a
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John James Audubon
Illustrator, Painter, Scientist / 1785 - 1851
John James Audubon was an American ornithologist, artist and naturalist known for his studies, drawings and paintings of North American birds.
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(1785-1851)
Illustrator, Painter, Scientist
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Jean-Michel Basquiat
Painter / 1960 - 1988
Jean-Michel Basquiat was a Neo-Expressionist painter in the 1980s. He is best known for his primitive style and his collaboration with pop artist Andy Warhol.
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(1960-1988)
Painter
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Romare Bearden
Illustrator, Painter / 1911 - 1988
Romare Bearden is considered one of the most important American artists of the 20th century. He depicted aspects of black culture in a Cubist style.
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(1911-1988)
Illustrator, Painter
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Thomas Hart Benton
Painter / 1889 - 1975
Thomas Hart Benton was an esteemed 20th century painter and muralist renowned for works like “America Today” and “Persephone.”
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(1889-1975)
Painter
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Tim Burton
Illustrator, Painter, Director, Producer, Screenwriter / 1958 -
Director, producer and screenwriter Tim Burton is known for such films as Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, which blend themes of fantasy and horror.
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(1958-)
Illustrator, Painter, Director, Producer, Screenwriter
c
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George Catlin
Painter, Journalist / 1796 - 1872
American artist George Catlin recorded Native American culture in his sketches and portraits. The Smithsonian acquired most of his work in 1879.
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(1796-1872)
Painter, Journalist
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Chuck Close
Educator, Painter / 1940 -
Chuck Close is noted for his highly inventive techniques used to paint the human face. He rose to fame in the late 1960s for his large-scale, photo-realist portraits.
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(1940-)
Educator, Painter
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John Singleton Copley
Painter / 1738 - 1815
John Singleton Copley was an American painter of portraits and historical subjects. He is generally acclaimed as the finest artist of colonial America.
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(1738-1815)
Painter
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Willem de Kooning
Painter / 1904 - 1997
Willem de Kooning was a Dutch-born American painter who was one of the leading exponents of Abstract Expressionism.
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(1904-1997)
Painter
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Aaron Douglas
Illustrator, Painter / 1899 - 1979
Aaron Douglas was an African-American painter and graphic artist who played a leading role in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s.
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(1899-1979)
Illustrator, Painter
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Thomas Eakins
Painter, Photographer, Sculptor / 1844 - 1916
Thomas Eakins was a naturalist figure painter, portraitist and sculptor. He is considered one of the most influential artists in U.S. history.
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(1844-1916)
Painter, Photographer, Sculptor
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Leon Golub
Anti-War Activist, Painter / 1922 - 2004
Leon Golub was an American painter who was both horrified and inspired by the Vietnam War.
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(1922-2004)
Anti-War Activist, Painter
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R. C. Gorman
Painter, Sculptor / 1931 - 2005
Artist R.C. Gorman is arguably the first Native American artist to be internationally recognized as simply a major American artist.
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(1931-2005)
Painter, Sculptor
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Grandma Moses
Painter / 1860 - 1961
Anna Mary Robertson, also known as
"Grandma Moses," became widely famous for her nostalgic paintings depicting rural American life.
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(1860-1961)
Painter
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Keith Haring
Painter / 1958 - 1990
During his all-too-brief life, artist Keith Haring became a sensation in the art world with his bold, cartoon and graffiti influenced works during the 1980s.
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(1958-1990)
Painter
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Al Held
Educator, Painter / 1928 - 2005
Painter, Al Held was know for his painting complex cube-like structures in the 1960s, and his precise and brightly colored geometric forms in the 1980s.
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(1928-2005)
Educator, Painter
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Al Hirschfeld
Illustrator, Painter, Sculptor / 1903 - 2003
Al Hirschfeld is known for his stylish caricatures in the New York Times over many decades (beginning 1929) portraying show-business personalities.
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(1903-2003)
Illustrator, Painter, Sculptor
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Hans Hofmann
Educator, Painter / 1880 - 1966
German painter Hans Hofmann was an influential 20th century art teacher whose work paved the way for Abstract Expressionism.
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(1880-1966)
Educator, Painter
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Winslow Homer
Painter / 1836 - 1910
Winslow Homer was a painter whose works, particularly those on marine subjects, are among the most powerful of late 19th-century American art.
