Lawrence H. Lebduska (September 1, 1894 – 1966) was an American artist who became known as a housepainter.[1]

Early life

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Born in Baltimore, Maryland, on September 1, 1894, his parents moved to Leipzig, Germany, when he was age five. While in Germany, he studied stained glass under Josef Svoboda.[2][3]

Lebduska returned to the United States in 1912, first settling in Baltimore and later moving to New York City.[4]

Career

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Lebduska was commissioned by interior designer Elsie de Wolfe to paint murals. He contributed to many group shows and had his first one-man show in 1936, which is said to have inspired Abby Aldrich Rockefeller to begin her folk-art collection.[5]

Lebduska did a number of projects for the Work Projects Administration (WPA),[6] but his work was relatively underappreciated until a gallery show six years before his death.[3] Despite that, his works were frequently exhibited at a number of galleries,[7] the Museum of Modern Art,[8][clarification needed]

He has pieces in the permanent collection of a number of museums, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum,[3] the Museum of Modern Art,[9] the Zander Collection,[10] and the Wadsworth Athenaeum.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Deloria, Philip J. (April 16, 2019). Becoming Mary Sully: Toward an American Indian Abstract. University of Washington Press. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-295-74524-4.
  2. ^ "Lawrence Lebduska". www.nga.gov. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Lawrence Lebduska, Smithsonian American Art Museum". americanart.si.edu. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  4. ^ "Galerie St. Etienne – Lawrence Lebduska at Galerie St. Etienne – Biography". www.gseart.com. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  5. ^ "Mennello Museum of American Art". November 14, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  6. ^ Harders, Melinda V. (2006). Lawrence Lebduska: The Life, Work, and Dreams of a Self-taught Artist.
  7. ^ a b "Lebduska, Lawrence Henry (1894-1966)". GVCA. January 12, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  8. ^ Grieve, Victoria (2009). The Federal Art Project and the Creation of Middlebrow Culture. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-03421-3.
  9. ^ "Lawrence Lebduska, MoMA". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  10. ^ "Lawrence Lebduska". Zander Collection. Retrieved October 19, 2024.