Stanton Macdonald-Wright (1890–1973) was a pioneering American modernist painter and co-founder of Synchromism, in 1912.
Synchromist paintings were some of the first abstract paintings created in America. The theory of synchromism is based on the idea that color and sound are similar phenomena and that the colors in a painting can be orchestrated in the same harmonious way that a composer arranges notes in a symphony. MacDonald-Wright once said, "Synchromy is to color what symphony is to sound. ...It means everything is done with color."
Stanton MacDonald-Wright was born in Virginia, and moved to Santa Monica with his family at the age of ten. He began studying art at the Art Students League in Los Angeles while in his teens, and in 1907 moved to Paris, studying at major institutions including the Sorbonne, Académie Julian, and Académie Colarossi.
Back in the United States in, he and fellow artist Morgan Russell developed Synchromism. MacDonalnd-Wright and Russell held exhibitions in Paris and Munich in 1913, and MacDonald-Wright lived in New York City from 1914 to 1919 before returning to California.
MacDonald-Wright was instrumental in introducing modern art to Los Angeles, organizing the first exhibition of modernists there in 1920. He served as director of the Art Students League of Los Angeles in 1923 and taught art history and aesthetics at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1942 to 1954. During the 1930s he was a regional director for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) federal art project, creating notable murals in Santa Monica.
MacDonald-Wright spent the rest of his life in California. His paintings are held in the permanent collection of many prestigious museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the National Portrait Gallery.
Modernist figurative drawing by Stanton MacDonald-Wright
By Stanton MacDonald-Wright
Located in Colfax, CA
An early modernist drawing by synchromist artist Stanton MacDonald-Wright. Stanton Macdonald-Wright (1890–1973) was a pioneering American modernist painter and co-founder of Synchrom...
Pencil
$95
H 16 in W 12 in D 0.13 in
A Stylish, Vintage 1940s Woman's Fashion Study, Cover Design for Hattie Carnegie
Located in Chicago, IL
A stylish, vintage, 1940s woman's fashion study featuring an elegant graphic design for a portfolio cover featuring ladies resort clothes by Hattie Carnegie. Artwork size: 11 x 8...
Paper, Pencil, Color Pencil, Watercolor
$235
H 24 in W 20 in D 0.13 in
A Finely Drawn, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Figure Study, Standing Male Nude Model
By Harold Haydon
Located in Chicago, IL
A Very Finely Drawn Mid-Century Modern Figure Study of a Standing Young Male Nude Model (Torso) by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A well executed stu...
Graphite, Paper
$165
H 16 in W 12 in D 0.13 in
A Stylish, Vintage 1940s Fashion Design, Woman's Dress, Marshall Field & Co.
Located in Chicago, IL
A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring an elegant design for a woman's dress. Inscribed "Nettie Rosenstein at Marshall Field". Most likely a design study for a print adv...
Paper, Pencil
Respite
Located in London, GB
Pencil on paper Signed and dated (lower right) 29cm × 21cm (48cm × 39cm framed) A truly original artist, Lear spent most of his 70 year career exploring beautifully proportioned mal...
Paper, Pencil
$235
H 24 in W 20 in
A Finely Drawn, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Figure Study, Standing Male Nude Model
By Harold Haydon
Located in Chicago, IL
A Very Finely Drawn 1950s Mid-Century Modern Figure Study of a Standing Young Male Nude Model by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A well executed studi...
Graphite, Paper
$1,250
H 12 in W 13.75 in
"Factory Along the River" Howard Daum, Modernist Factory Landscape, Industry
By Howard Daum
Located in New York, NY
Howard Daum Factory Along the River, 1937 Signed and dated lower right Watercolor and pencil on paper 12 x 13 3/4 inches Provenance The artist Ashby Gallery, New York Carl Ashby, Ne...
Paper, Watercolor, Pencil
$235
H 24 in W 20 in D 0.13 in
A Finely Drawn, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Figure Study, Seated Male Nude Model
By Harold Haydon
Located in Chicago, IL
A Very Finely Drawn Mid-Century Modern Figure Study of a Seated Young Male Nude Model by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A well executed studio figure...
Graphite, Paper
Isadora Duncan
By Abraham Walkowitz
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Isadora Duncan Graphite with grey wash on paper mounted to cardstock Signed and dated in pencil lower right (see photo) Provenance: Charlotte Bergman, f...
Graphite
Male Torso
By John Koch
Located in London, GB
Pencil, coloured pencil and chalk on paper, titled (lower left), signed (lower right), 31cm x 46cm, (51cm x 68cm framed). John Koch was an American painter and teacher, and an impo...
Paper, Chalk, Pencil, Color Pencil
$235
H 24 in W 20 in D 0.13 in
A Finely Drawn, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Figure Study, Standing Male Nude Model
By Harold Haydon
Located in Chicago, IL
A Very Finely Drawn Mid-Century Modern Figure Study of a Standing Young Male Nude Model by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). A well executed studio figu...
Graphite, Paper
Blanche Grambs, (Young Owl)
By Blanche Grambs
Located in New York, NY
Blanche Grambs, whose career started with the WPA, was an extremely skilled draftsperson. Her birds are masterful. Although we use the word 'pencil' fo...
Pencil
$15,000
H 16 in W 30 in
WPA Mural Study Mid-Century Modern American Scene Social Realism Workers
By Anton Refregier
Located in New York, NY
WPA Mural Study Mid-Century Modern American Scene Social Realism Workers Anton Refregier (1905-1979) Mural Study, Untitled 7 ¾ x 22 inches (sight) Gouache, pencil, and charcoal on board, c. 1940s Unsigned Provenance: Estate of Seymour Fogel, noted verso Thomas McCormick Gallery...
Charcoal, Gouache, Board, Pencil