Emil Bisttram
(1895-1976)
"The Line Storm"
Oil on canvas
Signed lower right: Bisttram; titled in pencil on the upper portion of the stretcher
18" H x 24" W
Other Notes: Emil Bisttram was a visionary artist whose work left an indelible mark on American art, particularly in the realms of modernism and spiritual abstraction. Born in Hungary in 1895, Bisttram's journey to becoming an influential artist took him across continents and through various artistic movements.

After moving to New York City with his family at a young age, Bisttram became immersed in the youth gangs of the city. After being expelled from school for fighting teachers and tousling with gangs on the streets of the Lower East Side, Bisttram turned to professional boxing, going by the name of "Battling Bennett." The owner of a commercial art firm saw him box and hired Bisttram to work for his studio. Bisttram would attend night classes at the National Academy of Art and Design, then at Cooper Union, Parsons, and The Art Student's League. His talent with artmaking in classes soon translated into teaching, something Bisttram would always pursue in conjunction with his craft.

In 1930, Bisttram headed to Taos, New Mexico, and began painting images of the people and landscapes around the pueblo. Bisttram won a Guggenheim Fellowship to study muralism, which brought him to Mexico to study under Diego Rivera. When the fellowship ended Bisttram returned to Taos and founded the Taos School of Art, teaching students during the summer months. Bistrram began his career as a figurative artist, but after his studies with Rivera and discovering Wassily Kandinsky's stark Modernist style, he began to incorporate those stylistic movements into his work. However, Bisttram's Modernist style ruffled feathers in the Realism-dominated Taos artist community, inciting one local artist to comment:"Bisttram should be tarred and feathered and wheeled out of Taos for bringing in that crazy modern art."

Throughout his career, Bisttram experimented with various mediums, including painting, printmaking, and muralism. His murals can be found in public buildings across the United States, showcasing his commitment to bringing art to a wider audience. Bisttram's experimentation with medium also included experimentation with style. Bisttram began to focus on abstracted artmaking, incorporating a desire to create a spiritual connection between the work and the viewer. In 1938 he founded the Transcendental Painting Group in Santa Fe and continued his passion for teaching a new generation of artists.

Despite facing criticism during his lifetime, Bisttram remained dedicated to his vision of art as a transformative force. His contributions to the art world were recognized with numerous awards and honors, especially in New Mexico, including induction into the New Mexico Arts Hall of Fame. Emil Bisttram passed away in 1976, leaving behind a rich legacy of artistic innovation and spiritual exploration. His work continues to inspire artists and viewers alike, inviting them to contemplate the deeper dimensions of existence through the language of abstract art.

Visual: Overall generally good condition. Very fine, stable craquelure primarily showing throughout the center, and a soft stretcher bar crease along the left edge. Occasional riced-sized areas of pigment loss scattered in the upper right quadrant. Artist pinholes at each of the extreme corners.

Blacklight: No evidence of restoration.

Frame: 25" H x 31" W x 3" D Condition reports are offered as a courtesy and are typically published in Moran's catalogue or can be made available upon request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that an item is free from defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of others. Buyers are responsible for determining to their own satisfaction the true nature and condition of any lot prior to bidding. Though buyers are not legally required to inspect lots prior to purchase, failure to do so may constitute a waiver of complaint that an item was not delivered in a condition equal to the existent condition at the auction.