Alexander Raymond Katz Jewish Chicago Artist Ink Wash Steamboat 1930

Description

Alexander Raymond Katz. Steamboat probably on the Chicago river. Signed and dated 1930, lower right. Ink wash/ black and white watercolor. Size is 18.5X9 inches. With the frame it is 25.25X19.75 inches.

He was an important Jewish modernist painter from Chicago. He was known for his bold modernist and surrealist pieces. He was a student at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Academy of Fine arts. He created many posters for Paramount Studios, the Chicago Civic Opera, and the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933. During the Great Depression Frank Lloyd Wright encouraged him to become a mural painter. He was an avid believer in his Jewish background and created many mystical pieces and themes based on Biblical Jewish history. He even made designs for stained glass. His works are included in collections such as the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Jewish Museum in New York.