Biografie von Moses SOYER (1899-1974)

Birth place: Borisglebsk, Tombrov, Russia

Death place: Hampton Bays, NY

Addresses: NYC/Hampton Bays, NY

Profession: Painter, drawing specialist, teacher, lithographer

Studied: CUA School; NAD, with George Maynard; BAID; Educ. Alliance Art School; Ferrer School All., 1916-20; also with Robert Henri & George Bellows.

Exhibited: Salons of Am., 1923, 1930; WMAA, 1925-63; J. B. Neumann Gal., NYC, 1929; AIC, 1932-46; Corcoran Gal biennials, 1935-53 (7 times); Kleeman Gal., NYC, 1936 (solo); Boyer Gal., NYC, 1936 (solo), 1937 (solo); PAFA Ann., 1938-52, 1958, 1964-66; Little Gal., Washington, DC, 1939 (solo), 1940 (solo); Macbeth Gal., NYC, 1940 (solo), 1941 (solo), 1942 (solo); A.C.A. Gal., NYC, 1944-74, 1977 (numerous solos); SC Award, 1964; Audubon Artists, 1966 (Award of Merit); Reading Mus., Reading, PA, 1968 (solo); Albrecht Gallery Mus., St. Joseph, MO, 1970 (solo); Loch Haven Art Center, Orlando, FL, 1972 (solo); St. Lawrence Univ., Canton, NY, 1972 (solo); Syracuse Univ., NY, Joslyn Mus. of Art, Omaha, NE, Weatherspoon Art Gal. , Univ. of North Carolina, Guild Hall of East Hampton, NY, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR, Birmingham Mus. of Art, AL, Canton Art Inst., OH, all 1972-73 (solos); Springfield (OH) Art Center, 1982 (solo); Daytona Beach Mus. of Arts & Sciences, FL, Polk Mus., Lakeland, FL, 1996-97 (solos); LOC & Phillips Collection, Washington, DC; TMA; Newark (NJ) Mus.; Butler Inst. Am. Art, Youngstown, OH; NAD; NYC WPA Art" at Parsons School Design, 1977. Other awards: Childe Hassam Fund of the Am. Acad. of Arts & Letters, 1964; Thomas B. Clarke Award, 1964; Henry W. Ranger Purchase Award, 1965; Frank C. Kirk Mem. Award, 1966; Samuel Finley Breese Morse Medal, 1967; Andrew Carnegie Prize."

Member: NAD; Artists Equity; Audubon Artists; An Am. Group; Am. Soc. Painters, Gravers & Sculptors; Nat. Inst. Arts & Letters.

Work: MMA; MoMA; WMAA; BM; Newark Mus.; Jewish Mus., NYC; PMA; AIC; LACMA; NMAA; NPG, Wash., DC; Hirshhorn Mus.; CGA; CI; Montclair Mus.; Walker Art Center; CAM; NOMA; Ringling Mus.; CM; Speed Mus., Louisville; Birmingham (AL) Mus.; Wadsworth Atheneum; Daytona Beach Mus. of Arts & Sciences; Butler IA; Parrish Art Mus., Southhampton, NY; Phoenix Art Mus.; Neuberger Mus., NY; Swope Art Gal.; PMG; TMA; Detroit Inst. Arts, MI; Everson Mus. Art, Syracuse, NY; prints, LOC. Commissions, WPA murals: Greenpoint Hospital and other hospitals & children's libraries, NYC (10 murals); USPO, Kingsessing Station, Phila., PA (with his brother Raphael)

Comments: Twin of Raphael (see entry) and brother of Isaac (see entry), he came to NYC in 1912. Like his brothers, Moses' early works were strongly influenced by the experience of the Great Depression, and he wrote essays defending social realism and attacking regionalism. After completing murals for the WPA Project, however, he focused his attention on sensitive portrayals of the human figure. His favored subject in the 1940s was dancers, and he painted numerous portraits. Teaching: instructor, Educational Alliance School of Art; instructor, Contemporary School Art, New York; instructor, New School Social Res.; instructor, Educ. Alliance Art School. Publications: author, Painting the Human Figure, Watson-Guptill (1964); co-author, with Peter Robinson Oil Painting in Progress (NYC, 1972). Illustrator: Palestine Dances, by C. Chochem and M. Roth (NYC, 1941); First Book of Ballet, by Noel Streitfeld (NYC, 1953); Vovick, by Charles Paver.

Sources: WW73; WW47; Bernard Smith, Moses Soyer, monograph (ACA Gallery, 1944); Charlotte Willard, Moses Soyer (World Publ., 1962); Baigell, Dictionary; Falk, Exh. Record Series; American Scene Painting and Sculpture, 63 (w/repro.); New York City WPA Art, 100 (repros.); addit. info. courtesy of David Soyer (son), NYC and Joel L. Fletcher, Fredericksburg, VA.