Raphael Soyer

(http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Raphael_Soyer.html 11-5-09)Raphael Soyer, a Russian-American urban realist painter, was born in Borisoglebsk, Russia on December 25, 1899 to a large, impoverished Jewish family. Soyer’s father was a Hebrew teacher and writer and encouraged his children to explore artistic and intellectual pursuits. Raphael’s twin, Moses Soyer, and younger brother, Isaac, also became successful artists. When the Soyer family was denied its Russian residence permit in 1912, the family immigrated to the United States and eventually settled in Bronx, New York. At sixteen, Raphael left school to help support the family, but took free classes at Cooper Union (1914-1917) and the National Academy of Design (1918-1922). Soyer also took classes at the Art Students League, where his teacher, Guy Pène du Bois, introduced him to Charles Daniel, an art dealer who organized Soyer’s first solo exhibition in 1929.Soyer is known for his compassionate portrayal of urban New York, especially its office workers and unemployed. He joined the WPA Federal Art Project in the 1930’s. Soyer’s work during that time earned him a reputation as a Social Realist and champion of social justice. In the 1940’s, Soyer’s work shifted its focus from the urban environment to interior scenes – women at work or posing at his studio.In 1953, Raphael Soyer founded the magazine Reality with his brother Moses. He edited Reality through 1955. Soyer later wrote Painter's Pilgrimage (1962), Homage to Thomas Eakins (1966), Self-Revealment: A Memoir (1969) and Diary of an Artist (1977). His work has been exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Phillips Collection as well as at many other museums and galleries. Soyer taught at the Art Students League, the New School and the National Academy of Design in New York. He died on November 4, 1987. Sources: Phillips Collection, RoGallery, Butler Institute of American Art (www.artnet.com 11-5-09)1899 Born: Borisoglebs, Russia 1912 Moved to New York, NY 1914 - 1917 Studied at Cooper Union, New York, NY 1914 - 1922 Studied at the Educational Alliance Art School, New York, NY 1918 - 1922 Studied at the Academy of Design, New York, NY 1933 - 1942 Taught at the Art Students League and at the New School, New York, NY 1953 Co-founded the figurative art magazine, "Reality" 1979 Gold Medal from the National Arts Club, New York, NY 1987 Died: New York, NY Selected Exhibitions 2009 "American Modernism 1920-1950: Selections from the Permanent Collection", Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL 2007 "American Social Realism: 1920 - 1950", Forum Gallery, New York, NY"Modern and Contemporary Landscapes", Forum Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2005 "Raphael Soyer: Finding America", Forum Gallery, New York, NY (solo)"Raphael Soyer: Back in the Day", George Krevsky Gallery, San Fransisco, CA (solo)"Modern and Contemporary Works on Paper", Forum Gallery, Los Angeles, CA"Eye Contact: Painting and Drawing in American Art", Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, NY 2004 - 2005 "Recent Acquisitions", Forum Gallery, New York, NY 2002 "Recent Acquisitions:: Modern and Contemporary Art", Forum Gallery, New York, NY 2000 "Inaugural Exhibition: 68 Years / 68 Masters", ACA Galleries, New York, NY 1999 - 2000 "Moses and Raphael Soyer Centennial Exhibition", ACA Galleries, New York, NY 1997 "American Master Prints", Kennedy Galleries, New York, NY"Facets of the Figure: A Spectrum of 20th Century American Art", Gallery I; Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, NYACA Galleries, New York, NY 1988 ''Urban and Suburban'', Sid Deutsch Gallery, New York, NY 1967 "Raphael Soyer: Retrospective", Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY (solo) 1962 Bernard Crystal Gallery, New York, NY 1960 ACA Gallery, New York, NY 1946 Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY 1945 Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Dallas, TX 1944 Weyhe Gallery, New York, NY 1940 Art Institue of Fine Arts, Chicago, IL 1938 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA 1934 Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA 1932 Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY 1929 Daniel Gallery, New York, NY (solo) 1926 Salons of America, New York, NY Selected Public Collections: The Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, NYThe Museum of Modern Art, New York, NYThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NYThe Jewish Museum, New York, NYWhitney Museum of American Art, New York, NYHirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DCFogg Museum of Art, Cambridge, MA Literature 2005 Raphael Soyer: Finding America. New York: Forum Gallery, 2005 (catalogue) 2003 Baskind, Samantha. Raphael Soyer and the Search for Modern Jewish Art. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2003 1988 Wooden, Howard E. Raphael Soyer: The Shape of Human Dignity. Witchita: Witchita Art Museum, 1988 1984 Soyer, Raphael and Patricia Hills., Raphael Soyer’s New York: People and Places. Boston: Boston University of Art, 1984 (catalogue) 1969 Soyer, Raphael. Self-Revealment, A Memoir. Random House, NY: Maecenas Press, 1969