Cafe du Retour de la Chasse
1943 Gouache

#C7793

Sydney Engelberg

Entitled Cafe du Retour de la Chasse, this 1943 gouache on paper painting 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. 

1943
Gouache on Paper
11"x9" unframed 13"x11" framed 

Titled and dated on the back. Excellent vintage condition. Framed in a contemporary wood frame with geometric details and a brown and copper finish using black archival spacers behind conservation clear glass.