Skip to main content

Emil James Bisttram Art

American, 1895-1976
Emil Bisttram was born in Hungary in 1895 and emigrated with his parents when he was eleven to America. Bisttram choose a more economically promising career in commercial art design due to his economic conditions and opened his own art agency at the young age of twenty. During this time, he took classes with Leon Kroll at the Art Student League and with Jay Hambidge, an advocate of Dynamic Symmetry, at the New York School of Fine and Applied Art (renamed the Parsons School of Design). Dynamic Symmetry is a system of spatial balances and had a lifelong impact on Bisttram. Bisttram taught at Parsons from 1920 to 1925 and at the New York Master Institute of United Arts at the Roerich Museum from 1925-1930. The Institute was a spiritual inspiration to Bisttram because it advocated linking the fine arts together. However, his style of painting was more influenced by Kandinsky and he began to experiment in non-objective art. Bisttram received many awards including a Guggenheim fellowship in 1931 to study mural painting. However, he decided to go to Mexico study with the great Mexican Muralist Diego Rivera. After returning from Mexico, Bisttram participated in an exhibition at the Whitney Museum for Guggenheim fellows in 1933 and received a commission to create a mural for the Taos, New Mexico courthouse. The Taos School of Art (renamed Bisttram School of Fine Art) which explored spiritualism and meditation was opened by Bisttram in 1932 where he taught some famous painters, including Florence Miller Pierce. Together with Raymond Jonson and Lauren Harris, the Transcendental Painting Group was formed in Santa Fe, New Mexico from 1938-1942. This group was considered very radical for the time and the community reacted with much disdain. Nevertheless, Bisttram continued to teach and paint, and it is thought that Bisttram’s art truly represents transcendental ideas. Exhibited: Philadelphia Watercolor Club, 1926 (prize), 1931 (medal); Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1926-28, 1933, 1941, 1954; American Watercolor Society, 1927 (prize), 1930 (prize), 1931 (prize); Art Institute of Chicago; Corcoran Gallery, 1932, 1935; Whitney Museum of American Art, 1951; Martin Diamond Fine Art, 1984. Works Held: Roerich Museum, New York; Albright Art Gallery; Taos County Courthouse; Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. (mural); United States Post Office, Ranger, Texas (mural). ©David Cook Galleries, LLC
(Biography provided by David Cook Galleries)
to
1
2
2
2
1
Original, Signed, 1959, Abstract Oil Painting
By Emil James Bisttram
Located in Newport Beach, CA
Striking, black, white, red and blue, oil-on-panel painting by listed American artist, Emil Bisttram (1895-1976) whose work is held in many important museums. This period image has b...
Category

Mid-20th Century Emil James Bisttram Art

Materials

Panel, Oil

Precipitation, 1960s Abstract Oil Painting of Floating Shapes, Purple White Gray
By Emil James Bisttram
Located in Denver, CO
Original 1961 mid-century modern abstract painting by New Mexico Transcendentalist, Emil Bisttram (1895-1976). Abstract floating shapes painted in shades of purple, blue, gray, white and black. Presented in a custom frame, outer dimensions measure 33 x 37 x 1 ¾ inches. Image size is 32 ½ x 36 ¼ inches. Painting is clean and in very good vintage condition - please contact us for a complete condition report. Expedited and international shipping is available - please contact us for a quote. About the Artist: Emil Bisttram grew up in the tenements of New York City after his family emigrated from Hungary when he was a young boy. Bisttram studied at Cooper Union, the National Academy of Design, and at the New York School of Fine and Applied Art. During his training, Emil studied under Ivan Olinsky, Leon Kroll, Howard Giles, and Jay Hambidge. Bisttram later taught at the New York School of Fine and Applied Art, Parson's School of Design, and at the Master Institute of the Roerich Museum in New York. Bisttram opened the nation's first freelance advertising art agency by the age of twenty-one. However, he soon abandoned the business in pursuit of a career in Fine Art. In 1930, the artist made his first visit to Taos, New Mexico, where he reportedly found himself "blocked" by the open spaces, intense light, and color that define the region. In 1931, he traveled to Mexico where he studied mural painting with Diego Rivera on a Guggenheim Fellowship. While Emil was in Mexico, his wife lived in Taos where the couple established permanent residence upon his return. In Taos, Bisttram opened the area's first commercial art gallery, the Heptagon Gallery. He also founded the avante-garde Taos School of Art, later known as the Bisttram School of Fine Art. In 1934, Bisttram was among artists selected to paint murals for the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.). While commissioned by the W.P.A., Bisttram worked on murals in the County Courthouse in Taos and he completed a mural in the Justice Department Building in Washington, D.C. Although he continued with representational painting, much of Bisttram's work in the late 1930's became increasingly abstract. Along with Raymond Jonson and seven other artists, Bisttram founded the Transcendental Painting Group...
Category

