Skip to main content

Emily Mason Art

American, 1932-2019

Emily Mason was born in New York City in 1932. She graduated from New York City’s High School of Music and Art and studied at Bennington College for two years before attending and graduating from the Cooper Union. She spent 1956–58 in Italy on a Fulbright grant for painting, where she studied at the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Venice. 

During Mason’s two-year stay in Italy she married the painter Wolf Kahn, whom she had met earlier in New York. Mason and Kahn’s daughter, Cecily Kahn, is also an abstract painter, as was Emily Mason’s mother, Alice Trumbull Mason, a founding member of the American Abstract Artists group in New York. 

Mason spent more than six decades exploring her distinctive vein of lyrical, luminous abstraction. Her paintings executed in oil are distinguished by a sense of intriguing intimacy combined with uncompromising, though gentle, intensity. They evince a sense of structure within open, luminous space and juxtapose robust color harmonies with vivid contrasts that create an engaging optical vibration.

Robert Berlind said of the artist in Art in America, “Mason works within the improvisational model of Abstract Expressionism, though notably without angst or bravado.” 

Mason exhibited steadily throughout her career since she emerged on the Tenth Street gallery scene with multiple exhibitions at the Area Gallery in New York City in the 1960s. In 1979, she was awarded the Ranger Fund Purchase Prize by the National Academy. She taught painting at Hunter College for more than thirty years. Her work has been included in numerous public and private collections. 

Emily Mason: The Fifth Element, a comprehensive treatment of her work by Art in America associate managing editor David Ebony, was published in 2006 by George Braziller publishers. A second monograph, Emily Mason: The Light in Spring, was published in 2015 by the University Press of New England.

Mason died in December of 2019 in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Find a collection of original Emily Mason paintings and other art on 1stDibs.

(Biography provided by Miles McEnery Gallery)

to
12
8
7
3
2
2
2
8
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
8
1
11
1
2
5
4
12
6,996
3,348
2,513
1,213
10
10
10
2
2
Artist: Emily Mason
Aground (unique oil on paper painting by renowned female abstract expressionist)
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
Emily Mason Aground, 1979 Oil on paper painting Signed, dated '79, with a dateline of Vermont (VT) on the lower front in silver marker; bears original artist's label and exhibit label Frame included: floated and framed in original vintage silver color...
Category

1970s Abstract Emily Mason Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

So Slight a Film, (Lehman Brothers Art Collection), unique signed oil on paper
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
Emily Mason So Slight a Film (from the Lehman Brothers art collection), 1978 Oil on paper Abstract Expressionist painting Signed and dated 'Emily Mason '78' bottom right in pencil Fr...
Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Emily Mason Art

Materials

Graphite, Oil

Unique heart carborundum etching and monotype (hand signed & inscribed)
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
Emily Mason Untitled (For Douglas), 1990 Carborundum etching and monotype on paper Pencil signed, dated and inscribed "For Douglas" Vintage wood frame included This work was created ...
Category

1990s Contemporary Emily Mason Art

Materials

Etching, Monotype, Mixed Media, Pencil

Emily Mason The Fifth Element (Hand signed and inscribed by Emily Mason)
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
Emily Mason The Fifth Element (Hand signed and inscribed by Emily Mason), 2009 Hardback monograph with dust jacket (Hand signed, dated and inscribed by Emily Mason) Hand signed in marker directly underneath the title; inscribed to Kevin and dated 2013 top right by Emily Mason 10 1/2 × 9 × 1 inches Provenance Signed for the present owner at the artist's opening at the David Findlay...
Category

Early 2000s Abstract Emily Mason Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset

Untitled
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Untitled, 1990 Oil on paper 29 x 23 inches 73.7 x 58.4 cm Signed and dated: "Emily Mason 1990 VT" (lower right recto) Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is perhaps best k...
Category

1990s Abstract Expressionist Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil, Paper

Untitled
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Untitled, 1990 Oil on paper 29 x 23 inches 73.7 x 58.4 cm Signed and dated: "Emily Mason 1990" (lower right recto) Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is perhaps best know...
Category

1990s Abstract Expressionist Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil, Paper

Untitled
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Untitled, 1990 Oil on paper 29 x 23 inches 73.7 x 58.4 cm Signed and dated: "Emily Mason 1990" (lower left recto) Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is perhaps best known...
Category

