A Timely Subject

Beverly Sacks -- A favorite painting in my gallery is titled Trickery at the Polls by Don Freeman, American artist, an oil on canvas measuring  23" x 26" done circa 1930. It is filled with wonderful images of people as only Freeman can do. Please look at  the unsavory character approaching an elderly lady as she attempts to enter the barber shop to vote. Also there is a group of men over to the left that look pretty shady. One also notices someone in the voting booth being approached by a another man while a policeman is standing guard. Outside there is a burning newspaper with Laguardia (mayor of New York City 1934-1945) in the headline. A newspaper boy is selling his wares. On the lower right a little girl is pulling a litle boy in a cart. It is a fascinating piece of Americana as well as a great regionalist oil by a great painter of the American scene.    

 

                                               

 

DON FREEMAN
1908-1978

 

Illustrator, painter, lithographer. Born in San Diego, CA on Aug. 11, 1908. Freeman studied at the San Diego School of Fine Arts and continued in 1928 at the ASL in NYC under John Sloan and Harry Wickey. Remaining in NYC, his drawings of the theater were published in the Herald Tribune, New York Times, and Theater magazine. Most of his career was spent in NYC where he captured the spirit and essence of everyday life during the 1930s and 1940s. He was most known for his paintings of theatrical scenes. He illustrated Human Comedy (Saroyan), White Deer (Thurber), and Once Around the Sun (Atkinson). He was the author of Come One, Come All and in 1951 he began illustrating a total of 33 children's books which he co-authored with his wife, Lydia. During his last 20 years he maintained a home in Santa Barbara, CA. He died on February 1, 1978 while in NYC to meet his editor at Viking Press. Three years before his demise, Mayor Lindsey presented him with the keys to the city and dubbed him the "Daumier of New York City."

 

Visit the Beverly Sacks Fine Art online gallery for more information on Beverly and her works.