New York Figurative Expressionism is a visual arts movement and a branch of American Figurative Expressionism. Though the movement dates to the 1930s, it was not formally classified as "figurative expressionism" until the term arose as a counter-distinction to the New York-based postwar movement known as Abstract Expressionism. Commenters like Museum of Contemporary Art of Detroit (MOCAD) curator Klaus Kertess observed that " the eve of the new abstraction's purge of figuration and its rise to all-encompassing prominence, the figure began to acquire a new and forceful vigor,"Paul Schimmel and Judith E Stein
''The Figurative fifties : New York figurative expressionism, Introduction''
(Newport Beach, Calif.: Newport Harbor Art Museum: New York : Rizzoli, 1988.) elsewhere explaining that " ring the late forties and early fifties," figurative work was associated with a conservatism abstractionists sought to avoid. Their response was defensive, and "prone to blur the vast distinctions between figurative

painters Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

and to exaggerate the difference between the figurative and the nonfigurative. It was not until the late sixties and early seventies that the figure was permitted to return from exile and even to make claims to centrality." But that was not true of all abstract expressionists.

Willem de Kooning Willem de Kooning (; ; April 24, 1904 – March 19, 1997) was a Dutch-American abstract expressionist artist. He was born in Rotterdam and moved to the United States in 1926, becoming an American citizen in 1962. In 1943, he married painter El ...

(1904–1997) and

Jackson Pollock Paul Jackson Pollock (; January 28, 1912August 11, 1956) was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was widely noticed for his " drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a hor ...

(1912–1956), for example, started incorporating figurative elements far sooner. They, along with abstract expressionist

Conrad Marca-Relli Conrad Marca-Relli (born Corrado Marcarelli; June 5, 1913 – August 29, 2000) was an American artist who belonged to the early generation of New York School Abstract Expressionist artists whose artistic innovation by the 1950s had been reco ...

(1913–2000) among others, built upon the figure as a framework for expanding their otherwise abstract canvases. Early New York figurative expressionists included Max Weber (1881–1961) and

Marsden Hartley Marsden Hartley (January 4, 1877 – September 2, 1943) was an American Modernist painter, poet, and essayist. Hartley developed his painting abilities by observing Cubist artists in Paris and Berlin. Early life and education Hartley was born ...

(1877–1943), known for their work with myth and spirituality. Other early practitioners spanned the lyrical restraint of

Milton Avery Milton Clark Avery (March 7, 1885 – January 3, 1965Haskell, B. (2003). "Avery, Milton". Grove Art Online.) was an American modern painter. Born in Altmar, New York, he moved to Connecticut in 1898 and later to New York City. He was the husband ...

(1885–1965) and the clear, direct work of

Edwin Dickinson Edwin Walter Dickinson (October 11, 1891 – December 2, 1978) was an American painter and draftsman best known for psychologically charged self-portraits, quickly painted landscapes, which he called ''premier coups'', and large, hauntingly enigma ...

(1891–1978).

Figurative Art during Abstract Expressionism: 1950s

The use of the figure was influenced by

Old Master In art history, "Old Master" (or "old master")Old Masters De ...

and history painting for some of the New York Expressionists, notably

Larry Rivers Larry Rivers (born Yitzroch Loiza Grossberg) (1923 – 2002) was an American artist, musician, filmmaker, and occasional actor. Considered by many scholars to be the "Godfather" and "Grandfather" of Pop art, he was one of the first artists ...

(1923–2002) and

Grace Hartigan Grace Hartigan (March 28, 1922 – November 15, 2008) was an American Abstract Expressionist painter and a significant member of the vibrant New York School of the 1950s and 1960s. Her circle of friends, who frequently inspired one another in t ...

(1922–). For many others, the figure served as the logical subject of representational portraiture:

Elaine de Kooning Elaine Marie Catherine de Kooning (, née Fried; March 12, 1918 – February 1, 1989) was an Abstract Expressionist and Figurative Expressionist painter in the post-World War II era. She wrote extensively on the art of the period and was an edit ...

(1918–1989);

Balcomb Greene Balcomb Greene (1904–1990) was an American artist and teacher. He and his wife, artist Gertrude Glass Greene, were heavily involved in political activism to promote mainstream acceptance of abstract art and were founding members of the Am ...

, (1904–1990); Robert De Niro Sr. (1920–1993);

Fairfield Porter Fairfield Porter (June 10, 1907 – September 18, 1975) was an American painter and art critic. He was the fourth of five children of James Porter, an architect, and Ruth Furness Porter, a poet from a literary family. He was the brother of photo ...

