Description
Guy Pène du Bois Signed American Modernist Figure Painting | Oil on Masonite
An evocative oil on Masonite by Guy Pène du Bois (American, 1884–1958), depicting a solitary female figure walking along a quiet urban street. Signed by the artist at the lower right, the work measures 19.50 x 14.25 inches.
The composition is characteristic of Pène du Bois’s fascination with modern life and the human figure. A woman carrying a small case moves toward the viewer while the architecture and street behind her dissolve into softly painted passages of gray, cream, blue, and muted violet. The restrained palette, simplified forms, and sense of psychological distance give the scene a distinctly modern character.
Pène du Bois became known for sophisticated observations of contemporary American society, particularly figures encountered in streets, cafés, theaters, restaurants, galleries, and other public settings. His paintings frequently possess a quiet narrative quality—the viewer feels as though they have encountered a brief moment within a larger, untold story.
This intimate signed work would appeal to collectors of American Modernism, American Realism, early 20th-century American painting, urban scenes, figurative art, and works associated with the New York art world of the early 1900s.
Artist: Guy Pène du Bois (American, 1884–1958)
Medium: Oil on Masonite
Signature: Signed lower right
Dimensions: 19.50 x 14.25 inches
Please call to arrange a private viewing. This painting is not currently on site.
About Guy Pène du Bois
Guy Pène du Bois (1884–1958) was an American painter, art critic, writer, and educator whose distinctive figurative paintings captured the character of modern American life during the first half of the 20th century.
Born in Brooklyn, Pène du Bois studied at the New York School of Art with William Merritt Chase and Robert Henri, alongside a generation that included Edward Hopper, George Bellows, and Rockwell Kent. He traveled to Paris in 1905, where he briefly studied with Théophile Steinlen and exhibited at the Paris Salon.
Pène du Bois was also deeply involved in the development of modern American art. Six of his paintings appeared in the landmark 1913 Armory Show, and he later held his first solo exhibition at the Whitney Studio Club in 1918. He worked extensively as an art critic and writer in addition to his career as a painter.
Rather than simply following the gritty subject matter associated with some of Robert Henri’s followers, Pène du Bois developed a highly individual approach to modern society. He became particularly known for stylized depictions of men and women at cafés, theaters, racetracks, galleries, nightclubs, and on the streets of New York and Paris. His work often combines elegance with subtle social observation and psychological tension.
Today, Pène du Bois is represented in major American museum collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Gallery of Art, and Museum of Modern Art, reinforcing his place within the history of 20th-century American art.
Discover a signed Guy Pène du Bois oil on Masonite depicting an elegant female figure in an urban setting. American Modernist painting, 19.5 x 14.25 inches.
Please call for an appointment to see this painting. It is not onsight.