1990s Abstract Expressionist Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil, Paper

After the Fall
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON After the Fall, 1989 Oil on paper 23 x 29 inches 58.4 x 73.7 cm Signed and dated: "Emily Mason '89" (lower right recto) Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is perhaps best...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil, Paper

Untitled
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Untitled, 1989 Oil on paper 23 x 29 inches 58.4 x 73.7 cm Signed and dated: "Emily Mason 1989" (lower right recto) Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is perhaps best know...
Category

1980s Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil, Paper

Nautical Night
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Nautical Night, 1983 Oil on paper 26 x 20 inches 66 x 50.8 cm Signed and dated: "Emily Mason '83" (lower center recto) Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is perhaps best ...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil, Paper

Transparent Slope
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Transparent Slope, 1989 Oil on paper 29 x 23 inches 73.7 x 58.4 cm Signed (lower right recto) (MMG#32796)
Category

1980s Emily Mason Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

Asiatic Rain
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Asiatic Rain, 1989 Oil on paper 29 x 23 inches 73.7 x 58.4 cm Signed (lower right recto) (MMG#32797)
Category

1980s Emily Mason Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

Related Items
Thomas Ranft (1945) - Nacht der tausend Träume, 1986 - Abstract Etching
By Thomas Ranft
Located in Meinisberg, CH
Thomas Ranft (1945) Nacht der tausend Träume, 1986 • Coloured etching on three separate plates • Sheet ca. 55 x 42 cm • Titled, signed and dedicated Worldwide shipping for this ob...
Category

1980s Abstract Emily Mason Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Etching

"Eye of the Beholder" Acrylics, Pencils, Oil Pastels in Neutral Hues of Taupe
By Karina Gentinetta
Located in New York, NY
"Eye of the Beholder" 2024, 48"x60" horizontal abstract painting by Argentine-born artist Karina Gentinetta (featured in Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, the New York Times, Traditi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Carbon Pencil, Color Pencil

"Untitled" Acrylics, Pencil, Oil Pastels on Paper in Hues of Black and White
By Karina Gentinetta
Located in New York, NY
"Untitled" 2019, 28" x 22" horizontal drawing on paper by Argentine-born artist Karina Gentinetta (featured in Elle Decor, the New York Times, Tradi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Emily Mason Art

Materials

Glaze, Acrylic, Oil Pastel, Carbon Pencil

Abstract Expressionist Latin American Painting
By Ramon Prats
Located in Surfside, FL
Genre: Modern Subject: Abstract Medium: Oil Surface: Paper Country: Spain Dimensions w/Frame: 25 1/2 x 21 1/2 This original painting by Spanish artist Ramon Prats is moody and powerful. The colors are a mix of black, grays and reds ala Antoni Tapies and they evoke a masculine, deep energy. Ramon Prats, was born in Barcelona, Spain in 1928. At the age of 15, Prats was appointed the official artist and illustrator for the El País newspaper in Havana, Cuba where his family was residing at the time. He studied at The School of Visual Arts in Santo Domingo and The School of Graphic Arts in Havana, Cuba. Upon completing his studies in Cuba, Prats moved to New York to study at the Art Students League of New York. Word of the young, talented, Spanish artist quickly spread amongst the New York City art scene and soon reached the Associated American Artist Gallery of New York, which then commissioned Prats under a seven year exclusive contract. He regularly exhibited at the AAA gallery until 1955, and also showed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1952, he assisted painter Jose Vela Zanetti in painting the mural, "Mankind's Struggle for Lasting Peace," which is still in the lobby of the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Prats moved to Mexico in 1956 and was pivotal in spearheading the development of modern art there until his death at age 74. There are currently two examples of Prats' work in the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian museum's collection: Textile, Mosaic, 1954 (1994-38-3) and Sidewall, Terrazzo, 1953 (1954-21-6). Prats moved to Mexico in 1956 and was a pivotal figure amongst the artist responsible for spearheading the development of Modern Art in Mexico. EXHIBITIONS(selected) Orfeo Catalan New York Presented by the famous artist Bartoli. Associated American Artists. New York, USA Art-Garden City Park Mexico Four Rooms Gallery Casino de la Selva Museum of Modern Art in New York Collective Latin American prints 1976 INBA Morelos Foreign Friends of Acapulco Guerrero Cortes Palace in Cuernavaca, Mor GalleryExcelsior AD Mexico...
Category

