Untitled

Painting

-

di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art

Photo: Robert Berg Photography

Photo: Robert Berg Photography

Name/Title

Untitled

Entry/Object ID

166

Description

Portrait of man and woman; man holding cigarette

Artwork Details

Medium

Oil on Canvas

Category

Painting

Acquisition

Accession

AR0166

Source or Donor

Charles Campbell Gallery

Acquisition Method

Purchase

Made/Created

Artist

Elmer Nelson Bischoff

Date made

1972

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Object

Height

23 in

Width

25-3/4 in

Exhibitions

Exhibition

The Incorrect Museum: Redux

Notes

May 13, 2022 - February 26, 2023, di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Napa

Exhibition

The Incorrect Museum: Vignettes from the di Rosa Collection

Notes

April 17, 2021- April 17, 2022, di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Napa

Exhibition

The Collection in Context: Bay Area Figurative Art

Notes

July 8 – September 26, 2006, di Rosa Preserve

Exhibition

Bay Area Figurative 1950s-1960s

Notes

April 29 - June 18, 2006, Bolinas Museum

Exhibition

Elmer Bischoff, A Survey of Paintings and Drawings, 1937-1972

Notes

February 29 - May 31, 2020, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, Novato, CA

Research Notes

Research Type

Curator

Date

2016

Notes

Elmer Bischoff (1916 – 1991) was a Bay Area painter who studied and practiced Abstract Expressionism, but abandoned the style in the early 1950s (along with artists Richard Diebenkorn and David Park) to shift his focus back to figuration after returning to San Francisco from serving in World War II from 1941-45. Bischoff seemed to look back to 19th century painting trends for inspiration when approaching his figurative subjects, exploring different tones achieved by color and brushstroke. His work often appears pastoral or romantic in effect, but if you look long enough, one can also sense a hint of isolation or brooding – adding his own unique element of expression to everyday subjects. Untitled (1972) is from the end of Bischoff’s figurative period, and one can almost sense a bit of anxiety.