Ink, graphite and watercolor on paper, signed lower right, matted and framed under glass.

Frame dimensions 23 1/4 x 26 7/8 in.

Private Collection, Brooklyn, New York

Born in Borisoglebsk, Russia, Raphael Schoar’s surname was changed to Soyer after his family immigrated to the United States in 1912. In the fall of 1918, Raphael entered the free school at the National Academy of Design where he studied until 1922. He then made a concerted effort to forget all his training and depicted realistic scenes of city life in a flat perspective.
Soyer first exhibited his work in 1926 in the Salons of America and from 1927 on he showed frequently at the Whitney Studio Club. Throughout the 1930s, his style and choice of subject continually evolved from scenes inspired by the realities of Depression-era New York city life to figure studies and portraits in both print and painting mediums, many with female subjects. This stylistic development occurred in tandem with his growing recognition as an artist. His work was regularly featured in annual and biannual American art exhibitions at the Whitney Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, among others. Soyer’s social circle had widened and he painted portraits of many of his fellow artists.
Soyer’s involvement in the New York art world included many years as an instructor. He began his teaching career in 1930 at the John Reed Club in New York. He later taught at the Art Students League, the American Artists School, the New School for Social Research, and the National Academy of Design.
Soyer’s critical reception and sales remained strong throughout his long career. His paintings and drawings continued to be shown regularly in galleries and museums, and in 1967 the Whitney Museum of American Art held a retrospective of his work. Soyer continued to paint until shortly before his death from cancer at age 87.

Soft cockling and light toning to sheet; some chipping to frame; not examined out of the frame.