Basil Hawkins Entitled Roszika, this 1930-40s lithograph on paper scene is by Basil Gilmore Hawkins (1903-1980) and is portrait of his wife, Rose. Hawkins was an American artist whose work is closely tied to the Works Progress Administration of the 1930s and 40s. As a WPA artist under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he belonged to a generation tasked with documenting and interpreting everyday American life during the Great Depression. His work is held in major institutional collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the University of Michigan, and the Library of Congress. During his time he was considered one of the leading Michigan artists. Hawkins trained at the Flint Institute of Arts under Jaroslav Brozik. The Institute now holds a significant body of his work. During the 1930s, he completed WPA-era murals for the Flint Public Library, Hurley Hospital, and Flint Public Schools. In 1942, Hawkins relocated to Arizona, where he continued his artistic and commercial practice. In the early 1950s his work evolved toward abstracted landscapes and abstract surrealism influenced by Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) and Frantisek Kupka (1871–1957).1930-40s Lithograph on Paper23.5"x27.5" framed, 11"x13" unframed Signed lower right, titled upper right. Framed in a restored vintage decorative wood frame with a bone finish, gold detailing and a gold fillet using archival linen matting behind conservation clear glass. Excellent vintage condition.
