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William Sharp Art

1900-1961

William Sharp was born on June 13, 1900, in Lemberg, Austria, where he attended college and the Academy for Arts and Industry. He later studied in Kraków, Poland, Berlin and Munich. Sharp began his career as a designer of stained-glass windows and as a painter of murals. He served in the German army during World War I. After the war, he became a newspaper artist in Berlin and a well-known etcher. Sharp drew political cartoons that were bitterly critical of the growing Nazi movement. As the influence of National Socialism intensified, he began to contribute drawings, under a pseudonym, to publications that were hostile to Hitler. After Hitler assumed power, Sharp was confronted with these drawings and told that he would be sent to a concentration camp. However, in 1934, he escaped to the United States. His first newspaper assignment in America was making courtroom sketches for The New York Mirror at the trial of Bruno R. Hauptmann for the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby. As a staff artist at Esquire, where he continued to produce political cartoons, Sharp also illustrated stories by Ernest Hemingway and Thomas Mann. He was a longtime contributor to The New York Times magazine and also worked for LIFE magazine, Collier's magazine, Coronet and The New York Post. Sharp also did book illustrations for several leading publishers, with Dickens’s, The Old Curiosity Shop for Heritage Press being his first assignment. He illustrated several books for limited editions, including The Diary of Samuel Pepys in 10 volumes. Sharp published several portfolios of etchings and lithographs about the legal and medical professions. Sharp's precisionist work is represented in many museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Queens Museum, the Library of Congress, the Carnegie Institute and the New York Public Library. William Sharp died in New York City on April 1, 1961.

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The Vera Stretz Murder Trial
The Vera Stretz Murder Trial

The Vera Stretz Murder Trial

By William Sharp

Located in Fairlawn, OH

The Vera Stretz Murder Trial Lithograph, 1936 Signed in pencil lower right (see photo) Initialed W.S. in the image lower right (see photo) Dated in the image lower right (see photo) ...

Category

1930s American Realist William Sharp Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Colonial Sand and Stone Company, New York, " Industrial WPA Scene, Precisionist
"Colonial Sand and Stone Company, New York, " Industrial WPA Scene, Precisionist

"Colonial Sand and Stone Company, New York, " Industrial WPA Scene, Precisionist

By William Sharp

Located in New York, NY

William Sharp (1900 - 1961) Factory on the River Oil on canvas 20 1/2 x 28 1/2 inches Initialed lower left: WS Provenance: Estate of the artist Private Collection, New York Swann Auction Galleries, American Art, June 13, 2019, Lot 178 Private Collection, New York Colonial Sand and Stone Co., founded by Generoso Pope, was once the country’s largest sand and gravel business, providing the concrete for much of New York City’s skyline, including the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, airports and subways. William Sharp was born on June 13, 1900, in Lemberg, Austria, where he attended college and the Academy for Arts and Industry. He later studied in Kraków, Poland, and in Berlin and Munich, Germany. Sharp began his career as a designer of stained-glass windows and as a painter of murals. He served in the German army during World War I. After the war he became a newspaper artist in Berlin and a well-known etcher. Sharp drew political cartoons that were bitterly critical of the growing Nazi movement. As the influence of National Socialism intensified, he began to contribute drawings, under a pseudonym, to publications that were hostile to Hitler. After Hitler assumed power, Sharp was confronted with these drawings and told that he would be sent to a concentration camp. However, in 1934, he escaped to the United States. His first newspaper assignment in America was making courtroom sketches for The New York Mirror...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Realist William Sharp Art

Materials

Canvas, Paint, Oil

"Factory on the River" Modernist and Precisionist WPA Industrial New York Scene
"Factory on the River" Modernist and Precisionist WPA Industrial New York Scene