1960s Abstract Emil James Bisttram Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Related Items
"My Silver Lining Heart" Silver Blue + Pink Pop Art Oil Painting Floater Frame
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Motivated by bold color and fast brushwork, we are moved by the simplicity and thick textured oil paints in these works. Shaoul’s “My Heart Collection” is a vibrant and energetic dis...
Category

2010s Abstract Emil James Bisttram Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Vintage Abstract Expressionism -- Pink Figural
By Daniel David Fuentes
Located in Soquel, CA
Abstract figure in pink by by San Francisco, California area artist Daniel David Fuentes (American, 1978-2016), (AKA, Xavier Lundt) (American, 20th Century). From a collection of hi...
Category

1990s Abstract Expressionist Emil James Bisttram Art

Materials

Canvas, Cardboard, Oil

Abstract
By Frederick Conway
Located in New Orleans, LA
Frederick Conway (1900-1973) was a painter, educator, and lecturer. From 1929 to 1970, Conway was a member of the faculty of the Washington University Art School. When Max Beckmann was in residence at Washington University, he and Conway became close associates. Conway was one of the first to realize the importance and seriousness of Beckmann's teaching. In 1949, Beckmann painted Conway's portrait. Conway was born in Saint Louis, Missouri, and studied at the Saint Louis School of Fine Arts and in Paris at the Academie Julian, the Academy Moderne, and the Academy Grande Chaumiere. He painted murals for the WPA (Works Progress Administration...
Category

1960s Abstract Emil James Bisttram Art

Materials

Oil, Board

"My Childhood Heart" Blue and Yellow Abstract Oil Painting with Floater Frame
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Motivated by bold color and fast brushwork, we are moved by the simplicity and thick textured oil paints in these works. Shaoul’s “My Heart Collection” is a vibrant and energetic dis...
Category

2010s Abstract Emil James Bisttram Art

Materials

Oil, Board

"The Visionary" - Abstract Expressionist Oil on Board
By Hamilton Achille Wolf
Located in Soquel, CA
"The Visionary" - Oil on Board Abstract expressionist painting titled "The Visionary" by Hamilton Achilles Wolf (American, 1883- 1967). Shades of red consume the canvas, as a mans ...
Category

Early 20th Century Abstract Expressionist Emil James Bisttram Art

Materials

Illustration Board, Oil

Abstract Expressionist Floral Explosion
By Allie William Skelton
Located in Soquel, CA
Bright and expressive abstract painting of flowers by Allie Bill Skelton (American, 1942-1986). This piece is unsigned, but was acquired with a collection of other Allie "Bill" Skelton works. Unframed. Image, 12”H x 9”W, oil on artists canvas board. Allie William “Bill” Skelton (American, 1942-1986) was a painter and sculptor active in San Francisco who was involved in the gay art...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Emil James Bisttram Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

Thee girl in the old House - 21st Century Contemporary Oil Painting of a girl
By Marten Huitsing
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Marten Huitsing The girl in the old house 70 x 45 cm ( frame is include, with frame the size is 80 x 55 cm) Oil on wood panel The paintings of this artist have been part of the collection of Galerie Bonnard since his graduation (2010) at the Classical Academy of Groningen. Huitsing has quickly become successful, his style, craftsmanship and choice of subject appeals to many people. Yet Marten, he says, does not want to repeat himself. He is always looking for the way of painting that suits him at that moment. The sympathetic artist got national fame because he beautifully portrayed a famous Dutch TV presentator Mart Smeets in the 'Paint the stars' program. Honest, very recognizable and with a narrative painting. Mart Smeets was overwhelmed, praising his comments. Rightly so! From that moment. Marten Huitsing's work has gained increasing popularity, he is an annually returning artist at the renowned PAN and he can hardly cope with the demand for new work. The work that the artist has made for our gallery that there is always a balanced composition. In the collection there is one painting that is directly an ode to an older master, both often with Marten Huitsing. He did that before. In this case an ode to the French painter William Bougeureau...
Category

