Paul Raphael Meltsner was an American artist who was widely recognized for his Works Progress Administration era paintings and lithographs, and who was later known for his iconic portraits of celebrities in the performing arts.
12 Facts About Paul Meltsner
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Paul Meltsner sold his first painting when he was eight years old to the government of Palestine for $25.
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Paul Meltsner was born in New York City and attended public schools in Harlem before graduating Flushing High School in 1922.
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Paul Meltsner toured the country in an old Ford, visiting farms and factories.
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Paul Meltsner's works represented the social realism that was popular with WPA artists of the time.
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Paul Meltsner's colors were bright and bold and his depictions were simple yet iconic.
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In 1937, Meltsner painted a self-portrait titled Paul, Marcella and Van Gogh.
8.
Paul Meltsner painted a copy of the work in 1940, and Paul, Marcella and Van Gogh now hangs in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.
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Later in his career, Paul Meltsner turned his artistic interests to portraits of celebrities in the performing arts.
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In 1944, Meltsner auctioned 8 portraits at the I Magnin in Beverly Hills with the proceeds to benefit the Fifth War Loan Drive.
11.
Paul Meltsner was a member of The Mural Painters, the Society of Independent Artists, and was a fellow at The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation.
12.
Paul Meltsner lived a simple life painting in a barn studio and did not own a phone or car.