Morning Chat, Daniel Koerner (American, 1909-1977)

Description

Clearly showing the influence of German Expressionism and American film noir, this deeply atmospheric, moody painting depicts two male figures … more Clearly showing the influence of German Expressionism and American film noir, this deeply atmospheric, moody painting depicts two male figures in the foreground, deep in conversation, as the morning sun breaks through grey clouds to illuminate the church steeple below. The artist was Daniel Koerner (American, 1909-1977), and his steeply-gabled houses and somber colors have parallels in the work of Henry Gasser and Lyonel Feininger, also German or German-American in background. The artist was active in the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and his works are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. He also designed the "United We Are Strong" poster for the American war effort during World War II, commissioned by the U.S. Government in 1943. The medium is oil on canvas; the frame seems to be original. less