Norman Barr (1908 - 1994)

Neighbors, 1939, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right, 22 x 26 inches

$3,250

Norman Barr was an American Scene painter and muralist known for his poignant depictions of working-class life and urban scenes, particularly in New York City during the 1930s and 40s. Born in 1908, Barr studied at the New York Academy of Art. In the late 1930s, he was one of six artists selected in a competition by ACA Galleries, where he exhibited until 1943, when he was inducted into the army. Barr also exhibited with New York's venerable Milch Gallery. During his time with the WPA, Barr contributed to both the mural and easel divisions of the Federal Art Project from 1934 to 1943. His murals adorned public spaces such as the Municipal Building, Roosevelt Island Babies Hospital, and Julia Richmond High School in New York City. His easel paintings from this period, such as Neighbors, often portrayed the struggles and resilience of everyday people during the Great Depression. He was a chronicler of daily life who depicted urban scenes with a modernist visual vocabulary.

Barr’s work gained national recognition through a traveling exhibition organized by the Pepsi-Cola Company from 1943 to 1944, which was showcased at institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Carnegie Institute, the San Francisco Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. He continued to exhibit widely in the following decades, participating in shows at venues such as the Jewish Museum, the New School for Social Research, and the Provincetown Art Association and Museum. In 1977, Barr's work was featured in the exhibition New York City WPA Art: Then 1934-1943 and Now 1960-1977 and he contributed an essay to the exhibition catalog. The exhibition included a 1940 painting titled Seated Woman which bears comparison to Neighbors. During the 1970s, Barr served as President of the New York WPA Artists, Inc. In 1987, the Museum of the City of New York acquired twelve of Barr’s paintings from the 1930s and 1940s, underscoring his significance in capturing the city’s social fabric during a transformative era.

In addition to the Museum of the City of New York, Barr's work is in the permanent collections of the Provincetown Art Association and the Heritage Museum in Provincetown. Barr passed away in New York City in 1994, leaving behind a legacy of art that offers a compelling window into America’s urban and social history. Barr is listed in Who Was Who in American Art and other standard references.