, (1907–1975); Gregorio Prestopino (1907–1984); Lester Johnson (1919–2010); George McNeil (1909–1995); Henry Gorski (1918–2010);

Robert Goodnough Robert Goodnough (October 23, 1917 – October 2, 2010) was an American abstract expressionist painter. A veteran of World War II, Goodnough was one of the last of the original generation of the New York School; (although he has been referred to ...

(1917–); and Earle M. Pilgrim (1923–1976). The figure also served as a stylistic element reminiscent of the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Expressionists, but with the

hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...

ic scale of the

Abstract Expressionists Abstract expressionism is a post–World War II art movement in American painting, developed in New York City in the 1940s. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York at the center of the ...

for many of those with

allegorical As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory t ...

mythical Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrati ...

interests. Artists in this category included: Jan Müller, (1922–1958);

Robert Beauchamp Robert Beauchamp (1923 – 22 March 1995) was an American figurative painter and arts educator. Beauchamp's paintings and drawings are known for depicting dramatic creatures and figures with expressionistic colors. His work was described in the ...

, (1923–1995);

Nicholas Marsicano Nicholas Marsicano (1908 – 1991) was an American painter and teacher of the New York School. His work was primarily based on the female figure. Life Marsicano was born October 1, 1908, in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. He was educated at the ...

, (1914–1991); Bob Thompson, (1937–1966); Ezio Martinelli, (1913–1980)

Irving Kriesberg Irving Kriesberg (March 13, 1919 – November 11, 2009) was an American painter, sculptor, educator, author, and filmmaker, whose work combined elements of Abstract Expressionism with representational human, animal, and humanoid forms. Becau ...

, (1919–2009).

Figurative Partisans: 1950–1964

"During the war years and into the 1950s," Judith E. Stein writes, "the general public was to remain highly suspicious of abstraction, which many considered un-American. While the art critic

Clement Greenberg Clement Greenberg () (January 16, 1909 – May 7, 1994), occasionally writing under the pseudonym K. Hardesh, was an American essayist known mainly as an art critic closely associated with American modern art of the mid-20th century and a formali ...

successfully challenged the public's negative response to abstraction, his attempt to communicate to the New York figurative painters of the fifties was less successful." A conversation recollected by Thomas B. Hess emphasized the perceived power of the critic:"It is impossible today to paint a face, pontificated the critic Clement Greenberg around 1950. "That's right," said de Kooning, "and it's impossible not to." In 1953, the journal ''Reality'' was founded "to rise to the defense of any painter's right to paint any ways he wants." Backing this mission statement was an editorial committee that included

Isabel Bishop Isabel Bishop (March 3, 1902 – February 19, 1988) was an American painter and graphic artist. Bishop studied under Kenneth Hayes Miller at the Art Students League of New York, where she would later become an instructor. She was most notable fo ...

(1902–1988),

Edward Hopper Edward Hopper (July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967) was an American realist painter and printmaker. While he is widely known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching. Hopper created subdued drama ...

(1882–1967),

Jack Levine Jack Levine (January 3, 1915November 8, 2010) was an American Social Realist painter and printmaker best known for his satires on modern life, political corruption, and biblical narratives. Levine is considered one of the key artists of the Bos ...

(1915–2010),

Raphael Soyer Raphael Zalman Soyer (December 25, 1899 – November 4, 1987) was a Russian-born American painter, draftsman, and printmaker. Soyer was referred to as an American scene painter. He is identified as a Social Realist because of his interest in men ...

(1899–1987) and Henry Varnum Poor (1888–1970). The sculptor

Philip Pavia Philip Pavia (1911-2005) was a culturally influential American artist of Italian descent, known for his scatter sculpture and figurative abstractions, and the debate he fostered among many of the 20th century's most important art thinkers. A foun ...

became "partisan publisher" of ''It is. A Magazine for Abstract Art'' that he founded in 1958. In an open letter to Leslie Katz, the new publisher of ''

Arts Magazine ''Arts Magazine'' was a prominent monthly magazine devoted to fine art. It was established in 1926 and last published in 1992. History Early years Launched in 1926 and originally titled ''The Art Digest,'' it was printed semi-monthly from Octobe ...

'', he wrote: "I am begging you to give the representational artist a better deal. The neglected representational and near-abstract artists, not the abstractionists, need a champion these days." Although none of these figurative advocates had the stature of critics like

Harold Rosenberg Harold Rosenberg (February 2, 1906 – July 11, 1978) was an American writer, educator, philosopher and art critic. He coined the term Action Painting in 1952 for what was later to be known as abstract expressionism. Rosenberg is best known for ...

