Lot 174: Paul Muller Diptych Oil/Canvas Fantasy Figures

Paul Muller (Russian/American, 1895-1970) Diptych; Fantasmagoric figural paintings; oil on canvas. SLR and dated 1961. Both measure 24" by 18". Provenance: The Paul Muller paintings in this auction were purchased by the consignor years ago from NYC dealers who were selling a collection of 30 of his paintings on behalf of Dick Muller, son of the artist. Muller was a refugee in Estonia all of his life, until he settled in NYC in 1926 and lived there until his death in 1970. He supported himself as an illustrator, (for Encyclopedia Britannica) among other manual and physical jobs until he began drinking and ended his life because of it. His later works show the influence of the American Scene Painters movement school of Social Realism prevalent in the 1920s and 30s, who were strongly influenced by the New York Ashcan school of the early 1900s. Note:The Art Deco style eagle on metered U.S. postage is his design.