Helen Bruton
(American, 1898-1985)
Men in a bar
pen and charcoal on paper
signed lower right: Helen Bruton
10 3/4 x 8in (27.3 x 20.3cm)
Footnote:
Helen Bell Bruton was born to Daniel Bruton (1839–1928) of Dublin, Ireland, and Helen Bell (1866–1956) of Belfast, Ireland in Brooklyn New York. She was the youngest of three sisters, including Margaret Bruton (1894–1983) and Anne Esther Bruton Gilman (1896-1992). Helen Bruton, Sr. valued creativity and education and Helen and her sisters were encouraged to pursue their artistic talents from a young age.

Helen’s studies at the University of California, Berkeley and the Arts Students’ League, New York, under the guidance of the likes of Alexander Calder and Boardman Robinson as well as her international travels exposed her to a host of varied artistic media and styles. Throughout her long and prolific career, she worked in painting, printmaking and mosaics but claimed to have never developed a signature style. Helen felt that she was not notably influenced by and never emulated any particular artist and her greatest inspiration was from the people she rendered.

Framed and glazed 18 x 15.5 in. Two small strips of possibly adhesive or tape evident at center left and center bottom edges, partially concealed by mat. Not examined out of frame.