DAVID LEVINE California Scene WPA regionalist art watercolor painting

Fine Art : Drawings : California Watercolor

 

Watercolor on heavy paper, 14" by 20 3/4", signed at lower left in pencil by noted, listed California artist DAVID PHILLIP LEVINE (1910-), showing a typical subject for the artist, a Depression era or circa 1930's early 1940's tenement or modest housing with a family standing outside. The mother holds a nude child and the older child stands in his overalls nearby, a bare tree and bare earth perhaps symbolizing the difficult life of this poor family. The artist is well listed (though commonly confused with a very modern/contemporary artist of the same name) and noted as a painter of the California Scene. His subjects included poverty, urban Southern California, landscape with social commentary, etc. Hughes in his listing says Levine was born in Pasadena. He studied with such notables as Barse Miller and Stanley Reckless, and exhibited at a number of museums. Today, museums like the Laguna Art Museum, Orange County Museum of Art, Denver Art Museum, Columbus Museum of Art, etc., hold examples of his work.. This work is signed at lower left, and though not dated, I would imagine it would date to his classic period between 1935 and the late 1940's. Condition is excellent with fresh color, minimum of paper toning, and no foxing. There are two tiny spots near the signature that could just be paint spatters. The frame and its liner are in poor condition, though I can send them along upon request. This was framed behind non-glare glass which I have discarded. Please email me with any questions. See the artist's listing on askart. Shipping wizard figures are guesstimates. SEE HUNDREDS OF OTHER PAINTINGS/PRINTS IN MY SHOP.

Item ID: JB0315