Painting the American Scene: American Art of the Thirties and Forties Paperback – February 4, 2026

Although the so-called "American Scene" movement dominated American art during the second quarter of the twentieth century, it has been largely forgotten today, eclipsed by the emergence of abstract expressionism and the development of other avant garde art movements which gained prominence in America by mid-century. Today, however, even as the Depression-era generation fades from the scene, its art lives on. The quality, energy and visual impact of this art is abundantly apparent from even a cursory perusal of the masterworks described and reproduced in this catalogue of a private collection of American representational art of the Thirties and Forties. Painting the American Scene: American Art of the Thirties and Forties offers an extraordinary glimpse into the lives and work of forty-one American painters whose art was highly acclaimed and widely exhibited during their lifetimes and for whom proper recognition is long overdue. Artists represented include Leon Bibel, Daniel Celentano, James Chapin, Helen Farr (Sloan), Mary Fife, Albert Gold, Douglas Gorsline, Reginald Marsh, Harold Rabinovitz, Philip Reisman, Umberto Romano, Paul Sample, Zoltan Sepeshy, Clyde Singer, Karl Zerbe and many more. Also included are essays on forty-seven individual artworks, collector's notes and a comprehensive bibliography on American Scene painting. Read more