Koerner, Henry (Austrian/American/Pittsburgh, 1915-1991), Backyards in Spring, 1959-1960, oil on canvas, unsigned, 30 x 36 inches, in a gold painted wood frame 38 x 44.5 inches. Exhibited: From Vienna to Pittsburgh: The Art of Henry Koerner, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, May-July, 1983, with original label attached to the frame, number 41 in the catalog, reproduced in black and white. Provenance: Dr. and Mrs. George McCollom, Pittsburgh; private collection, Pittsburgh. Koerner referred to this work, painted from the backyard of his house on Murray Hill Avenue, as 'just an illusion of chiseled brushstrokes.' The view is of Shadyside from Squirrel Hill, looking down Murray Hill Avenue to the north. The steeple of The Third Presbyterian Church is visible above the rooftops.
Antique American modernist mixed media painting by Henry Koerner (1915 - 1991). Pen and ink with gouache on paper. Signed. Measuring by inches and by painting alone. Please see all images for condition. Size is measured and written on the back of the painting. The first size is the overall size, the second size is the image size. For detailed condition questions please text 617-835-2496
Original WWII American propaganda poster 'UNITED WE ARE STRONG / UNITED WE WILL WIN.' Illustration by Henry Koerner (1915-1991). U.S. Government Printing Office: 1943-O-527286 - Office of War Information Poster 64, 1943. World War II poster showing artillery gun barrels decorated with the flags of the Allies, all firing against the Axis of Germany and Italy. original mailing folds, 20 x 28 inches.
This is a poster created during World War ll as part of the home front campaign to conserve waste products for the war effort. It is a bold image that reminds us that every bit of conservation supports the war effort. Henry Koerner (1915-1991) was a Jewish refugee who immigrated to the United States from Austria in 1938. Trained as a graphic designer, he immediately produced a number U.S. propaganda poster before being drafted into the Graphics Division during WWII. He was sent overseas to document wartime life and was present at the War Crimes Trials to sketch the defendants. After the war, Koerner embraced the Magic Realism art style. He is well known for his many Time Magazine covers, which included portraits done from life of the most important people of the mid-20th century including sitting President John F. Kennedy. This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed, and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.
(Austrian/American, 1915-1991) Pen and ink on paper, 1975, signed and dated "Koerner" lr, sight size: 25 3/4 x 16 3/4 in., framed size: 28 1/4 x 19 1/4 in.
Koerner, Henry (Austrian/American/Pittsburgh, 1915-1991), The Underpass, 1985, watercolor on paper, signed and dated lower right, sheet 17.75 x 23.75 inches, in a gold brushed metal frame 25 x 30.5 inches.
Koerner, Henry (Austrian/American/Pittsburgh, 1915-1991), Downtown, 1952 or earlier, pen and ink on paper, mounted to a backing board, signed lower right, marked Pittsburg in pencil on the back by an unknown hand (not Koerner's), 14.75 x 18 inches, in a period blonde wood frame 16 x 19.25 inches. Provenance: Midtown Galleries, purchased there by James H. and Rebecca Jones Beal on August 15, 1952.
This World War ll poster supports the unity of nations and arms of the allied forces combatting the German and Italian armies. The imagery depicts the unified cannons exploding with their targets within the Axis area of control. It is a poster to encourage increased patriotism among all Americans both at home and in the battle overseas. Henry Koerner (1915-1991) was a Jewish refugee who immigrated to the United States from Austria in 1938. Trained as a graphic designer, he immediately produced a number U.S. propaganda poster before being drafted into the Graphics Division during WWII. He was sent overseas to document wartime life and was present at the War Crimes Trials to sketch the defendants. After the war, Koerner embraced the Magic Realism art style. He is well known for his many Time Magazine covers, which included portraits done from life of the most important people of the mid-20th century including sitting President John F. Kennedy. This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed, and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.
