The acquisition and sale of American works of art is our foremost goal; it is what we love to do, and do well. – Surovek Gallery
The history of American art, and American artists, reflects the changes and growth that occurred as the country matured and became increasingly independent.
The British tradition of painting portraits and bucolic landscapes slowly evolved into art with an American sensibility. In 1820 the Hudson River School emerged as the first well-known school of American painters who created sweeping landscapes of uniquely American vistas.
Their works inspired the artists who came after them, like Winslow Homer, to paint the world around them, in a clear, luminous style.
Many American artists, like Mary Cassatt, continued to travel to Europe to study art.
Cassatt spent most of her life in Paris, but most other artists, like William Glackens took what they learned in Paris and returned to the U.S. to create their own unique styles.
Glackens was loosely associated with The Ashcan School, American artists who painted urban landscapes, and who were part of the 1913 Armory Show, which brought modern art to American audiences.
Even Regional artists like Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood traveled to Europe to study.
After World War ll, New York replaced Paris as the center of the art world. New York galleries and museums supported the artists whose work ushered in the modern and post-modern art movements.
The works of Pop and Op artists reflected the post-war culture of consumerism that became an intrinsic part of American culture.
Graffiti artists in the 1980s brought art to the general public. Keith Haring was one of the most influential graffiti artists of the twentieth century. His drawings in the New York subways made him a public favorite and his work instantly recognizable.
American artists today have the freedom to explore and create the works that define their own sensibilities and to develop art that often defies categorization.
Alex Katz, at age 92, has been creating works in his own unique style for more than half a century. The Guggenheim is planning a retrospective of his work in 2022.
American Art at Surovek Gallery
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