Erwin Manheim 1937 Signed Folk Realism Oil Painting

Details

Description

Folk Realism oil painting on board signed Erwin Manheim and dated 1937 by artist.
Framed in original solid wood frame … Read more Folk Realism oil painting on board signed Erwin Manheim and dated 1937 by artist.
Framed in original solid wood frame and wired on the reverse ready to display.
Measurements in frame are 24.75” W x 20.5” H x 1.65”D.

Erwin Manheim (1898–1989), a Polish-born American artist known for his portraits, townscapes, and coastal views.
The painting reflects a blend of Still Life and Folk Realism. It features two iconic cultural symbols:A Samovar: A traditional heated metal container used to boil water for tea, deeply rooted in Slavic and Eastern European cultures.A Folk Doll: Specifically, it appears to be a Polish cloth and sawdust doll (likely a szmacianka), which often featured hand-painted faces and traditional peasant attire like the one shown. His work from this period often captures immigrant heritage and everyday objects with a realistic yet slightly stylized "painterly" quality typical of the 1930s American art scene.

Erwin Manheim:
An award-winning artist who fought for freedom in three wars.
On 22 Nov 1908 he traveled from Austria to New York on the ship named Amerika.
On 12 July 1921 he married Ethel Greenstein in Bronx, New York, United States of America.
When Erwin Manheim arrived in Spain, he was already an armed services veteran, having served in the U.S. Navy in World War I as a telegraphist and machine gunner. In Spain, Erwin first trained in the NCO school. He served with the XV BDE, BDE MG Co., then with the Lincoln-Washington BN, Co 1. Erwin served in the Ebro Offensive and returned to the U.S. on December 20, 1938, aboard the Ausonia.
Erwin was born in Przemyśl, Poland, on November 1, 1898. He emigrated to the U.S. with his family as a child. Erwin became an award-winning artist who exhibited in galleries and worked on Popeye the Sailor Man cartoons and short films. He was a member of the Art Students League, the Communist Party, and the American Artists Union CIO. When the U.S. got into World War II, Erwin reprised his WWI service, serving again in the U.S. Navy.
Erwin died in New York City on June 26, 1989. He was 90 years old.
Provenance: I purchased this painting from a New Jersey resident. See less