A bucket of fresh fish is hoisted from the fishing boat in this 1943 WWII propaganda poster entitled, "Fish Is A Fighting Food" by Henry Koerner. During the war, red meat was rationed due to the belief that it was a major source of energy intended for fighting men overseas. Among other types of proteins, fish was heavily marketed as an alternative. Eleanor Roosevelt promoted the food rationing and incorporated fish more frequently in the White House menu schedule to reflect the White House as an example to the public. Henry Koerner (1915-1991) was a Jewish refugee who immigrated to the United States from Austria in 1938. Trained as a graphic designer, he immediately produced a number U.S. propaganda poster before being drafted into the Graphics Division during WWII. He was sent overseas to document wartime life and was present at the War Crimes Trials to sketch the defendants. After the war, Koerner embraced the Magic Realism art style. He is well known for his many Time Magazine covers, which included portraits done from life of the most important people of the mid-20th century including sitting President John F. Kennedy. This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed, and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.
This is a poster created during World War ll as part of the home front campaign to conserve waste products for the war effort. It is a bold image that reminds us that every bit of conservation supports the war effort. Henry Koerner (1915-1991) was a Jewish refugee who immigrated to the United States from Austria in 1938. Trained as a graphic designer, he immediately produced a number U.S. propaganda poster before being drafted into the Graphics Division during WWII. He was sent overseas to document wartime life and was present at the War Crimes Trials to sketch the defendants. After the war, Koerner embraced the Magic Realism art style. He is well known for his many Time Magazine covers, which included portraits done from life of the most important people of the mid-20th century including sitting President John F. Kennedy. This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed, and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.
Austrian/American 1915-1991 J & L Oxygen Plant Watercolor on paper 17 5/8 x 23 1/2 inches (44.8 x 59.7 cm) Provenance: La Fond Galleries, Pittsburgh, PA Exhibited: Pennsylvania, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Henry Koerner Paintings The work is sandwich-mounted in its mount. It appears to be in good overall condition.
Henry Koerner (American/Austrian, 1915–1991) - Bob's House Signed ‘Koerner’ bottom right, oil on canvas 43 x 48 in. (109.2x121.9cm) Provenance The Artist. Gift from the above. Collection of the Estate of Robert Craig. Lot Essay Henry Koerner, known for his striking and emotionally charged paintings, originally hailed from Vienna. Born in 1915 to Jewish parents, Koerner was forced to flee during Hitler’s annexation of Austria in World War II, eventually settling in the United States. In 1952 he arrived in Pittsburg where he met and began a lifelong friendship with Robert Craig. Later in his life while traveling abroad in Europe, the two regularly exchanged letters and post cards. Frequently discussing their love of music and opera, Koerner related his joy in returning to Austria. In one card he notes “I am hiking the walks of our great composers and I am becoming I feel it, greater and greater through each work but mainly through the mystic environment of Vienna”. In many cards he highlights Craig’s love of Schubert noting “I often think of you, especially when I hear Schubert on the air.” (Lot 99). Indeed the profile of Schubert can be spotted in the center of the cluster of busts at the foreground of Bob’s House, a work that was gifted from Koerner to Craig. In addition to Schubert, Koerner has included a collection of artists, opera singers, and composers the two favored, cementing this work as a representation of their deep friendship and love.
Henry Koerner (American/Austrian, 1915–1991) - Docked Boat in Winter Signed and dated ‘Koe 81’ bottom right, watercolor on paper 12 x 16 in. (30.5x40.6cm) Provenance The Artist. Gift from the above. Collection of the Estate of Robert Craig. Lot Essay For more information on this artist, please see lot 103.
Henry Koerner (American/Austrian, 1915–1991) - Set of Handmade Postcards Tower Signed and dated bottom right; also message to recipient and signature present verso, ink and colored pencil on paper 4 ½ x 6 in. (11.4x15.2cm) Rabbit Signed and dated bottom right; also message to recipient and signature present verso, ink and colored pencil on paper 4 ½ x 6 in. (11.4x15.2cm) Horse and Carriage Signed and dated bottom right; also message to recipient and signature present verso, ink and colored pencil on paper 4 ½ x 6 in. (11.4x15.2cm) Provenance The Artist. Gift from the above. Collection of the Estate of Robert Craig. Lot Essay For more information on this artist, please see lot 103.
