Skip to main content

Bob Thompson Art

American, 1937-1966
An African-American, Bob Thompson had success in the 1960s as an artist, which was unusual for black artists of that era and led to his becoming a pivotal figure for African-American artists and for art historians. However, his life was cut short when he died in Rome in 1966 just before his twenty-ninth birthday. Thompson was a modernist who adapted Paul Gauguin's Fauvist use of interlocking planes of bright colors. He often used Biblical subjects, and created an effect of idealized, faceless figures. Among his paintings were Flagellation of Christ and St. George and the Dragon. Living among avant-garde artists in New York City, where he briefly had a studio on Rivington Street, and in Provincetown, Massachusetts, he was at odds with the prevalent Pop and Op art style of the time. He was also rebellious in that he declined to fill the traditional black- artist role of doing narrative, genre work about black life in America, nor was he willing to do pure abstraction, which was being touted as an expression of universal experience. Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Thompson had a year of frustrating pre-med studies at Boston University from 1955 to 1956, and then returned to Louisville and began art studies at the University of Louisville, where he met he met fellow student Sam Gilliam, as well as G. Caliman Coxe and Kenneth Victor Young. In 1958, he went to Provincetown, Massachusetts where he was influenced to move from abstraction to more figurative art. There he associated with figurative expressionists Lester Johnson, Red Grooms, Mimi Gross and Gandy Brodie. In 1959, he moved to New York's Lower East Side, not far from where Benny Andrews lived, and participated in group shows and single gallery exhibitions. In 1961, he first went to Europe, traveling in Rome, Madrid and Paris, and he returned in 1963. He also became a regular part of the downtown painters' and musicians' scene in New York. In 1998, the Whitney Museum of American Art held a retrospective of his figurative abstract work. Joseph Hirshorn donated 15 of Thompson's works to the Hirshorn Museum. His market value continues to sharply rise.
(Biography provided by Lincoln Glenn)
to
1
1
1
1
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
6,996
3,377
2,513
1,212
1
1
1
Artist: Bob Thompson
"Untitled" Bob Thompson, Figurative Work on Paper, Black Abstract Artist
By Bob Thompson
Located in New York, NY
Bob Thompson Untitled, 1964 Felt tip pen on printed paper 11 x 20 1/2 inches Provenance: The artist Kathy Komaroff Goodman (gift from the artist) Hollis Taggart, New York Exhibited...
Category

1960s Modern Bob Thompson Art

Materials

Watercolor, Paper

Related Items
Glassblowers WPA American Scene Mid- 20th Century Modern Figurative Workers 1932
By Harry Gottlieb
Located in New York, NY
Glassblowers WPA American Scene Mid- 20th Century Modern Figurative Workers. Dated and signed "32 Harry Gottlieb" lower right. Sight: 13 1/8" H x 18 1/4" W. Harry Gottlieb, painter, screenprinter, educator, and lithographer, was born in Bucharest, Rumania. He emigrated to America in 1907, and his family settled in Minneapolis. From 1915 to 1917, Gottlieb attended the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. After a short stint as an illustrator for the U.S. Navy, Gottlieb moved to New York City; he became a scenic and costume designer for Eugene O"Neill's Provincetown Theater Group. He also studied at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts and the National Academy of Design. He was one of America's first Social Realist painters, influenced by that Robert Henri-led movement in New York City where Gottlieb settled in 1918. He was also a pioneer in screen printing, which he learned while working for the WPA. He married Eugenie Gershoy, and the couple joined the artist colony at Woodstock, New York. He lectured widely on art education. In 1923, Gottlieb settled in Woodstock, New York and in 1931, spent a a year abroad studying under a Guggenheim Fellowship. In 1935, he joined the Federal Art Project...
Category

1930s American Modern Bob Thompson Art

Materials

Paper, Gouache

20th Century Modernist Painting Girls Gossiping In French Bistro
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
French Expressionist by Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) watercolour on artist paper, unframed painting : 15.5 x 19 inches provenance: artists estate, France condition: very good and s...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Bob Thompson Art

Materials

Watercolor

20th Century French Modernist Painting Crowded Cafe Bar Scene with Figures
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Crowded Cafe by Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) watercolour on artist paper, unframed painting : 15 x 17.5 inches provenance: artists estate, France condition: very good and sound...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Bob Thompson Art

Materials

Watercolor

Haitian Scene #7 Mid Century modern painting by renowned artist, signed AA label
By Adolf Dehn
Located in New York, NY
Adolf Arthur Dehn Haitian Scene #7, ca. 1951 Watercolor gouache, hand signed; framed with AAA Gallery label verso Signed on the front bearing the origina...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Bob Thompson Art

