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Emrich Nicholson Hand Painted Mirrored Screen, Estate of Arthur Rubinstein

Creator: Emrich Nicholson
Offered by: High Style Deco

Description
Signed Emrich Nicholson Hand Painted Mirrored Screen, Estate of Arthur Rubinstein

Hailing from the estate of world renowned pianist Arthur Rubinstein, this important Mid-Century Modern four panel mirrored screen was realized (and signed) by the renowned visual artist Emrich Nicholson in 1946. Nicholson was the founder of Enforta Glass, a multidisciplinary studio that combined glass and painting mediums. This mirrored screen is a stunning testament to the first rate craftsmanship and enduring appeal of Nicholson's practice. Equally compelling as the aesthetic beauty of this piece, is it's provenance, formerly in the home of Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Rubinstein. Arthur Rubinstein was a legendary Polish American pianist, widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time.

The screen offers four equal sized rectangular panels with antique mirrored fronts with hand painted reverse églomisé images with silvered borders and oil rubbed bronze hinges. The mirrored panels offer a pastoral scene of partially clothed female figures surrounded by flora and fauna, including a woman with her back turned, wading into a body of water. The artist reveals only a sliver of her face and her blonde hair realized in reverse églomisé hand painted gold pigment. The background consists of a lush environment replete with budding shrubs on forest floor and doves in the canopy- all executed in tones of lavender, chestnut and gold against beautifully patinated antiqued mirror. The piece is in very good vintage condition, with some light restoration work performed. The piece is signed "Emrich Nicholson" and dated "1946". We have retained the original tags reading "Mrs. Arthur Rubinstein 630 Park Avenue 12-3-54".

Emrich Nicholson (1913-2001), Creator of "Enforta Glass", was born in Shelburn, Indiana. Nicholson attended the Chouinard Art School in Los Angeles (later CalArts) for two years on scholarship, before attending Yale University (also on scholarship), where he graduated with a fine arts degree in 1936.

He began his career as a textile designer for Pacific Mills in New York City and was named head designer in the office of Otto Kuhler, creator of streamlined railroad equipment, where Nicholson was placed in charge of interior designs.

In 1938, Nicholson was selected to design tapestries, doors, and pennants for the 1939 New York World's Fair, earning him recognition from New York's Museum of Modern Art. His work also was featured in "Vogue", the "New Yorker", and "Time" magazines.

In 1940, Nicholson was named by the Architecture League of America as one of its Top 40 Designers Under 40, and he painted the winning mural for the U.S. Treasury Department, which was displayed in the Vacaville Post Office in California. In 1941, Nicholson began researching a new art form that he coined "Enforta Glass", a unique process that he created that combined fine art painting with glass production.

The Dalzell Hatfield Galleries in Los Angeles, California, included Nicholson's Enforta Glass in its 1946 exhibition noting that, "The adaptability of the process makes Enforta Glass‚ an event in the field of decorative art..."

Nicholson retired in 1965 and moved to Hawaii where he focused on oil painting. The artist passed away in 2001, having left an indelible mark on the worlds of fine art and design.

American, 1946

Dimensions (variable) each screen (4 in total):

80.5" H x 1" D.

More Information

Documentation:	Signed
Origin:	United States
Period:	1920-1949
Materials:	Mirror, Paint.
Condition:	Good.
Creation Date:	1946
Styles / Movements:	Modern, Mid Century
Incollect Reference #:	422302

Dimensions

H.	80.5 in;	D.	1 in;
H.	204.47 cm;	D.	2.54 cm;

Message from Seller:

High Style Deco was opened in 2004 by Howard Williams, starting out primarily featuring Art Deco furniture, lighting, art and accessories then expanding to include the best of Mid-Century items—resulting in a collection that represents the best of the 20th Century. In November 2012, High Style Deco relocated to a new six thousand square foot space that showcases their American and European inventory. NYC Location: 27 W 20TH ST, NEW YORK, NY 10011 p: 212.647.0035 e: INFO@HIGHSTYLEDECO.COM

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