Private collection, Castroville, Texas.

William Lewis Lester (American, 1910-1991) Man Eating Fruit, 1948 Oil on Masonite 17 x 12 inches (43.2 x 30.5 cm) Signed, dated, and titled on the reverse: "Man Eating Fruit" / Wm. Lester / 1948 PROVENANCE: Private collection, Castroville, Texas. In 1910, William Lewis Lester was born in Graham, Texas and studied at the Dallas Art Institute. There he joined a group of young, innovative Texas Regionalists and Modernists, including Alexandre Hogue, Jerry Bywaters, and Otis Dozier. Eventually, this group would become known as the Dallas Nine, and make Dallas one of the most dynamic centers of American Regionalism during the 1930s and 1940s. These artists eschewed the traditional subjects and styles of early Texas Impressionism, found in the work of artists like Julian Onderdonk. Instead, they embraced a modernist approach, using vivid colors, strong compositions, and increasingly abstract forms to convey their subjective ideas and feelings toward a particular subject. The results were captivating, often surrealistic works. His work can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and the American Embassy in Paris. HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

Under UV exam, there does not appear to be inpaint. Minor craquelure visible in the cheek of the figure. Minor frame abrasion along the extreme edges of the board. Framed Dimensions 23.5 X 18.5 Inches