Henry Koerner (American/Austrian, 1915–1991) - Three Ink Drawings Drinking from a Fountain Signed bottom right, message to recipient and signature present verso, ink on paper 4 ½ x 6 in. (11.4x15.2cm) Two Men Pulling a Cart Signed bottom right, message to recipient and signature present verso, ink on paper 4 x 6 in. (10.2x15.2cm) Venice Bike Ride Signed bottom right, message to recipient and signature present verso, ink and color pencil on paper 6 ¼ x 4 ½ in. (15.9x11.4cm) Provenance The Artist. Gift from the above. Collection of the Estate of Robert Craig. Lot Essay For more information on this artist, please see lot 103.
Henry Koerner (American/Austrian, 1915–1991) - Set of Handmade Post Cards Man Reading Message to recipient and signature present verso, watercolor and ink on paper 4 x 6 in. (10.2x15.2cm) School House Message to recipient and signature present verso, watercolor and ink on paper 4 x 6 in. (10.2x15.2cm) Man Rowing Signed ‘Ko 79’ center; also message to recipient and signature present verso, watercolor and ink on paper 4 x 6 in. (10.2x15.2cm) Provenance The Artist. Gift from the above. Collection of the Estate of Robert Craig. Lot Essay For more information on this artist, please see lot 103.
Henry Koerner (American/Austrian, 1915–1991) - Winter Landscape with Black Cat Signed and dated 'Koe 86' bottom right, watercolor on paper 24 x 18 in. (61x45.7cm) Provenance The Artist. Gift from the above. Collection of the Estate of Robert Craig. Lot Essay For more information on this artist, please see lot 103.
Henry Koerner (American/Austrian, 1915–1991) - Portrait of a Man in a Field together with The Composer Portrait of a Man in a Field Signed ‘Koe 80' bottom left, watercolor on paper. 18 x 24 in. (45.7x61cm) The Composer Pencil signed and inscribed ‘To Robert in Friendship KO - 79' bottom right, colored print on paper 19 x 24 in. (48.3x61cm) Provenance The Artist. Gift from the above. Collection of the Estate of Robert Craig. Lot Essay For more information on this artist, please see lot 103.
Henry Koerner (American, 1915-1991) - Portrait of Renata Tebaldi (Project for Time Magazine). Signed ‘Koerner’ bottom right, oil on canvas laid down to Masonite 22 x 16 in. (55.9 x 40.6cm) Provenance The Artist. Acquired directly from the above. Estate of Dr. Robert Craig, Monongahela, Pennsylvania. Lot Essay The present work was originally submitted as a cover project for Time magazine, but was never ultimately published. It depicts the Italian soprano Renata Tebaldi in her rose garden. Daubed “one of the greatest performers with one of the most extraordinary voices in the field of opera” by La Scala music director, Tebaldi was one of the dazzling stars of the Metropolitan Opera. She was often compared to Maria Callas, universally seen as her rival due to their difference in training, their opposite singing voices and interpretations of dramatic roles such as Aida, Tosca or La Gioconda. Henry Koerner enjoyed both cantatrice and in fact painted a portrait of Maria Callas, now at the National Portrait Gallery. The artist was generally fond of classical music and opera–a passion he shared with his Pittsburgh friend Dr. Robert Craig, with whom he often discussed recent concerts and recordings, especially those by Schubert, their favorite composer, and to whom the present work was gifted after Time Magazine decided not to use it.