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(1836-1910)
Painter
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Edward Hopper
Painter / 1882 - 1967
Artist Edward Hopper is the painter behind the iconic late-night diner scene Nighthawks (1942).
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(1882-1967)
Painter
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Jasper Johns
Painter, Sculptor / 1930 -
Jasper Johns is an American printmaker, painter, and sculptor. His work depicts commonplace emblems, such as flags and maps, that he raises to iconic status.
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(1930-)
Painter, Sculptor
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Lois Mailou Jones
Educator, Painter / 1905 - 1998
Lois Mailou Jones was a painter whose works reflect a command of widely varied styles, from traditional landscape to African-themed abstraction.
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(1905-1998)
Educator, Painter
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Simmie Knox
Painter / 1935 -
Painter Simmie Knox is the first African-American artist to create an official U.S. presidential portrait. He debuted his portrait of President Bill Clinton in 2004.
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(1935-)
Painter
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Jeff Koons
Illustrator, Painter, Sculptor / 1955 -
Jeff Koons is a famous contemporary artist whose work is influenced by an eclectic array of sensibilities.
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(1955-)
Illustrator, Painter, Sculptor
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Lee Krasner
Painter / 1908 - 1984
Modernist abstract painter and collage artist Lee Krasner, wife of Jackson Pollock, created the Little Image painting series and the multimedia collage "Milkweed."
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(1908-1984)
Painter
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Jacob Lawrence
Academic, Painter / 1917 - 2000
Jacob Lawrence was an American painter, and the most widely acclaimed African-American artist of the 20th century. He is best known for his Migration Series.
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(1917-2000)
Academic, Painter
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Ernest Lawson
Painter / 1873 - 1939
Painter Ernest Lawson is known for his impressionistic urban landscapes using thick, intense color. His major work includes Spring Night, Harlem River.
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(1873-1939)
Painter
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Jack Levine
Painter / 1915 - 2010
American artist Jack Levine is best remembered for his American Social Realist paintings, including "Gangster Funeral," which satirized corruption in the modern world.
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(1915-2010)
Painter
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Sol Lewitt
Painter, Sculptor / 1928 - 2007
Sol Lewitt was an American artist best known for helping to launch Conceptual Art and Minimalism of the Post-War era.
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(1928-2007)
Painter, Sculptor
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Roy Lichtenstein
Illustrator, Painter / 1923 - 1997
Roy Lichtenstein was an American pop artist best known for his boldly-colored parodies of comic strips and advertisements.
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(1923-1997)
Illustrator, Painter
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Robert Mapplethorpe
Activist, Painter, Photographer, Sculptor / 1946 - 1989
Robert Mapplethorpe, recognized as a giant of late 20th century photography, is best known for his large-scale, highly stylized black and white portraits.
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(1946-1989)
Activist, Painter, Photographer, Sculptor
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John Marin
Illustrator, Painter / 1870 - 1953
American painter and printmaker John Marin is especially known for his expressionistic watercolor seascapes of Maine and his views of Manhattan.
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(1870-1953)
Illustrator, Painter
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Mary Cassatt
Painter / 1844 - 1926
American Mary Cassatt was one of the leading artists in the Impressionist movement of the later part of the 1800s.
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(1844-1926)
Painter
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James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Painter / 1834 - 1903
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was a U.S.-born British painter who was highly influential in the late 19th century. His best-known work is "Whistler's Mother."
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(1834-1903)
Painter
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Robert Motherwell
Painter, Academic Author / 1915 - 1991
Robert Motherwell was an American painter best known for being an influential force in the abstract expressionism movement of the 1940s.
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(1915-1991)
Painter, Academic Author
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Georgia O'Keeffe
Painter / 1887 - 1986
Georgia O'Keefe is a 20th century American painter best known for her flower canvases and southwestern landscapes.
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(1887-1986)
Painter
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Maxfield Parrish
Illustrator, Painter / 1870 - 1966
Maxfield Parrish was an American painter and illustrator who was the highest-paid commercial artist in the United States by the 1920s.
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(1870-1966)
Illustrator, Painter
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Charles Willson Peale
Painter / 1741 - 1827
Charles Willson Peale was an American painter best known as one of the most prolific artists in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He painted more than a dozen heroic portraits of George Washington.
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(1741-1827)
Painter
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Horace Pippin
Painter, Warrior / 1888 - 1946
Horace Pippin was a self-taught, African-American painter whose art documented slavery and his experiences in World War I.
