Auriel Bessemer (February 27, 1909 – 1986) was an American muralist, painter, designer, illustrator and author born in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

. He studied with

Leon Kroll Leon Kroll (December 6, 1884 – October 25, 1974) was an American painter and lithographer. A figurative artist described by ''Life'' magazine as "the dean of U.S. nude painters", he was also a landscape painter and also produced an exceptional ...

and

Arthur Covey Arthur Sinclair Covey (June 13, 1877 – February 5, 1960) was an American muralist whose paintings depicted industrial workers doing their jobs. Personal life Covey was born in Leroy, Illinois on June 13, 1877 and was married to Mary Dorothea ...

, at the

Art Students League The Art Students League of New York is an art school in the American Fine Arts Society in Manhattan, New York City. The Arts Students League is known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists. Although artists may study f ...

in New York City,

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, and

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Frederick Styles Agate, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, an ...

. Bessemer was an artist with the

Section of Painting and Sculpture Section, Sectioning, or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section s ...

. He painted

post office murals United States post office murals are notable examples of New Deal art produced during the years 1934–1943. They were commissioned through a competitive process by the United States Department of the Treasury. Some 1,400 murals were created f ...

in Winnsboro, South Carolina and Hazlehurst, Mississippi. He also completed seven murals at the

United States Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal serv ...

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

. His Virginia murals depict agricultural and historical scenes and local destinations such as Great Falls and Roosevelt Island. The murals reflected local history and were designed to instill national pride in viewers.

References

1909 births 1986 deaths American modern painters 20th-century American painters American muralists Section of Painting and Sculpture artists Painters from Michigan Artists from Grand Rapids, Michigan American male painters 20th-century American male artists {{US-painter-1900s-stub