Henry Koerner (American, 1915-1991) - The Station Oil on canvas 61 x 50 in. (155 x 127cm) Executed in 1978. Provenance The Artist. (Possibly with ACA Galleries, New York, New York). Acquired directly from the above. The Estate of Dr. Robert Craig, Monongahela, Pennsylvania. Exhibition “From Vienna in Pittsburgh: The Art of Henry Koerner,” Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 28-July 31, 1983. “Unheimliche Heimat: Henry Koerner, 1915-1991,” Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna, Austria, June 25-August 31, 1997. Literature Unheimliche Heimat: Henry Koerner, 1915-1991, Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna, 1997, p. 127 (illustrated). Lot Essay Offered at auction for the first time and seen by the public only at the occasional exhibition (the most recent dating to the late 1990s), The Station was the crown jewel of Dr. Robert Craig’s private collection in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania—a city Craig shared with his dear friend Henry Koerner, who had arrived in 1952 and remained there until his untimely death in 1991. According to the artist’s son, “the painting is among the five most important that my father did” after 1953, a time when the artist started to adopt the broken brushwork of his later work. Its monumentality, rare in the artist’s work, commands its relevance, both in the artist’s oeuvre and within the history of American art. Painted in 1978, The Station is a late, mature work by Koerner. Yet, it remains as poignant as the artist's earlier compositions, encapsulating the tension and ambiguity that characterize the best of his works. Audiences are offered a view of Bahnsteigdach Hadersdorf-Weidlingau, a railroad station on the western outskirts of Vienna that Koerner admired for its attractive turn-of-the-century architecture, and which according to the artist’s son makes for “the greatest of his Viennese paintings." The platform serves as the stage for the arrival and departure of countless travelers, their activities seemingly directed by the Stationmaster at left who, his back turned to us, acts as the choreographer of an everyday ballet, his red and green baton firmly in hand. As unusual as it was for the artist, the painting was executed on site in Vienna. Koerner set the canvas directly onto the platform and sketched both the structure and the Stationmaster (an actual employee at Hadersdorf) from life, adding each figure individually in Pittsburgh later, using friends and models who posed outdoors or at his home. At first glance, The Station appears to be a mundane snapshot of urban life but upon closer inspection, and despite the known location of the station, it is a more complex image whose meaning is not readily apparent to the viewer. Here, as in many of his other works, Koerner plays with scale to imbue an undercurrent of anxiety. The Stationmaster is clearly oversized, dwarfing the surrounding people—especially the figurine-like passengers exiting the station through an underground staircase (which still exists today). This dichotomy was one of Koerner’s favored compositional tricks, which he called “reverse perspective” and which already appears in his earliest works executed in Berlin. The technique was also used by George Tooker, Koerner’s rival in the realm of Magic Realism, and can be seen on the left side of his painting The Subway (1950), now at the Whitney Museum. The present work is both a time-capsule and a time warp in that the very 1970s clothes contrast (in a very Koerner fashion) with the overall flattened perspective, which gives the scene an older, Byzantine look. While it evidently pays tribute to Koerner’s admiration for the Italian primitives Giotto and Masaccio, as well as the work of Hieronymus Bosch, it also contributes to the painting's unsettling duality, which combines elements of tradition and modernity. As in the work of the 16th-century Netherlandish master, the viewer is furthermore confronted with disturbing imagery, such as the lady without pants in the foreground, the distraught woman at left, or even the shining red suitcase abandoned in the middle of the composition, which seems to hold the answers to the painting’s entire mystery. In The Station, Koerner creates a suspended narrative that arrests the viewer as they attempt to decode its meaning and interpret the artist’s choice of scenery and subject matter which, according to the artist’s son, is the key to understanding the importance of the painting. Here, the Stationmaster–grand, authoritative, and almighty in his anonymity–regulates train traffic, overseeing their comings and goings, and maybe even their destination. The figure is part of Koerner’s iconography of ordinary people entrusted with a bigger role, of a higher dimension. Here, the huge man serves as Fate itself, and the painting consequently stands as a metaphor for life's journey and ultimate final leg. While the trains and wagons are not visible, the flow of travelers suggest movement, and make the station “a key site of emotion." Some characters wave longingly at loved ones on trains that have just left the station, others are caught in the heart-wrenching act of saying goodbye to the soon-to-be departed. A stream of passengers travels to and from the composition’s middle ground—the equivalent of a Purgatory. All appear at the mercy of the Stationmaster, who seemingly controls everyone’s destiny, and determines who stays and who leaves. This underlying message is not altogether innocent given the artist’s personal history. At the time of his first solo-shows in Berlin and New York, critics enthusiastically compared Koerner to artists like Otto Dix and Max Beckman, who were known for drawing from history and their own lived experience to create their work. Born in Vienna in 1915 to Jewish parents who emigrated from the Northern regions of the Habsburg Empire, Koerner left his family behind and fled to the United States by way of Italy following Hitler’s annexation of Austria in 1938 (Anschluss). Although he always suspected it, it was not until 1946 that Koerner learned his entire family had been killed during the Holocaust. Knowledge of Koerner’s traumatizing past invites a different and darker reading of this station depicted. Situated in Vienna's Jewish district (Leopoldstadt), not far from the home of Koerner's parents–who witnessed and suffered from the Führer's rallies–Hadersdorf stood in the middle of WWII's horrors and beheld the flow of people seeking exile or those being transported to their deaths. It acted as both a beacon of hope and salvation, and as an omen of sorrow and suffering. Decades later, through the power of art and Koerner's artistic genius and resilience, the train station is transformed onto canvas as The Station. It assumes an emotional symbolic layer and carries an even greater universal power that commands viewers' solemn and ultimate respect.
