A "Picture-Perfect" Painting Discovery

According to Friedrich Nietzsche, "As an artist, a man has no home in Europe save in Paris." If that is the case, then this incredible painting, produced by a former New England resident, is truly a pièce de résistance. Take a look at this remarkable artistic masterpiece that I discovered at a recent New England Antique Show's event a few weeks ago. The distance between France and New Hampshire just got a whole lot closer!

Picture this if you can... this is an original painting called "Paris Rooftops" by the multi-talented artist Paul Hollister. The painting itself is approximately 20" by 30" and is mounted in a wooden gold colored frame. The piece itself is bold and geometric. The colors are dark and masculine. It depicts Paris from above, as if the artist was viewing the city from an upper floor apartment window or balcony. The painting has a wonderful, three dimensional feel to it, almost like a topological map. Hollister painted this piece in 1951.
   

And just who was Paul Hollister? Best described as a renaissance man, Paul was a writer, lecturer, painter, and photographer who called Hanover, NH home during his later years. He was born in 1918 and died in 2004. Paul became interested in all things creative at a very young age, starting with photography. He almost always carried a camera with him throughout his life and travels. Painting quickly followed; he saw the artform as a way to compliment his first love of capturing things on film. (An example of this can be seen here above on the left.) Hollister's paintings were known for their fine abstract qualities. During his lifetime, his works were shown at the Whitney Museum, the Galerie Apollinaire in London, the Montana Museum and numerous others. Today, Paul's paintings can be found in the collections of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Montana Museum, and many private and corporate galleries. 

Just to be clear, in addition to photography and painting, Paul was also keenly interested in paperweights and studio glass. He was a recognized expert in these art forms and a frequent speaker at the Metropolitan Museum, the National Museum of American History, the Corning Museum of Glass, and the NY Historical Society, among others. He published several reference books on glass, and his glass-related manuscripts appeared in publications including the New York Times, American Art, Antiques, Journal of Glass Studies, and Neues Glas.

I would like to thank Gert Wirth from the Ingeborg Gallery for this "international" perspective on Paul Hollister and his work. Ingeborg Gallery specializes in fine American prints, etchings, lithographs, block prints, and screenprints from the 1860 to 1960 timeframe. The gallery is known for finding great images by lesser known and upcoming artists and maintains an inventory representing over 300 artists. The company is also the exclusive representative for the estates of Ella Fillmore Lillie, Esther Pressoir, Paul Hollister and Mortimer Borne. For more information about "Paris Rooftops", please contact Gert directly at 413-498-5942 or ingeart@comcast.net.   Ingeborg Gallery will also be exhibiting at the upcoming April antiques event in Concord, MA.

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