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William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

American, 1867-1949
William Sommer is seen as a key person in bringing European modernism to Northeast Ohio. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, and in his youth apprenticed for seven years to a lithographer. He briefly studied at an art academy in Germany and then worked as a lithographer in New York before moving to Cleveland, where he was awarded a major contract with the Otis Lithography Company. There he became friends with sculptor and painter William Zorach, and the two, determined to be fine artists, began painting together on weekends. They also became intrigued by avant-garde movements, especially after Zorach's trip to Paris in 1910. In 1911, Sommer co-founded a group in Cleveland called the Kokoon Club, a mixed group of commercial artists and radical modernists who sought the freedom to pursue their independent tendencies. They converted a tailor's shop into a studio and held exhibitions and lectures and organized an annual masked ball that became the focus of Cleveland's bohemian life. In 1913, he and his colleagues began painting at Brandywine, about 30 miles south of Cleveland and made a school house into a studio. They devoted increasing time to watercolor painting because they could work spontaneously and it would dry quickly. Rejecting the conventional ideas of beauty, they strove for the expression of emotion and spontaneity and fantasy. One of Sommer's most successful students was Charles Burchfield. As he was perfecting his mature style, he had financial difficulties because he made his living from commercial lithography, which was becoming obsolete, and the Depression was hitting the nation causing him to lose his job. He became a WPA artist, doing murals in northeastern Ohio. After his death at age 82, he was largely forgotten until 1980 when Hilton Kramer, a "New York Times" critic, praised his work. In May to July, 1994, the Ohio Arts Council held a retrospective of his work at the Riffe Gallery in Columbus. His work is found in many public collections including the National Museum of American Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
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Artist: William Sommer
Still Life with Tromp L'Oeil
Still Life with Tromp L'Oeil

William SommerStill Life with Tromp L'Oeil, c. 1924

$3,000

Still Life with Tromp L'Oeil

By William Sommer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Still Life with Tromp L'Oeil Graphite and watercolor on a book page. Signed in ink by the artist lower right corner (see photo) Provenance: Estate of the artist (Estate No. 00916 verso) Ray Sommer (the artist's son) Joseph M. Erdelac (No. 18 JME verso) Book page verso is an illustration of a Durer woodcut...

Category

1920s American Modern William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

American Modernist, Young Woman, Blue Eyes, 1939, William Sommer
American Modernist, Young Woman, Blue Eyes, 1939, William Sommer

William SommerAmerican Modernist, Young Woman, Blue Eyes, 1939, William Sommer, 1939

$2,750

American Modernist, Young Woman, Blue Eyes, 1939, William Sommer

By William Sommer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Portrait of a Young Woman with Blue Eyes Watercolor on paper, 1939 Signed and dated in pencil lower right (see photo) Possibly the drawing rejected from the 1939 May Show, titled Gir...

Category

1930s American Modern William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Seated Nude Leaning on her arm, facing right
Seated Nude Leaning on her arm, facing right

William SommerSeated Nude Leaning on her arm, facing right, c. 1920

$1,750

Seated Nude Leaning on her arm, facing right

By William Sommer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Seated Nude Leaning on her arm, facing right Pen and ink, c. 1920 Signed lower right with estate stamp: Wm Sommer Created at a live model session at the Kakoon Arts Klub, Cleveland C...

Category

1920s American Modern William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink

untitled (Still Life with Apples and Vase of Flowers)

William Sommeruntitled (Still Life with Apples and Vase of Flowers)

$550

untitled (Still Life with Apples and Vase of Flowers)

By William Sommer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

[recto];untitled (Sketches for Still Unsigned 9 1/2 x 12 inches (24.2 x 30.6 cm.)

Category

20th Century William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Graphite

Head of a Young Woman with Blond Hair
Head of a Young Woman with Blond Hair

William SommerHead of a Young Woman with Blond Hair, c. 1930

$4,500

Head of a Young Woman with Blond Hair

By William Sommer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Head of a Young Woman with Blond Hair Watercolor on paper mounted on rag paper support, c. 1930 Signed with the Estate Stamp B Provenance: Estate of the Artist ...

Category

1930s American Modern William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Standing Nude with Japanese Lanterns
Standing Nude with Japanese Lanterns

William SommerStanding Nude with Japanese Lanterns, c. 1916

$2,750

Standing Nude with Japanese Lanterns

By William Sommer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Standing Nude with Japanese Lanterns Ink drawing on wove paper, mounted on wove paper support, c. 1916 Signed with the estate stamp B Provenance: Estate of the Artist ...

Category

1910s American Modern William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink

Wire Haired Girl and Cat
Wire Haired Girl and Cat

William SommerWire Haired Girl and Cat, c. 1930

$1,500

Wire Haired Girl and Cat

By William Sommer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Wire Haired Girl and Cat Pen and ink with watercolor, c. 1930 Signed with the Estate stamp "B" Provenance: Estate of the Artist By descent to his son Edward ...

