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Grapefruit Moon Gallery

Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration

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Sorry, It's Sold

Chinese Opera

Artist:Henry Soulen
Date:1920s
Medium:Oil on stretched canvas
Dimensions:Sight size 30" x 36" | Framed 33" by 39"
Condition:Excellent
Original Use:Illustration of unknown usage
Price: Sold
Full view
Full view

 

Detail
Detail

 

Framed view in original gold wood arts & crafts aesthetic frame
Framed view in original gold wood Arts & Crafts aesthetic frame

An outstanding, highly stylized, Art Deco, large format oil on canvas painting by the American fine artist and illustrator Henry Soulen.
This was likely featured as an interior illustration for an American weekly magazine such as The Saturday Evening Post. Known for these types of depictions, Soulen was an early student of Howard Pyle; he utilized heavy expressive brush strokes and an impasto oil paint technique. The scene features a moment from Peking opera, filled with the pomp and ceremony associated with the art.  Central to the image is a beautiful Daomadan with sword, and surrounding her are a number of actors in  masks and ornate costuming and a hodgepodge of Orientalist tropes that evoke the classing Qing dynasty art form. Classic 1920s romantic and nostalgic imagery from the Golden Age of Illustration.

Detail
Detail

 

Frame profile corner view
Frame profile corner view

A bio on Henry Soulen
An illustrator for The Saturday Evening Post, Henry Soulen began that career in May, 1912, He attended the Art Students League in Milwaukee, the Art Institute of Chicago, and later studied under the celebrated teacher, Howard Pyle, the founder of the Brandywine School.

He also studied with N.C. Wyeth, Frank Schoonover, and Jessie Wilcox Smith. He also worked for other publications including Country Gentleman and Ladies Home Journal and earned a Peabody Award for his magazine cover designs.

He was known for his use of intense, brilliant color and Soulen’s illustrations are distinguished by a rich, textural surface, at a time when many illustrations were in black and white, his usually appeared in color.

He was a thorough researcher and eventually collected a large and varied collection of costumes, weapons, and other objects that he used in his drawings. At age 62, he became a college professor at the University of Maryland and taught the first illustration that art department offered.

During World War II, he gave free art lessons at the Valley Forge Military Hospital, a rehabilitation center for veterans.He was also the recipient of the Peabody Award for magazine cover design. The artist made his home between Phoenixville, PA and Oceanville, ME, until he died in 1965.

Chinese Opera

Artist: Henry Soulen
Price:  Sold

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1920s, art deco, Chinese, Golden Age, Henry Soulen, illustration, Mandarin, orientalist
Added to Gallery: June 19, 2015

 

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    About Grapefruit Moon Gallery

    Grapefruit Moon Gallery, based in Minneapolis MN, specializes in vintage pin up and original illustration art.  We are the proud home of the Bunny Yeager archives.

    Since 2003, Grapefruit Moon Gallery has been a leading dealer of exclusive original paintings by Gil Elvgren, Alberto Vargas, Earl Moran, Rolf Armstrong and Henry Clive, as well as vintage photographs, prints, and period decorative arts in ceramic and metal.

    All artworks featured are original, accurately represented, and guaranteed to be the work of the named artist.

    Interested buyers may view pieces by appointment and we are happy to answer any questions you may have. [Contact Us]

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