Koerner, Henry (Austrian/American/Pittsburgh, 1915-1991), San Francisco Skyline, With the Golden Gate Bridge, 1976, watercolor on paper, signed and dated lower right, 16 x 12 inches, in a metal frame 18.5 x 14.5 inches. Provenance: a Western Pennsylvania private collection.
Koerner, Henry (Austrian/American/Pittsburgh, 1915-1991), Downtown Pittsburgh, with US Steel Building and Court House, 1976, watercolor on paper, signed and dated lower left, 16 x 12 inches, in a metal frame 18.5 x 14.5 inches. Provenance: a Western Pennsylvania private collection.
Koerner, Henry (Austrian/American/Pittsburgh, 1915-1991), Courthouse, Pittsburgh, 1970, etching, signed, titled, dated and marked A. P. (artist proof) in pencil along the bottom, image 9.75 x 7.75 inches, in a metal frame 15.25 x 13.25 inches.
Koerner, Henry (Austrian/American/Pittsburgh, 1915-1991), Bridge, Three Rivers Stadium, 1971, etching, signed, titled, dated and marked A. P. (artist proof) in pencil along the bottom, image 7.75 x 9.75 inches, in a metal frame 13.25 x 15.25 inches.
Henry Koerner (American/Austrian, 1915-1991), Girl with Coca Cola, ink on paper, gallery label (Museum of Modern Art, New York) affixed verso, overall (with frame): 23.5"h x 27.5"w. Provenance: Property from the estate of internationally recognized textile artist and designer, Mr. Julian Tomchin (San Francisco, CA).
[WORLD WAR I & II]. Three posters. Includes: LEYENDECKER, Joseph C. (1874 – 1951). Order Coal Now / United States Fuel Administration. 1918. Chicago: Edwards & Deutsch. Framed. – KOERNER, Henry (1915-1991). Fish is a Fighting Food / We Need More. 1943. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1943. OWI Poster No. 60. Original fold lines evident, not examined out of frame. – Take Up the Sword of Justice / Join Now. [Great Britain: England, ca. 1915]. Framed and matted. Not examined out of frame. Overall, 29 x 19.” and smaller. B.
Original WWII American propaganda poster 'UNITED WE ARE STRONG / UNITED WE WILL WIN.' Illustration by Henry Koerner (1915-1991). U.S. Government Printing Office - Office of War Information Poster 64, 1943. World War II poster showing artillery gun barrels decorated with the flags of the Allies, all firing against the Axis of Germany and Italy. Mailing folds, 20 x 28 inches.
This is a poster created during World War ll as part of the home front campaign to conserve waste products for the war effort. It is a bold image that reminds us that every bit of conservation supports the war effort. Henry Koerner (1915-1991) was a Jewish refugee who immigrated to the United States from Austria in 1938. Trained as a graphic designer, he immediately produced a number U.S. propaganda poster before being drafted into the Graphics Division during WWII. He was sent overseas to document wartime life and was present at the War Crimes Trials to sketch the defendants. After the war, Koerner embraced the Magic Realism art style. He is well known for his many Time Magazine covers, which included portraits done from life of the most important people of the mid-20th century including sitting President John F. Kennedy. This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed, and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.