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache, Mixed Media

Americana, Lawyer in Court, Politician, Gouache Painting WPA Art William Gropper
By William Gropper
Located in Surfside, FL
William Gropper Original Gouache on Paper Hand signed lower right 33.5 x 27.5 image 26 x 20.5 The New-York born artist William Gropper was a painter and cartoonist who, with caricature style, focused on social concerns, and was actively engaged in support of the organized labor movement throughout his career. This original watercolor drawing is done in the iconic style of the artist's oeuvre. Born to Harry and Jenny Gropper in 1897, William was raised in New York City's Lower East Side. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Romania and Ukraine, and young William grew up in relative poverty, watching his family struggle to achieve that sought-after American dream. His father, a bright and college-educated man, was unable to find employment that worthy of his intellect. His mother, meanwhile, worked as a seamstress from home. Coupled with the devastating loss of an aunt to the infamous Triangle Factory fire of 1911, significant childhood factors created the foundation that led to Gropper’s exploration of the American experience. Early on, Gropper displayed an extraordinary, natural skill for art. By 1912, he was already studying under the instruction of George Bellows and Robert Henri at the Ferrer School in Greenwich Village. During his time at school, Gropper was also awarded a prestigious scholarship to study at the National Academy of Design. However, he refused to fit into convention and was swiftly expelled from the Academy. After his expulsion, Gropper returned home to help financially by assisting his mother and taking a shop position. However, he didn't abandon art academia and soon presented a portfolio to the New York School of Fine Art which earned him a scholarship for study. Gropper obtained his first significant job as a cartoonist for the New York Tribune in 1917. While working as a staff cartoonist for the Tribune, he also contributed drawings to publications like Vanity Fair, New Masses, The Nation, and Freiheit. His interest in the welfare of the American worker, class inequality, and social injustice was central in his work. After publishing the graphic novel Alley Oop in 1930, Gropper's illustration career extended well into the decade. However, he was never exempt from controversy, and his 1935 Vanity Fair cartoon; prompted anger from the Japanese government. As an involved labor organizer and Social Realist activist, Gropper continued to bring attention to his radical reputation with visits to the Soviet Union and Poland. However, his concern with European politics and U.S. social causes didn't slow down his artistic career, and by the late 1930s, he had produced significant murals for American cities like Washington D.C. His 1938 mural Construction of a Dam was commissioned for the Department of the Interior and represents the Social-Realism style that depicts experiences of the worker and everyday societal life. Measuring at a staggering 27ft by 87ft, the piece portrays muscular, robust American laborers scaling rocky hillsides, building infrastructure, and operating heavy machinery. The mural feels undeniably American with golden scenery, denim blues, and steely gray colors. Gropper fits perfectly into Social-Realism because the style exhibits an illustrative flair with strong lines and simple, bold hues. The inspiration for Construction of a Dam sprang from his 1937 travels to the poverty-stricken Dust Bowl area. The trip was sponsored by a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, and his drawings of the Grand Coulee and Boulder Dams...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Bob Thompson Art

Materials

Ink, Watercolor, Gouache

The Dancers, French Late Mid Century Gouache on Textured Paper
Located in Cotignac, FR
Late Mid Century French watercolour and Gouache on handmade paper of a pair of dancers by Damien Hermellin. Signed and dated bottom right. Pres...
Category

1970s Modern Bob Thompson Art

Materials

Watercolor, Paper, Gouache, Handmade Paper

Mid Century "Driver with Hard Hat" Gouache and Oil Pastel Figurative 1960s SF
By Gloria Dudfield
Located in Arp, TX
Gloria Dudfield Driver with Hard Hat 1960s Gouache and Oil Pastel on Paper 27"x36" unframed $700 *Custom framing available for additional charge. Please expec...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Bob Thompson Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Paper, Gouache

20th Century French Modernist Painting Set of Four Dark Watercolour Scenes
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Set of 4 by Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) watercolour on artist paper, unframed painting : 8.75 x 6.5 inches stamped verso provenance: artists estate, France condition: very good an...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Bob Thompson Art

Materials

Watercolor

Signed Modernist European Rainbow Cityscape Painting Original Frame 19th
Located in Buffalo, NY
A modernist landscape featuring a pair of figures and a rainbow. Signed but without a determination of the maker this charming painting is utterly unique. Original period frame.
Category

Early 1900s Modern Bob Thompson Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

"Do you need me?"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
Dear art lover, This artwork makes part of my series dedicated to " Women" and in particularly celebrates a special bond and connection between women. This artwork called "Do you...
Category

2010s Modern Bob Thompson Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Watercolor, Archival Paper

 "Do you need me?"
 "Do you need me?"
Free Shipping
H 16.54 in W 11.7 in D 0.04 in
1950s "Mark" Oil Pastel and Gouache Figurative Painting NYC Modern Mid Century
By Donald Stacy
Located in Arp, TX
Donald Stacy "Mark" c.1950s Oil pastel and gouache paint on paper 14x17" unframed Unsigned Came from artist's estate Donald Stacy (1925-2011) New Jersey Studied: Newark School of ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Bob Thompson Art

Materials

Paper, Oil Pastel, Gouache

1950s "At the Table" Mid Century Figurative Gouache & Oil Pastel
By Donald Stacy
Located in Arp, TX
Donald Stacy "At the Table" c.1950s Gouache and oil pastel on paper 24"x18" unframed Came from artist's estate *Custom framing available for additional charge. Please expect framing ...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Bob Thompson Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Paper, Gouache

Bob Thompson art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Bob Thompson art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Bob Thompson in paint, paper, watercolor and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1960s and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Bob Thompson art, so small editions measuring 30 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Hans Burkhardt, Frank Wilcox, and Joseph Solman. Bob Thompson art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $15,000 and tops out at $15,000, while the average work can sell for $15,000.

Artists Similar to Bob Thompson

Recently Viewed

View All