Richard Florsheim created this color lithograph entitled “Approaching Storm” in 1967 in an edition of 125 pieces. Published by Associated American Artists and printed by Mourlot Press, Paris, this impression is signed and inscribed “Artist Proof.” It is in good condition with full original color. The printed image size is 28.25 x 19 3/4 inches and the paper size is 31.12 x 22 inches.
RICHARD ABERLE FLORSHEIM
Richard Florsheim was born on October 25, 1916, in Chicago, Illinois. He attended the University of Chicago (1935-36) and studied in New York with Aaron Bohrod (1934–35). Florsheim continued his studies in Europe between the years (1936-38) exhibiting his work in France at the Salon des Refusés, and the Musée du Jeu de Paume, before returning to Chicago in 1939.
He began working in lithography in 1940 and was included in a two-man show at Quest Gallery, Chicago. During World War II, Florsheim was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy and served in a map-making detail. Following his time of service, he gained national attention for his somber interpretations of the devastation he had witnessed during the war.
Florsheim established himself in New York and his paintings became widely recognized. ACA, his major gallery, considered him to be their star. In the 1950s and 1960s, as a printmaker, he sold more graphics than any other artist represented by the AAA (Associated American Artists) Gallery.
As a mature artist, Florsheim’s paintings and graphics were concerned with refracted light in landscapes, scenes of industry, and night-time cities. Among his best-known images are views of the Chicago skyline at night and the bright yellow and orange flames from steel mills seen against dark backgrounds. The lyrical works reflecting his summer stays in Provincetown were also concerned with the refraction and distortion of light. Those works showed sailboats, marshes, and surf set against elegant clouds and reflections on the sea.
Florsheim’s work is in the permanent collections of The Art Institute of Chicago; the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH; Detroit Institute of Arts; Kunsthalle Hamburg, Germany; La Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France; the Library of Congress, Washington, D. C.; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Museo d’Art Moderna, Milan, Italy; Museum de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; Syracuse University, New York; Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England; and Yale University, New Haven, CT; among others.