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(1888-1946)
Painter, Warrior
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Jackson Pollock
Painter / 1912 - 1956
Famous 20th century artist Jackson Pollock revolutionized the world of modern art with his unique abstract painting techniques.
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(1912-1956)
Painter
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Anthony Quinn
Film Actor, Television Actor, Painter, Sculptor / 1915 - 2001
Anthony Quinn was an Oscar-winning Mexican-American actor known for his roles in Viva Zapata!, Lust for Life and Zorba the Greek.
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(1915-2001)
Film Actor, Television Actor, Painter, Sculptor
r
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Robert Rauschenberg
Painter, Sculptor / 1925 - 2008
American artist Robert Rauschenberg is best known for paving the way for pop art of the 1960's with fellow artist Jasper Johns.
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(1925-2008)
Painter, Sculptor
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Man Ray
Painter, Photographer, Filmmaker / 1890 - 1976
Man Ray was primarily known for his photography, which spanned both the Dada and Surrealism movements.
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(1890-1976)
Painter, Photographer, Filmmaker
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Faith Ringgold
Educator, Civil Rights Activist, Women's Rights Activist, Painter, Author / 1930 -
Faith Ringgold is an American artist and author who became famous for innovative, quilted narrations like Tar Beach that communicate her political beliefs.
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(1930-)
Educator, Civil Rights Activist, Women's Rights Activist, Painter, Author
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Norman Rockwell
Illustrator, Painter / 1894 - 1978
Norman Rockwell illustrated covers for The Saturday Evening Post for 47 years. The public loved his often-humorous depictions of American life.
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(1894-1978)
Illustrator, Painter
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Bob Ross
Painter, Television Personality / 1942 - 1995
Known for his fast and easy "wet-on-wet" painting technique, Bob Ross reached millions of art lovers with his popular television program The Joy of Painting.
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(1942-1995)
Painter, Television Personality
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Albert Ryder
Painter / 1847 - 1917
Albert Pinkham Ryder was a painter, whose seascapes, including Toilers of the Sea, reflect his feeling of helplessness against the forces of nature.
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(1847-1917)
Painter
s
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John Singer Sargent
Painter / 1856 - 1925
John Singer Sargent was an Italian-born American painter whose portraits of the wealthy and privileged provide an enduring image of Edwardian-age society.
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(1856-1925)
Painter
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Red Skelton
Film Actor, Television Actor, Painter, Comedian, Radio Personality, Television Personality / 1913 - 1997
Son of a circus clown, Red Skelton was a radio and television comedian and host best known for his emotionally complex routines.
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(1913-1997)
Film Actor, Television Actor, Painter, Comedian, Radio Personality, Television Personality
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Henry Ossawa Tanner
Painter / 1859 - 1937
Henry Ossawa Tanner was an American painter who frequently depicted biblical scenes and is best known for the paintings "Nicodemus Visiting Jesus," "The Banjo Lesson" and "The Thankful Poor." He was the first African-American painter to gain international fame.
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(1859-1937)
Painter
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Kara Walker
Painter / 1969 -
Kara Walker is an African-American artist who rose to fame for her use of large paper silhouettes to explore social issues surrounding gender, race and black history.
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(1969-)
Painter
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Andy Warhol
Painter, Filmmaker / 1928 - 1987
Illustrator Andy Warhol was one of the most prolific and popular artists of his time, using both avant-garde and highly commercial sensibilities.
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(1928-1987)
Painter, Filmmaker
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Tom Wesselmann
Illustrator, Painter / 1931 - 2004
Tom Wesselmann was a 20th century American painter associated with the Pop Art movement.
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(1931-2004)
Illustrator, Painter
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Benjamin West
Painter / 1783 - 1820
Benjamin West was an American born painter of historic and religious subjects, including King George III of England.
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(1783-1820)
Painter
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Laura Wheeler Waring
Educator, Painter / 1887 - 1948
Laura Wheeler Waring was an African-American painter who founded and taught in the art and music departments at Cheyney University.
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(1887-1948)
Educator, Painter
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Grant Wood
Painter / 1891 - 1942
One of the most famous American
painters of all time, Grant Wood is popularly known for the iconic work, American Gothic.
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(1891-1942)
Painter
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Andrew Wyeth
Painter / 1917 - 2009
Andrew Wyeth was an American realist painter who painted subjects around his hometown pf Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. His most famous work is Christina's World.
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(1917-2009)
Painter