Online Paintings

Work of Joseph Letzelter - Soon after the turn of the century, a group of New York artists like Joseph Letzelter rejected picturesque pastoral subjects and focused instead on gritty urban scenes. Although there are some technical similarities to the work of impressionists, the urban landscapes of the Ashcan school were intended to document the grim realities of city life and spark social change. The work of Joseph Letzelter also has an element of social commentary. A realist artist, Joseph Letzelter painted both urban and rural subjects, but throughout there is a dimension of the isolation of American society between the World Wars.

The regionalist painters Joseph Letzelter, a group of artists working primarily in the Midwest during the 1930s, had a different tone but similar goals. They were interested in uniquely American activities and places, which for them meant glorifying the labor and lifestyle of rural regions.