graphite on cream wove paper 11 x 8 3/8 inches Signed and dated lower left; ...
Paper, Crayon, Pencil, Graphite
Nude Combing Hair
By Milton Avery
Located in New York, NY
A superb, well-inked impression of this scarce drypoint. Signed, dated and numbered 48/90 in pencil, lower margin.
Drypoint
Three Birds
By Milton Avery
Located in New York, NY
A superb, richly-inked impression of this color woodcut printed on Japan paper. Artist's proof, aside from the edition of 15. Signed, dated and inscribed "Artist's proof" in pencil b...
Color, Woodcut
Trees by the Sea
By Milton Avery
Located in New York, NY
This bold color woodcut print is printed on Japan paper and is an artist proof, aside from the edition of 20. Signed, dated and inscribed "artist proof" in pencil by Avery. Dimension...
Lithograph, Woodcut
Sleeping Sally
By Milton Avery
Located in New Orleans, LA
This intimate portrait by American expressionist Milton Avery is a shining example of the artist's ability to convey personal emotion through impassioned use of color. Avery was an i...
Oil, Board
Frothy Inlet
By Milton Avery
Located in New York, NY
Signed and dated lower right: Milton Avery 1948; on verso: “FROTHY INLET” by MILTON AVERY W.C. 22 x 30 1948
Watercolor
Sold
H 30.5 in W 40.5 in
'Flight' offset lithograph poster with birds after painting by Milton Avery
By Milton Avery
Located in Milwaukee, WI
The present work is a poster from the 1985 Milton Avery exhibition at the David Barnett Gallery, Milwaukee. The poster (as did the catalogue of the exhibition) features the work "Flight," an oil from 1950 that was a centerpiece of the exhibition. In the image, a teal sea is seen in the background, in the foreground is a grey and blue ground. Two birds sit on this ground, a bird with a pink wing sits looking towards the left. A yellow bird is further to the right, but also looks towards the left. The most eye catching bird has begun to fly towards the scene, placed immediately in the center of the composition. Birds such as these were a common motif in Avery's painting and printmaking and he often featured them in his abstracting images of the sea. This poster has been cut down to the image. Unframed and uncut posters are available. Contact us for more information. 28 x 36 inches, image 30.5 x 40.5 inches, frame Framed to conservation standards using archival materials including 100 percent rag matting and UV Clear glass to inhibit UV damage. Housed in a modern-profile red/cabernet-stain finish wood moulding. Overall good condition; some minor wear to frame; poster cut to image Milton Avery (March 7, 1885 – January 3, 1965) was an American modern painter. Born in Altmar, New York, he moved to Connecticut in 1898 and later to New York City. Avery was a man of few words. "Why talk when you can paint?" he often quipped to his wife. Their daughter, March Avery...
Lithograph, Offset
Sold
H 22 in W 17 in
Milton Avery wood block black and white rare dancer COA appraisal framed period
By Milton Avery
Located in Buffalo, NY
Milton Avery. Dancer, 1954. Woodcut. Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil. A fine impression, on cream wove Japan paper, with full margins (7/8 to 3 1/8 inches); in good conditio...
Woodcut