Category

1930s American Modern William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Wire Haired Girl and Cat
Wire Haired Girl and Cat

William SommerWire Haired Girl and Cat, c. 1930

$1,500

Wire Haired Girl and Cat

By William Sommer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Wire Haired Girl and Cat Pen and ink with watercolor, c. 1930 Signed with the Estate stamp "B" Provenance: Estate of the Artist By descent to his son Edward ...

Category

1930s American Modern William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Nude Woman in Chair Watercolor, American Modern, Circa 1930, Framed
Nude Woman in Chair Watercolor, American Modern, Circa 1930, Framed

William SommerNude Woman in Chair Watercolor, American Modern, Circa 1930, Framed, 1930-35

$5,000

Nude Woman in Chair Watercolor, American Modern, Circa 1930, Framed

By William Sommer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Nude Woman in Chair Watercolor, gouache, ink, and pencil on heavy paper, c. 1930-35 Signed with the artist's Estate stamp lower right (see photo) Note: "Matchstick" ink drawing of fe...

Category

1930s American Modern William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Nude, arms raised
Nude, arms raised

William SommerNude, arms raised, c. 1925

$3,500

Nude, arms raised

By William Sommer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Nude Matchstick and ink drawing heightened with conte crayon c. 1925 Signed with the Estate Stamp "B" Provenance: Joseph A. Erdelac (1914 -2005), Cleveland Acqu...

Category

1920s Art Deco William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink

Standing Female Nude
Standing Female Nude

William SommerStanding Female Nude

$2,750

Standing Female Nude

By William Sommer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Standing Female Nude Match stick and ink drawing, c. 1925 Signed with the estate stamp B Sheet size: 21 x 16 inches Created at the Kakoon Arts Klu...

Category

1920s American Modern William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink

Female Nude in Profile, Ink on Paper, American Modern, Circa 1925
Female Nude in Profile, Ink on Paper, American Modern, Circa 1925

William SommerFemale Nude in Profile, Ink on Paper, American Modern, Circa 1925, c. 1925-28

$10,000

Female Nude in Profile, Ink on Paper, American Modern, Circa 1925

By William Sommer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Woman Pen and ink on paper, c. 1925-1928 Signed in pencil lower left Exhibited: Akron Art Institute (Akron Art Museum), William Sommer Retrospective, Oct. 25 to Nov. 29, 1 970 Illu...

Category

1920s American Modern William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink

Deco Woman
Deco Woman

William SommerDeco Woman, c. 1918-20

$1,800

Deco Woman

By William Sommer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Deco Woman Crayon on paper, c. 1920 Signed in ink lower left: "Wm. Sommer" (see photo) Provenance: Estate of the artist Edwin Sommer (the artist’s son) Jose...

Category

1910s Art Deco William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Crayon

Female Nude Study
Female Nude Study

William SommerFemale Nude Study

$2,000

Female Nude Study

By William Sommer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Female Nude Study Graphite and crayon on wove paper, c. 1928 Signed with the Estate stamp "B" (see photo) Provenance: Estate of the Artist Edward Sommer (his so...

Category

1920s American Modern William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Crayon

Girl in Profile
Girl in Profile

William SommerGirl in Profile, c. 1930

$4,500

Girl in Profile

By William Sommer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Girl in Profile Lithographic crayon and watercolor on thin wove paper, c. 1930 Signed twice in pencil (see photos) Provenance: Estate of the Artist Edward Somme...

Category

1930s American Modern William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

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Previously Available Items
Flapper in a Black Hat
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William SommerFlapper in a Black Hat, c. 1925

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H 10.75 in W 15.5 in

Flapper in a Black Hat

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Located in Fairlawn, OH

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1920s American Modern William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

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Head of a Man (recto) Sketch of a Man's Head (verso)
Head of a Man (recto) Sketch of a Man's Head (verso)

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H 21 in W 13 in

Head of a Man (recto) Sketch of a Man's Head (verso)

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Located in Fairlawn, OH

Head of a Man (recto) Sketch of a Man's Head (verso) Ink and black conte crayon, c. 1920 Signed with Estate Stamp "B" lower right Professionally repaired voids along top edge, all fo...

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Self Portrait

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H 11 in W 11 in

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Located in Greenwich, CT

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Dancing Nudes

William SommerDancing Nudes, c. 1917

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H 11 in W 16 in

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Signed with Estate Stamp B

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1910s William Sommer Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

William Sommer drawings and watercolor paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic William Sommer drawings and watercolor paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of drawings and watercolor paintings to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of orange and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by William Sommer in paint, watercolor, ink and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large William Sommer drawings and watercolor paintings, so small editions measuring 8 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Chaim Gross, Raphael Soyer, and Harold Haydon. William Sommer drawings and watercolor paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $550 and tops out at $10,000, while the average work can sell for $2,750.

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