Pair of Vintage American Oil on Canvas Paintings Louise Altson Dated 1950's

Details

Description

A pair of oil on canvas portraits by American artist Louise Altson, 1910-2010, Belgium, America. Signed and dated 1957and 1955, … Read more A pair of oil on canvas portraits by American artist Louise Altson, 1910-2010, Belgium, America. Signed and dated 1957and 1955, in the lower left corner. The paintings are newly framed. One measures 18 5/8" high by 18 5/8" wide by 1 1/2" deep, including the frame. The other one is 18 3/4" high by 18 3/4" wide by 1 1/2" deep, including the frame. Both paintings are in excellent condition with minor restoration to the canvas. Guaranteed to be as described. See below for an artist biography from a book written by her children. We are selling these as a pair. The pantings also come with the book about Louise and her art.

"Success did not come easily to my mother, Louise Altson. In her childhood years and as Louise Van den Bergh, the Academy of Antwerp’s Professor Leon Brunin privately tutored her. She had a scholarship to the London Polytechnic School of Art and won awards at England’s Royal Academy. Louise met her future husband Ralph Altson while attending classes. Her background was impressive and sufficient, she thought, to start a career as a portrait painter in the United States.

In 1939, World War II was looming in Europe, so she and her family moved to New York City. To her dismay, her first and largest career obstacle was her husband. Ralph’s father, Abbey Altson, was living with Ralph and Louise in their New York apartment and, according to Ralph, there could be only one artist (Abbey) in the household. Abbey was himself an accomplished artist with his works exhibited in Melbourne’s National Gallery.

Ralph had artistic talents but could not find work as an artist and had to redirect his drawing skills towards drafting and mechanical engineering; he worked for General Motors in nearby New Jersey. Abbey was still doing “theme-based” oil paintings and exhibited his works in New York’s Chapelier Gallery. Louise, frustrated by her husband’s “rules” sought work as a commercial artist and blossomed in that space, illustrating books, magazine covers, and even roadside billboards. It should be noted that Louise was actually able to do one commissioned portrait during this period – that of Ann Weinberg of the Guggenheim family.

Abbey Altson died in 1950 and with his death, Louise was “permitted” to focus on portraiture, the artistic space for which she was best suited. Abbey Altson had had an agent in New York City. Sometime after Abbey died, the agent came to the house to return some of Abbey’s work. He happened to see a portrait of her daughter Jean Altson and a self-portrait done by Louise. He was impressed and put the two works in the window of the Chapelier Gallery in New York City.
Louise had given some sample portraits earlier to Portraits Incorporated. Regrettably, they had been returned. Five months later, and after viewing the self portrait with infant daughter Jean in the window of the Chapelier Gallery, Portraits Incorporated contacted Louise and asked for another set of samples. Clearly, this was the big opportunity for which Louise had waited.

In the period from 1950 to 1956, Louise had a steady flow of commissions from Portraits Incorporated. Among her clients during this phase of her life were Mrs. William Guggenheim, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Grace, Mr. and Mrs. O. deGray Vanderbilt, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene du Pont III, President George H.W. and Barbara Bush.
As Louise became more and more successful, Ralph became resentful both of her success and her travel time away from home. Tensions arose in the marriage. Ralph was moody and unsupportive and, in a fury, destroyed all of his own artwork.

When, in 1956, Louise was terribly ill with both hepatitis and pneumonia. The sickness continued through Christmas of 1956. While she was ill, Louise decided to leave Ralph and terminate their marriage.
After Louise recovered, she said that she found a large axe in the bedroom closet. She confronted Ralph and asked what the axe was for and his response was, “This is for anyone who did not behave.”

Louise went to a lawyer who advised her to leave home as soon as possible; she “had to protect her children.” That opportunity soon arrived in March of 1957. Ralph was on a business trip in Chicago, so Louise called the movers, told her parents, packed her belongings and left with my siblings to move in with friends in White Plains New York.

During the next thirty-three years, Louise painted hundreds of portraits. Clients during this period included the Le Maire / Squibb family, The Combemale / Woolworth family, Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Fulton, Senator and Mrs. Lloyd Bentsen, Mr. and Mrs. Roger Firestone, Mr. and Mrs. James Maytag, Phoebe Snow and The Lafayette Society.

Louise died in 2010, almost reaching the age of one hundred. During her life (although there is no official count), we estimate that she did over seven hundred portraits. In at least one family, she did portraits of family members spanning three generations". Source; excerpt from "Louise Altson: A gifted artist who captured the person, not just the image". John Altson (Author), George Altson (Author), Carol Altson (Author), Jean Truax (Author) 2016. See less