This is a poster created during World War ll as part of the home front campaign to conserve waste products for the war effort. It is a bold image that reminds us that every bit of conservation supports the war effort. Henry Koerner (1915-1991) was a Jewish refugee who immigrated to the United States from Austria in 1938. Trained as a graphic designer, he immediately produced a number U.S. propaganda poster before being drafted into the Graphics Division during WWII. He was sent overseas to document wartime life and was present at the War Crimes Trials to sketch the defendants. After the war, Koerner embraced the Magic Realism art style. He is well known for his many Time Magazine covers, which included portraits done from life of the most important people of the mid-20th century including sitting President John F. Kennedy. This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed, and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.
A bucket of fresh fish is hoisted from the fishing boat in this 1943 WWII propaganda poster entitled, "Fish Is A Fighting Food" by Henry Koerner. During the war, red meat was rationed due to the belief that it was a major source of energy intended for fighting men overseas. Among other types of proteins, fish was heavily marketed as an alternative. Eleanor Roosevelt promoted the food rationing and incorporated fish more frequently in the White House menu schedule to reflect the White House as an example to the public. Henry Koerner (1915-1991) was a Jewish refugee who immigrated to the United States from Austria in 1938. Trained as a graphic designer, he immediately produced a number U.S. propaganda poster before being drafted into the Graphics Division during WWII. He was sent overseas to document wartime life and was present at the War Crimes Trials to sketch the defendants. After the war, Koerner embraced the Magic Realism art style. He is well known for his many Time Magazine covers, which included portraits done from life of the most important people of the mid-20th century including sitting President John F. Kennedy. This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed, and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.
This World War ll poster supports the unity of nations and arms of the allied forces combatting the German and Italian armies. The imagery depicts the unified cannons exploding with their targets within the Axis area of control. It is a poster to encourage increased patriotism among all Americans both at home and in the battle overseas. Henry Koerner (1915-1991) was a Jewish refugee who immigrated to the United States from Austria in 1938. Trained as a graphic designer, he immediately produced a number U.S. propaganda poster before being drafted into the Graphics Division during WWII. He was sent overseas to document wartime life and was present at the War Crimes Trials to sketch the defendants. After the war, Koerner embraced the Magic Realism art style. He is well known for his many Time Magazine covers, which included portraits done from life of the most important people of the mid-20th century including sitting President John F. Kennedy. This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed, and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.
Study for the "Showboat" circa 1948. Gouache on board (Authenticated by the artist's son in an email dated Oct 2 2023 see last image). From a Mamaroneck, NY estate.
Koerner, Henry (Austrian/American/Pittsburgh, 1915-1991), Pittsburgh Steelmaking Triptych, 1976, watercolor on paper, each one signed and dated, 16 x 12 inches, in matching metal frames 18.5 x 14.5 inches. Provenance: a Western Pennsylvania private collection.
Koerner, Henry (Austrian/American/Pittsburgh, 1915-1991), Courthouse Greensburg, Pa., 1970, etching, 16 x 11.75 inches, pencil signed and numbered 2/50, framed in Hogarth style frame 23.5 x 18.5 inches, Provenance: The Honorable and Mrs. James R Kelley, Greensburg, Pa.
HENRY KOERNER (1915-1991) SHORT CUTS CAN SHORTEN THE WAR. 1943. 40x28 1/2 inches, 101 1/2x72 1/4 cm. U.S. Government Printing Office, [Washington, D.C.] Condition B+: repaired tears, abrasions and restoration along vertical and horizontal folds. Austrian-born Koerner produced at least two posters during World War II, both in 1943.
This World War ll poster supports the unity of nations and arms of the allied forces combatting the German and Italian armies. The imagery depicts the unified cannons exploding with their targets within the Axis area of control. It is a poster to encourage increased patriotism among all Americans both at home and in the battle overseas. Henry Koerner (1915-1991) was a Jewish refugee who immigrated to the United States from Austria in 1938. Trained as a graphic designer, he immediately produced a number U.S. propaganda poster before being drafted into the Graphics Division during WWII. He was sent overseas to document wartime life and was present at the War Crimes Trials to sketch the defendants. After the war, Koerner embraced the Magic Realism art style. He is well known for his many Time Magazine covers, which included portraits done from life of the most important people of the mid-20th century including sitting President John F. Kennedy. This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed, and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.
