The Fox Hole
1940's Ink

#C7705

Sydney Engelberg

Entitled The Fox Hole this 1940's ink on paper drawing is by Sydney Engelberg (1912-1997). Engelberg was a painter and illustrator who primarily worked within the American Scene tradition during the first half of the 20th century. He blended aspects of Regionalism, Social Realism, and occasionally Magic Realism to create uniquely American narratives. Active during the peak of American Scene painting, Engelberg was a contemporary—and at times a student—of the movement’s key artist, Thomas Hart Benton (1889–1975). Engelberg combined the more conservative Regionalism with elements of the left-leaning Social Realism, while also occasionally incorporating the surreal, dreamlike qualities of Magic Realism. Most of Engelberg’s work was created during his active service in WWII and through his illustrations for The New Yorker magazine, both before and after the war. However, like the mischievous harlequins that appear and disappear throughout his oeuvre, Engelberg hid a secret: he was a closeted gay man until he met his lifelong partner in the early 1950s. His hidden identity would influence how he experienced and depicted the "American Scene," both at home and at war. 

C. 1940-1945
Ink on Paper
7"x6" unframed, 17"x15" framed 

Signed lower right, titled lower left. Excellent vintage condition. Framed in a restored vintage frame with bold floral motif carvings with a silver patina finish, burnt orange velvet liner and silver fillet, using archival matting and conservation clear glass. Visible water stain on left side of velvet liner of frame.