, they were recognized by critics as radicals, "represent nga new generation to whom figurative art was in a sense more revolutionary than abstraction." The literary historian

Marjorie Perloff Marjorie Perloff (born September 28, 1931) is an Austrian-born poetry scholar and critic in the United States. Early life Perloff was born Gabriele Mintz into a secularized Jewish family in Vienna. The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany exa ...

has made a convincing argument that

Frank O'Hara Francis Russell "Frank" O'Hara (March 27, 1926 – July 25, 1966) was an American writer, poet, and art critic. A curator at the Museum of Modern Art, O'Hara became prominent in New York City's art world. O'Hara is regarded as a leading figure i ...

's poems on the works of Garace Hartigan and Larry Rivers proved "that he was really more at home with painting that retains at least some figuration than with pure abstraction." Frank O'Hara wrote an elegant defense in "Nature and New Painting," 1954, listing

(1922–2008),

(1923–2002),

(1918–1989),

Jane Freilicher Jane Freilicher (November 19, 1924 – December 9, 2014) was an American representational painter of urban and country scenes from her homes in lower Manhattan and Water Mill, Long Island. She was a member of the informal New York School beginni ...

(1924–), Robert De Niro Sr. (1922–1993), Felix Pasilis (1922–),

Wolf Kahn Wolf Kahn (October 4, 1927 – March 15, 2020) was a German-born American painter. Kahn, known for his combination of Realism and Color Field, worked in pastel, oil paint, and printmaking. He studied under Hans Hofmann, and also graduated from ...

(1927–) and

Marcia Marcus Marcia Marcus (born January 11, 1928) is an American figurative painter of portraits, self-portraits, still life, and landscape. Early life and education Marcus was born on January 11, 1928, in New York City. She earned her B.F.A. at New Yo ...

(1928–) as artists who responded to "the siren-like call of nature." O'Hara aligned the New York Figurative Expressionists within abstract expressionism, which had always taken a strong position against an implied protocol, "whether at the Metropolitan Museum or the Artists Club."

Thomas B. Hess Thomas B. Hess (1920, Rye, New York – July 13, 1978) was an American art editor and curator, perhaps best known for his over twenty years at the helm of ARTnews and his championing, mounting exhibitions of the works of, and writing on the arti ...

wrote: " e 'New figurative painting' which some have been expecting as a reaction against Abstract Expressionism was implicit in it at the start, and is one of its most lineal continuities."Thomas B. Hess, “The Many Death of American Art,” ''Art News'' 59 (October 1960), p.25

Books

* Paul Schimmel and Judith E Stein
''The Figurative fifties : New York figurative expressionism,''
(Newport Beach, Calif. : Newport Harbor Art Museum : New York : Rizzoli, 1988.) *Bram Dijkstra
''American expressionism : art and social change, 1920–1950,''
(New York : H.N. Abrams, in association with the Columbus Museum of Art, 2003.) *Marika Herskovic
''American Abstract and Figurative Expressionism Style Is Timely Art Is Timeless''
(New York School Press, 2009.) * Marika Herskovic, ed
''New York School Abstract Expressionists Artists Choice by Artists,''
(New York School Press, 2000.) *Dore Ashton
''The New York school; a cultural reckoning.''
(New York, Viking Press 1973, ©1972.) *Gregory Battock, ed
''The new art; a critical anthology,''
(New York: Frederick A. Prager, 1957or 3rd ed. New York, E.P. Dutton, 1973.) OCLC 788661

References

External links for image reproductions

''Willem de Kooning, Woman, I. 1950–52. Oil on canvas,''
from MoMA.org
''Jackson Pollock, Easter and the Totem. 1953. Oil on canvas''
from MoMA.org
''Conrad Marca-Relli, Seated Figure, 1953–54 Oil and canvas on linen''
from artic.edu
''Larry Rivers, Study for George Washington Crossing the Delaware, 1953. Pencil on paper,''
from MoMA.org
''Grace Hartigan, Homage to Matisse, 1955 oil on canvas''
from RISD.edu/museum.cfm

from kemperart.org
Robert de Niro Sr., Lola Montez, 1958 – 1959 charcoal and pencil on paper''
from hirshhorn.si.edu
''Fairfield Porter, Katie and Anne, 1955 oil on canvas''
from hirshhorn.si.edu
''George McNeil, Jezebel, 1960 oil on canvas''
from collections.walkerart.org
''Jan Muller, (1922–1958), The Search for the Unicorn, 1957 oil on canvas''
from michaelrosenfeld.com
''Bob Thompson, Untitled, 1962 oil on canvas''
{Dead link, date=April 2020 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes from hirshhorn.si.edu * * Abstract expressionism American art movements Art in New York City Culture of New York City 1950s in New York (state) 20th century in New York City .