Henry Koerner (American, 1915-1991) The Showboat, 1948 Egg tempera on Masonite 48 x 25-1/4 inches (121.9 x 64.1 cm) Property of an Important Midwestern Collector PROVENANCE: Midtown Galleries, New York, December 1948; Mr. Jesse C. Maxwell, Decatur, Georgia, acquired from the above, January 1949; Private collection, Florida, by descent from the above; Jonathan Boos Gallery, New York; Acquired by the present owner from the above. EXHIBITED: Midtown Galleries, New York, "Henry Koerner," 1948; Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna, Austria, "Unheimliche Heimat: Henry Koerner," 1915- 1991, June 25-August 31, 1997. LITERATURE: Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, Realism and Realities: The Other Side of American Painting, 1940-1960, exhibition catalogue, 1982, p. 91, illustrated (as unlocated); Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna, Austria, Unheimliche Heimat: Henry Koerner, 1915-1991, exhibition catalogue, 1997, pp. 96-97, illustrated. The Showboat by Henry Koerner is a masterpiece of Magic Realism, exemplifying the best and most important qualities of this subcategory of Modern Art exclusive to America. Magic Realism was first defined by a major exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1943, when art historian Alfred H. Barr, Jr., described it as "a term sometimes applied to the work of painters who by means of an exact realistic technique try to make plausible and convincing their improbable, dreamlike or fantastic visions." ( Painting and Sculpture in the Museum of Modern Art, New York 1942, n.p.) Koerner's oils from the late 1940s such as The Showboat demonstrate the defining characteristics of the style, such as the sharply focused delineation of forms, a painstakingly rendering of detail, flattened perspective, an absence of shadows, and a strong, precise, severe manner of execution. Koerner fled Vienna in 1938 after Hitler annexed Austria, leaving his family behind. When he returned to visit in 1946 after serving in the United States Army, he discovered that his entire family had been killed during the Holocaust. As a survivor, he felt intense pain and guilt, but also appreciated the fact that he was spared. Despite the grief associated with Vienna, Koerner returned there every year for the last thirty years of his life. He often felt out of place wherever he was—he felt like a European in America, and was considered an American when in Europe. Contemporary observers often sensed this dual identity in his work. Before moving to the United States, Koerner studied at the Graphic Academy of Applied Art in Vienna. He considered it an advantage that he did not attend a traditional art school. He admired contemporary Viennese painters and studied the Old Masters, especially Pieter Brueghel and Hieronymus Bosch. The Showboat, is a direct reference to Bosch's Ship of Fools (c. 1490-1500, Louvre Museum, Paris), a painting he knew well. Koerner's first work in the United States was as a graphic artist at a New York studio designing book covers for detective and mystery stories. Koerner met Ben Shahn, who became a mentor, when he joined the Office of War Information in 1943. Koerner admired Shahn's highly stylized figures and distorted perspectives, techniques that he would develop in his own work. Painted by Koerner in 1948 in Brooklyn, The Showboat depicts dozens of clowns, freaks, acrobats and other performers, recalling the nearby influence of Coney Island. The work, purchased when it was first exhibited at Midtown Galleries in 1948, remained in a private collection for well over sixty years, and has had only three owners since its creation. Dr. Joseph Koerner, son of the artist and an art historian and professor at Harvard University, describes the importance of the wor
This is a poster created during World War ll as part of the home front campaign to conserve waste products for the war effort. It is a bold image that reminds us that every bit of conservation supports the war effort. Henry Koerner (1915-1991) was a Jewish refugee who immigrated to the United States from Austria in 1938. Trained as a graphic designer, he immediately produced a number U.S. propaganda poster before being drafted into the Graphics Division during WWII. He was sent overseas to document wartime life and was present at the War Crimes Trials to sketch the defendants. After the war, Koerner embraced the Magic Realism art style. He is well known for his many Time Magazine covers, which included portraits done from life of the most important people of the mid-20th century including sitting President John F. Kennedy. This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed, and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.
![[WORLD WAR I & II]. Three posters. Includes: LEYENDECKER, J...](https://stageimg.invaluable.com/housePhotos/Potter_Potter/67/756867/H4052-L349532566.jpg)