"Factory on the River" Modernist and Precisionist WPA Industrial New York Scene

By William Sharp

Located in New York, NY

William Sharp (1900 - 1961) Factory on the River Oil on canvas 17 1/2 x 23 1/4 inches Initialed lower right: WS Provenance: Estate of the artist Private Collection, New York Swann Auction Galleries, American Art, June 13, 2019, Lot 178 William Sharp was born on June 13, 1900, in Lemberg, Austria, where he attended college and the Academy for Arts and Industry. He later studied in Kraków, Poland, and in Berlin and Munich, Germany. Sharp began his career as a designer of stained-glass windows and as a painter of murals. He served in the German army during World War I. After the war he became a newspaper artist in Berlin and a well-known etcher. Sharp drew political cartoons that were bitterly critical of the growing Nazi movement. As the influence of National Socialism intensified, he began to contribute drawings, under a pseudonym, to publications that were hostile to Hitler. After Hitler assumed power, Sharp was confronted with these drawings and told that he would be sent to a concentration camp. However, in 1934, he escaped to the United States. His first newspaper assignment in America was making courtroom sketches for The New York Mirror...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Realist William Sharp Art

Materials

Canvas, Paint, Oil

Corrida

Corrida

By William Sharp

Located in Middletown, NY

Lithograph in colors on cream wove paper, 15 1/2 x 20 1/2 inches (394 x 520 mm); sheet 18 x 23 1/4 inches (457 x 590 mm), full margins. Signed and titled in pencil, lower margin. Som...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern William Sharp Art

Materials

Lithograph

"On the Dock" WPA Era Painting by William Sharp
"On the Dock" WPA Era Painting by William Sharp

"On the Dock" WPA Era Painting by William Sharp

By William Sharp

Located in Wiscasset, ME

Oil on canvas, estate sigend on the reverse, presented in a simple frame measuring 21.375" x 24.375" overall. William Sharp was born on June 13, 1900, in Lemberg, Austria, where h...

Category

Early 20th Century American American Craftsman William Sharp Art

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Richard Reynolds, Society of Friends: 19th C. Engraved Portrait by Wm. Sharp
Richard Reynolds, Society of Friends: 19th C. Engraved Portrait by Wm. Sharp

Richard Reynolds, Society of Friends: 19th C. Engraved Portrait by Wm. Sharp

By William Sharp

Located in Alamo, CA

This is an early 19th century engraved portrait of the industrialist and philanthropist Richard Reynolds by William Sharp after William Hobday. It was published in London by Rudolph Ackerman in 1817. The print is entitled "Richard Reynolds of the Society of Friends, Late of Bristol". This three-quarter length portrait of Reynolds depicts him seated, directed to right, looking towards the viewer. He is holding an open book, wearing a plain suit. A curtain in the background is pulled to the left, revealing bookshelves. Some of the books are labelled 'Addison & Watts' 'Kempis & Fenelon' 'Milton & Cowley' etc. The inscription above the portrait reads: "When the eye saw him it blessed him". The lettering below the image reads: "Richard Reynolds of the Society of Friends, Late of Bristol; Whose Life and Fortune were devoted to the Glory of God by relieving the humble in Distress.', This plate is dedicated by Permission to his Royal Highness, the Prince Regent by his most devoted very humble servant William Hobday." This engraving is printed on thick paper. The sheet measures 16" high and 12" wide. It is adhered to an archival backing in the upper left corner. There is mild discoloration and toning in the margins, but it does not involve the image. Richard Reynolds (1735-1816) was a prominent member of the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, in the 18th and 19th centuries. He was born into a wealthy family in Bristol, England, and inherited a successful copper smelting, iron manufacturing business from his father. Despite his privileged upbringing, Reynolds was known for his deep concern for the poor and his commitment to social justice. He used his wealth and influence to support a range of philanthropic causes, including the abolition of slavery, the improvement of working conditions for miners and factory workers, and the provision of education for the poor. Reynolds was also a prominent supporter of the Quaker...

Category

Early 19th Century William Sharp Art

Materials

Engraving

MAXWELL STREET
MAXWELL STREET

MAXWELL STREET

By William Sharp

Located in Portland, ME

Sharp, William (American, 1900-1961). MAXWELL STREET. Etching and aquatint, not dated, but circa 1940. Edition of 25, titled and signed in pencil and numbered 9/25. 8 5/8 x 10 3/4 in...

Category

1940s American Realist William Sharp Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

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William Sharp art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic William Sharp art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by William Sharp in etching, canvas, fabric and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the Old Masters style. Not every interior allows for large William Sharp art, so small editions measuring 6 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Jerome Myers, Saul Chase, and Stephen Parrish. William Sharp art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $252 and tops out at $19,500, while the average work can sell for $450.

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