20th Century Abstract Expressionist Emily Mason Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

Thomas Ranft (1945) - Hier und dort I , 1984 - Colored Etching - Proof Sheet
By Thomas Ranft
Located in Meinisberg, CH
Thomas Ranft (German, 1945) Hier und dort, I , 1984 • Coloured Etching • Sheet ca. 55 x 42 cm • Titled & signed in pencil • EA ( Artist proof) Worldwide shipping for this object i...
Category

1980s Abstract Emily Mason Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Etching

"Untitled, " Alan Fenton, Abstract Expressionism
Located in New York, NY
Alan Fenton (1927 - 2000) Untitled, 1965 Charcoal and graphite on paper 23 x 17 inches Signed and dated lower right Fenton's quiet and contemplative nonob...
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Emily Mason Art

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Graphite

'Biomorphic Abstract', NYMoMA, Paris, XXXII Venice Biennale, MALI, Lima, Peru
By Emilio Rodríguez Larraín
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed, lower right, 'E.R. Larrain' for Emilio Rodríguez Larraín (Peruvian, 1928-2015), and inscribed 'Roma, Nov 1963, Enero 1964'. (Rome, Nov 1963-January 1964). Verso titled, "L'Homme C'est Sujet à Errer" (Man Tends to Wander), and bearing the artist's self-portrait in india ink and wash. Exhibited: XXXII Venice Biennale, 1964. (original exhibition label verso) Previously with Staempfli Galleries, New York. This painting is registered in the Archives of American Art as 'Staempfli Gallery, inventory #775'. A monumental and historically distinguished work by this groundbreaking Peruvian Modernist who drew inspiration from Peruvian indigenous and pre-colonial culture. The paintings of Emilio Rodríguez Larraín are held in the permanent collections of museums worldwide including the Musée de la Ville de Paris, Peru's Museo de Arte de Lima and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This painting was selected by the Peruvian Government for exhibition at the XXXII Venice Biennale in 1964 and is the largest single recorded work by the artist. Emilio Rodríguez Larraín received his Bachelors of Architecture in 1949 from Peru's Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería and held his first solo exhibition in Lima after visiting Europe in 1950. In 1951, he returned to Europe in the company of the artists Alfredo Ruiz Rosas and Joaquín Roca Rey...
Category

1960s Abstract Emily Mason Art

Materials

Fiberboard, Laid Paper, Oil

Bay Area Abstract Expressionist Composition in Oil on Paper
By Honora Berg
Located in Soquel, CA
Bay Area Abstract Expressionist Composition in Oil on Cardboard San Francisco Bay area abstract expressionist composition by Honora Berg (American, 1897-1985). Blue, red, and yellow-green patches swirl around each other, evoking the image of a nebula or body of water with leaves floating on top. The bold colors contrast with each other, creating a strong impression even from a distance. Unsigned, but was acquired with a collection of the artist's work. Estate stamp on verso "Estate of Honora Berg - Miller Fine Art" Unframed. Paper size: 29.75"H x 22"W Larry Miller 1958-2003, Larry was a specialist in bay area abstract artists and purchased numerous bay area artists estates. He purchased the entirety of the Honora Berg Estate and we purchased many of those works directly from Larry. Honora Berg, an Abstract Expressionist and Bay Area Figurative School artist, studied at the San Francisco Art Institute with David Park, Elmer Bischoff and James Budd Dixon...
Category

1950s Abstract Expressionist Emily Mason Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

Untitled abstract and colourful limited edition lithograph by Miro
By Joan Miró
Located in ludlow, GB
This is a limited edition lithograph that is untitled. It was originally in a catalogue and consequently there is slight evidence of a fold in the centre. We have had this ironed by ...
Category

20th Century Abstract Emily Mason Art

Materials

Lithograph

Munich Olympic Games Art Series
By Serge Poliakoff
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Shipping on request This impressive offset lithograph by Serge Poliakoff, a significant figure in abstract art, captures the powerful dynamism of his work. The skillful interplay of ...
Category

20th Century Abstract Emily Mason Art

Materials

Lithograph

'Guijarros y Agua'. Spanish seascape painting, drawing
By Sophia Milligan
Located in Penzance, GB
SOPHIA MILLIGAN 'Guijarros y Agua' Original Artwork (unframed*) ______________ Winter solstice light dancing on shingles and lapping tidal movements, towering rock formations rise ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Emily Mason Art

