Oil on canvas, framed. Featuring a portrait of a lady holding a cigarette. Signed and attr. Max Weber (American, 1881-1961) on the lower right corner. Gallery stamp on verso. 27 x 20.5 cm (10.6 x 8.1 inches). Frame size: 28.5 x 22 cm (11.2 x 8.7 inches). Max Weber was a Russian-born Jewish-American painter best known for introducing Cubism to the United States. Weber’s abstracted depictions of interiors, landscapes, and portraits, were influenced by the works of Henri Rousseau, Henri Matisse, and Paul Cézanne. “Art has a higher purpose than mere imitation of nature. It transcends the earthly and measurable,†he once mused. “It has its own scale and destiny. It is concerned with informing spirit that emanates only from spiritual and mystical realms, from the nether and the astral.†Born on April 18, 1881 in Bialystok, Russian Empire (present-day Poland), he and his family moved to Brooklyn, NY in 1891. The artist went on to study under Arthur Wesley Dow at the Pratt Institute before travelling to Paris in 1905. It was while he was in Europe that he met Rousseau, Matisse, and Pablo Picasso. Later in life, Weber became increasingly interested in Hebrew mysticism, and often depicted Jewish families and rabbis. He died on October 4, 1961 in Great Neck, NY. Today, Weber’s works are in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, among others. PROVENANCE: Southern Ontario estate

All authorship of items in this catalog are described according to the following terms:

By [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work is by the artist.

Attributed to [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work may be ascribed to the artist on the basis of style, but there may be some question as to actual authorship.

In the manner of [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work was executed by an unknown hand, but was designed deliberately to emulate the style of the artist.

After [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work was executed by an unknown hand, but is a deliberate copy of a known work by the artist.

Circle of [Artist Name] : In our opinion, a work of the period of the artist showing his influence, closely associated with the artist but not necessarily his pupil.

Follower of [Artist Name]: In our opinion, a work by a pupil or a follower of the artist (not necessarily a pupil).

American, 19th century : In our opinion, this work was executed by an unknown hand, and can only be identified by origin (i.e., region, period).

Bears signature : In our opinion, the signature on the artwork may be spurious.
Apocryphal : Of doubtful authenticity.