2010s Contemporary Emil James Bisttram Art

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

"Unfinished Story", Contemporary Expressionist Modern Self-Portrait
By Alexander Gore
Located in Soquel, CA
Evocative and expressive contemporary self portrait titled "Unfinished Story" by Alexander Gore (Russian, b. 1958), 2010. Signed upper left edge. Unframed. Image, 15"H x 11"W. Ale...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Emil James Bisttram Art

Materials

Oil, Paper, Cardboard

Landscape - XXI century, Contemporary Oil & Acrylic Painting, Abstraction
By Monika Rossa
Located in Warsaw, PL
MONIKA ROSSA studied painting at the University of Arizona, in the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris and at the Escuela de Diseno in Barcelona. She practices drawing and easel painting....
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Emil James Bisttram Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Board

American Abstract Expressionist Flowers Oil Painting Norman Carton WPA Artist
By Norman Carton
Located in Surfside, FL
Norman Carton (1908 – 1980) was an American artist and educator known for abstract expressionist art. He was born in the Ukraine region of Imperial Russia and moved to the United States in 1922 where he spent most of his adult life. A classically trained portrait and landscape artist, Carton also worked as a drafter, newspaper illustrator, muralist, theater set designer, photographer, and fabric designer and spent most of his mature life as an art educator. Carton showed in and continues to be shown in many solo and group exhibitions. His work is included in numerous museums and private collections throughout the world. Norman Carton was born in the Dnieper Ukraine territory of the Russian Empire in 1908. Escaping the turbulence of civil war massacres, he settled in Philadelphia in 1922 after years of constant flight. While attending the Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial Art, Carton worked as a newspaper artist for the Philadelphia Record from 1928 to 1930 in the company of other illustrator/artists who had founded the Ashcan School, the beginnings of modern American art. From 1930 to 1935, he studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts under Henry McCarter, who was a pupil of Toulouse-Lautrec, Puvis de Chavanne, and Thomas Eakins. Arthur Carles, especially with his sense of color, and the architect John Harbison also provided tutelage and inspiration. Following his time at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Carton studied at the Barnes Foundation from 1935 to 1936 where he was influenced by an intellectual climate led by visiting lecturers John Dewey and Bertrand Russell as well as daily access to Albert C. Barnes and his art collection. Carton was awarded the Cresson Traveling Scholarship in 1934 which allowed him to travel through Europe and study in Paris. There he expanded his artistic horizons with influences stemming from Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Chaim Soutine, and Wassily Kandinsky. While at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Carton was also awarded the Toppan Prize for figure painting as well as the Thouron Composition Prize. He received numerous commissions as a portrait artist, social realist, sculptor, and theatrical stage designer as well as academic scholarships. During this time, Carton worked as a scenery designer at Sparks Scenic Studios, a drafter at the Philadelphia Enameling Works, and a fine art lithographer. From 1939 to 1942, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project employed Carton as a muralist and easel artist. He collaborated with architect George Howe. The WPA commissioned Carton to paint major murals at the Helen Fleischer Vocational School for Girls in Philadelphia, the Officers’ Club at Camp Meade Army Base in Maryland, and in the city of Hidalgo, Mexico. Throughout the 1940s, Carton exhibited and won prizes for his semi-abstract Expressionist and Surrealist paintings. He socialized with and was inspired by Émile Gauguin and Fernand Leger. During World War II, Carton was a naval structural designer and draftsman at the Cramps...
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Expressionist Emil James Bisttram Art

Materials

Oil, Board

"My Pink & White Heart" Colorful Contemporary Oil Painting with Floater Frame
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Motivated by bold color and fast brushwork, we are moved by the simplicity and thick textured oil paints in these works. Shaoul’s “My Heart Collection” is a vibrant and energetic dis...
Category

2010s Abstract Emil James Bisttram Art

Materials

Oil, Board

"My Sunset Heart" Multicolor Contemporary Oil Painting w Floater Frame
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Motivated by bold color and fast brushwork, we are moved by the simplicity and thick textured oil paints in these works. Shaoul’s “My Heart Collection” is a vibrant and energetic dis...
Category

2010s Abstract Emil James Bisttram Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Emil James Bisttram art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Emil James Bisttram art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Emil James Bisttram in oil paint, paint, board and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Emil James Bisttram art, so small editions measuring 31 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Amaranth Ehrenhalt, Melville Price, and Edmund Quincy. Emil James Bisttram art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $15,450 and tops out at $27,750, while the average work can sell for $21,600.

Artists Similar to Emil James Bisttram

Recently Viewed

View All