Joseph Vávak Sold at Auction Prices

Landscape painter, Painter, Water color painter, b. 1899 -

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    • Joseph Vavak
      Nov. 18, 2023

      Joseph Vavak

      Est: $1,000 - $2,000

      (Illinois/Missouri, 1891-1969) The Flood, 1936, signed lower right "Vavak", inscribed, titled, and dated verso "March 10 '36", 30 x 36 in.; painted wood frame, 36-1/4 x 42 x 3 in. Provenance: The Laura Davidson Sears Gallery of Fine Art, Elgin Academy, Elgin, Illinois Exhibited: WPA Federal Art Project Exhibition, 1943, (label verso)

      Brunk Auctions
    • Joseph Vavak, Illinois, Missouri / Austria (1891 - 1969), Woman, lithograph, 17"H x 11"W (sheet)
      Oct. 07, 2023

      Joseph Vavak, Illinois, Missouri / Austria (1891 - 1969), Woman, lithograph, 17"H x 11"W (sheet)

      Est: $300 - $400

      Joseph Vavak Illinois, Missouri / Austria, (1891 - 1969) Woman lithograph Titled lower left, signed lower right. Biography from Kelley Gallery - Pasadena: Joseph Vavak (1891-1969), born in Vienna, Austria 1891, immigrated to America in 1904, and settled in Chicago. He began formal art studies at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1906 at age fifteen. In 1914 he hitchhiked to New York where he continued studies while working as a musician playing piano and violin. During WWI he enlisted in the United States Navy and was stationed at Great Lakes in North Chicago, Illinois, where he played violin with the Symphony Orchestra. During the 1920s he lived in Chicago, continuing to paint while supporting himself as a musician, primarily playing piano at the Dill Pickle Club, Chicago's resident 'Bohemian' nightclub and 'free-thinkers hangout' that was frequented by popular American authors, activists and speakers. In 1929 he moved to Paris to pursue art and music studies, but returned to the U.S. later that year after his savings were wiped out by the Great Crash. He became a member of the Chicago Artists Union, and by 1934 was employed by the Public Works of Art Project and later the WPA Federal Art Project. Writing to the Western Illinois State Teachers' College in 1935, Vavak stated "Although these are lean years for many a poor man's stomach they are at the same time rich harvest years for the creative urge... ...By interpreting a period which will become a poignant page in the history of America, and so in that of the whole world, I hope to make some small contribution." In keeping with these sentiments, Vavak captured for posterity a dramatic moment in 20th century U.S. history by depicting a group of women workers and wives of workers who were part of a massive sit-down strike against General Motors, memorializing the event in his 1937 painting "Women of Flint". During the 1950s and '60s, while continuing to paint, Vavak taught piano in the Chicago suburb of Rouselle. From about 1960-1963 he adopted a non-objective painting approach, but once again returned to his earlier representational style. Vavak's approach to art favored John Dewey's philosophy of artistic experimentation, an aesthetic which informed the WPA projects. Throughout his career Vavak destroyed many of his paintings, preferring the act of creation over the end product. In the 1930s and 1940s his works were included in major exhibitions at the Art Institute of Chicago, Albright Art Gallery in Buffalo, NY, The Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the New York World's Fair, 1939. Awards: Gold medal, 1935, Chicago Society of Artists. Works held: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Fort Lauderdale Museum of the Arts. Known for: WPA-era figurative works produced in oil and lithograph

      Ripley Auctions
    • Joseph Vavak WPA Era Mixed Media Artwork.
      Jul. 22, 2023

      Joseph Vavak WPA Era Mixed Media Artwork.

      Est: $450 - $550

      Joseph Vavak (American, 1899 - 1969). This Industrialist scene is of workers digging a trench, with Animals pulling a Cart in the Background. The Piece is Signed and Dated 1935, Lower Left. Sight Size of the Artwork is 20" x 24". The work looks to be in Good Overall Condition, but there is Water Damage to the Matte in the Upper Left Corner, which is also on the Back. The Painted Frame is worn badly. The frame measures 30 3/4" x 34 3/4". Third-party shipping or personal pickup is required. Please see our website for our shipping recommendations.

      Direct Auction Galleries, Inc.
    • Joseph Vavak (American, 1891-1969) Marooned, 1937 Oil on canvas 37 x 40-1/2 inch
      Sep. 08, 2022

      Joseph Vavak (American, 1891-1969) Marooned, 1937 Oil on canvas 37 x 40-1/2 inch

      Est: $1,500 - $2,500

      Joseph Vavak (American, 1891-1969) Marooned, 1937 Oil on canvas 37 x 40-1/2 inches (94.0 x 102.9 cm) Signed and dated upper right: Vavak - '37 Titled and dated on the reverse: "Marooned" / 3-18-37 HID01801242017

      Heritage Auctions
    • JOSEPH VAVAK (American, 1899-1999) American Industry, 1
      Nov. 10, 2010

      JOSEPH VAVAK (American, 1899-1999) American Industry, 1

      Est: $500 - $700

      JOSEPH VAVAK (American, 1899-1999) American Industry, 1942 Watercolor on paper 14-3/4 x 21 inches (37.5 x 53.3 cm) window Signed and dated lower right: Vavak '42

      Heritage Auctions
    • Joseph Vavak (American, b. 1899) Freight Ship at Dock Signed and dated "VAVAK/'42" l.l....
      Mar. 06, 2009

      Joseph Vavak (American, b. 1899) Freight Ship at Dock Signed and dated "VAVAK/'42" l.l....

      Est: $1,500 - $2,500

      Joseph Vavak (American, b. 1899) Freight Ship at Dock Signed and dated "VAVAK/'42" l.l. Watercolor on paper, sight size 13 x 20 1/4 in. (33.0 x 51.4 cm), framed. Condition: Foxing, not examined out of frame.

      Skinner
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