Materials

Paper, Conté, Mixed Media, Pencil, Carbon Pencil, Color Pencil

Untitled Limited Edition Lithograph Colourful, Abstract image - Framed
By Joan Miró
Located in ludlow, GB
This is a limited edition lithograph that is untitled. It was originally in a catalogue and consequently there is slight evidence of a fold in the centre. We have had this ironed b...
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Emily Mason Art

Materials

Lithograph

Previously Available Items
The Thunder Hurried Slow
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON The Thunder Hurried Slow, 1978 Oil on canvas 54 x 54 inches 137.2 x 137.2 cm -- Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is perhaps best known for her vibrant pigments and her intuitive grasp of color theory, as well as her unusual painting method that she mastered over the course of her career: using cat food...
Category

1970s Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil

Untitled
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Untitled, 1979 Oil on canvas 54 1/2 x 50 inches 138.4 x 127 cm -- Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is perhaps best known for her vibrant pigments and her intuitive grasp of color theory, as well as her unusual painting method that she mastered over the course of her career: using cat...
Category

1970s Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil

Untitled
H 54.5 in W 50 in
Quiet Fog
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Quiet Fog, 1976 Oil on canvas 22 x 18 inches 55.9 x 45.7 cm Signed and dated: "Emily Mason '76" (lower right recto) -- Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is perhaps best...
Category

1970s Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil

Pleasure Garden
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Pleasure Garden, 1970 Oil on canvas 52 x 44 inches 132.1 x 111.8 cm Signed and dated: "Emily Mason 1970" (lower right recto) -- Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is per...
Category

1970s Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil

Powder Blue
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Powder Blue, 1979 Oil on canvas 34 x 46 inches 86.4 x 116.8 cm Signed and dated: "Emily Mason '79" (lower right recto) -- Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is perhaps b...
Category

1970s Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil

Masonry
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Masonry, 1978 Oil on canvas 52 x 44 inches 132.1 x 111.8 cm Signed and dated: "Emily Mason '78" (lower right recto) -- Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is perhaps best...
Category

1970s Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil

Lists of Clay
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Lists of Clay, 1978 Oil on canvas 50 x 30 inches 127 x 76.2 cm Signed and dated: "Emily Mason '78" (lower right recto) -- Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is perhaps b...
Category

1970s Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil

Like Some Old Fashioned Miracle
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Like Some Old Fashioned Miracle, 1972-1974 Oil on canvas 24 x 24 inches 61 x 61 cm Signed and dated: "Emily Mason '72" (lower right recto) -- Formally, Emily Mason (193...
Category

1970s Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil

Hear the Wind Blow
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Hear the Wind Blow, 1972 Oil on canvas 50 x 40 inches 127 x 101.6 cm -- Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is perhaps best known for her vibrant pigments and her intuitive grasp of color theory, as well as her unusual painting method that she mastered over the course of her career: using cat...
Category

1970s Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil

Greener Lean
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Greener Lean, 1978 Oil on canvas 42 x 50 inches 106.7 x 127 cm -- Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is perhaps best known for her vibrant pigments and her intuitive grasp of color theory, as well as her unusual painting method that she mastered over the course of her career: using cat...
Category

1970s Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil

Defiant of a Road
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON Defiant of a Road, 1972 Oil on canvas 52 1/4 x 40 1/4 inches 132.7 x 102.2 cm Signed and dated: "Emily Mason '72" (lower right recto) -- Formally, Emily Mason (1932-201...
Category

1970s Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil

And the Sea Beyond
By Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
EMILY MASON And the Sea Beyond, 1972 Oil on canvas 50 x 48 inches 127 x 121.9 cm Signed: "Emily Mason" (verso) -- Formally, Emily Mason (1932-2019) is perhaps best known for her vi...
Category

1970s Emily Mason Art

Materials

Oil

Emily Mason art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Emily Mason art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Emily Mason in oil paint, paint, etching and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Emily Mason art, so small editions measuring 9 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Jay Rosenblum, Lowell Boyers, and Jylian Gustlin. Emily Mason art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $880 and tops out at $25,000, while the average work can sell for $7,500.

Artists Similar to Emily Mason

Recently Viewed

View All