"Children with Shells" acrylic on canvasMervin Jules (1913-1994) was an American artist known for his modernistic, somber style. After spending his childhood designing silk prints and painted china while helping in his father’s clothing shop, Jules received a scholarship to study at the Maryland Institute College of Art, graduating in 1934. Jules’ focus on images of social commentary and caricature led him to admire the works of Rembrant, Francisco Goya, and particularly Honoré Daumier. Jules typically used dramatic and evocative lighting where sinewy figures emerge from darkened backgrounds, emulating Daumier. Like other social realist artists, his works are most often depictions of the plight of the poor and disadvantaged.Mervin Jules’ works are in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Library of Congress, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the NYC Museum of Modern Art, Princeton University, the University of North Carolina, and many others, as well as the private collections of several prominent individuals. His works live on as a somber reflection of American life in the 20th century.

Art is in fine condition. Frame looks fine but is structurally weak.