Lee Reynolds Burr opened his Vanguard Studios in Beverly Hills, California, in 1964 to make oil paintings an attainable decoration for any American household. With seascapes, nautical scenes, still lifes, bullfights, cowboys, pastoral views, hot-air balloons, horse races and abstractions, there was a Vanguard Studios creation to match any taste and interior.
Born in Los Angeles, Burr studied art at the University of Southern California. After graduating and a stint in the U.S. Army, he worked in a local studio as a painter before becoming a home decor entrepreneur with financial support from his mother.
Only a fraction of the alleged hundreds of thousands of oil paintings produced by Vanguard were actually painted by Burr, even though they were signed “Lee Reynolds,” “Lee Burr” or just “Reynolds.” (As he would later state, those signed solely “Lee Reynolds Burr” were by his own hand, and he would sometimes include a thumbprint as proof.) Instead, a team of artists organized in an assembly line hand-painted and copied works on an eclectic range of subjects, the originals often being created by Burr while other canvases were purchased at auctions in Europe and reproduced at Vanguard. Sold in furniture stores and through interior decorators nationwide, the Reynolds-signed paintings soon became ubiquitous above couches in living rooms all over the United States.
These paintings regularly mirrored art-world trends, such as the Abstract Expressionism of the 1960s, but at prices that were much more affordable than fine art. Vanguard Studios was sold to the Kirsch Company in 1974, but Burr’s name was still used on Vanguard paintings. Burr would start East Park Gallery in 1981 and continue to produce works in a more contemporary style until his retirement in 1998.
In the collection of Impressionist and abstract paintings on 1stDibs, find a range of authentic Lee Reynolds paintings.
Vintage Mid-Century Harris Strong Painting Vignette
By Harris Strong
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
Vibrant Still Life Painting VIGNETTE signed Harpel(?) for Harris Strong. Sure to brighten any space. Great subject matter with visual appeal and focal point. Framed in a minimalist w...
Canvas, Paint
Vintage Lee Reynolds for Vanguard Flower Still Life Painting
By Vanguard Studios, Lee Reynolds
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
Vintage Lee Reynolds for Vanguard Studios. A minimalist floral still life featuring tall, textured stems in a geometric-patterned vase against a grid-like background. This specific p...
Canvas, Paint
Mid Century Contemporary Abstract Painting on Canvas
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
Striking, dramatic and moody oil painting on canvas and wood frame. Deep red with shades of black. Light abstract texture throughout to catch addition light and create depth. Curbsi...
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Vintage Mid Century Abstract Painting On Canvas
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
Beautiful bold vintage Mid-Century Abstract Painting on canvas. Wonderful colors and expression. True period piece with vibrant colors, textural brush marks framed nicely in thin bra...
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Large Signed Lee Reynolds Floral Still Life Painting in Original Brass Frame
By Vanguard Studios, Lee Reynolds
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
A large and expressive floral composition by Lee Reynolds for Vanguard Studios, executed in a luminous palette of soft lavender, blush pink, pale yellow, blue, and white against a si...
Aluminum
Mid Century Still Life Painting Marion Knudsen
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
Stunning mid century still life depicting bottles and jars. Great colors in a complimenting thin walnut frame. Artist signed.
Wood, Paint
Cactus Landscape (Comanche Native American surrealist painting)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Cactus Landscape, ca. 1975-80. Gouache on Arches rag paper, Sheet measures 23 x 30 inches. Image measures 22 x 29 inches. Signed lower left. Excellent condition. Unframed.
Gouache, Rag Paper
Mid Century Desert Mesa Landscape with Cacti in Oil on Canvas
By Vina McPheeters
Located in Soquel, CA
Mid Century Desert Mesa Landscape with Cacti in Oil on Canvas Colorful mid century desert landscape with beautiful cacti by Vina McPheeters (American, 1892-1964). Colorful cacti are dotted throughout the foreground, lush with yellow and pink blooms. In the distance, dramatic mesas rise to meet a cloud-filled sky. Signed "Vina McPheeters" in the lower right corner. Presented in an antiqued bronze-colored frame. Frame size: 25.75"H x 29.75"W Image size: 20"H x 24"W Vina Pearl McPheeters (American, 1892-1964) was born in Iowa on October 7, 1892. Vina was the wife of Robert Guy...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
Vintage Boho Original Abstract Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Original vintage Boho oil painting on canvas, featuring an abstract landscape. A striking blend of color and form. Acquired from a Palm Beach estate.
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Large Signed Southwestern Desert Landscape Painting
Located in Redding, CT
Large Signed Southwestern Desert Landscape Painting on board. Signed Jeanine 2003. Vast expansive view of the desert , its rolling clouds and its mountains in the background. Distres...
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Lee Porzio Mixed Media Painting Midcentury Scottsdale Arizona Artist
By Lee Porzio
Located in Cathedral City, CA
Lee Porzio, Untitled, Oil on Gesso Board with String, ca 1960s. Painting measures 32: high x 48" wide; with frame painting measures 33-1/2 high x 49-3/4" wide. Painting is in good vintage condition with new gold wood frame. LEE PORZIO (1913-2004) Lee was born in Paterson, New Jersey in September 1913 to Italian immigrant parents. Growing up in nearby Hawthorne, New Jersey, Lee met first husband Angelo di Benedetto, by then a well-known artist in his own right. They married in 1942 while Angelo was serving in the Air Force. In 1946, when he was discharged, they remained in Colorado, where he had been stationed, settling in Central City near Denver. Apparently, Angelo’s years-long obsession with turning a warehouse into a giant art studio created tension in their relationship ending in their divorce. By 1953, Lee had met Allen Ditson and moved to Arizona; they married in 1954. Once in Arizona, they began building their reputations as artists able to work in various media. Allen was a sculptor in metal and wood and a furniture designer. Lee was known for her skill as a graphic artist and could execute her designs in clay, oils, fabrics and fibers. Her work was sold at fine galleries nationwide. Together, their commissions include works of dramatic size and scope in the architectural and commercial field throughout the United States as well as intimate pieces for homes and small offices. Their work adorned numerous banks, offices, restaurants, churches and university buildings all over Phoenix, Arizona. Lee passed away in Paradise Valley, Arizona in 2004. Allen died in 2007. Exhibitions: - Syracuse Ceramic National Exhibition, 1948 - Art Institute of Chicago, 25th Annual Exhibition by the Society for Contemporary American Art...
Gesso, String, Masonite, Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century French Landscape Painting by Jacques Lamy in Frame
By Jacques Lamy
Located in Dallas, TX
Add a vibrant focal point to a wall with this expressive antique French landscape painting by Jacques Lamy, created circa 1970. Executed on canvas, the composition features a stylize...
Canvas
