Bidspirit auction | Emil Ganso, German American (1895

Emil Ganso, German American (1895 - 1941), reclined female nude, graphite on paper, 16”H x 21”W - Emil Ganso German American (1895 - 1941) reclined female nude graphite on paper Signed lower right. Biography from Butler Institute of American Art: Ganso was born in Germany in 1895. At age 14, he apprenticed to a baker and then worked his way to America when he was 17. He worked in bakeries in Scranton, Pennsylvania; and Cincinnati and Akron, Ohio. By 1916, Ganso was out of a job, and living the life of a bohemian in New York City, sometimes on less than 30 cents a week. In 1921, Ganso painted on a realistic nude on a bedsheet and was forced by the police to remove it from an exhibition. The bedsheet with the painting was later stolen. He soon had a job baking again at $140 a month, and with time to spare for painting and study. Ganso quit baking in 1925 when a New York dealer game him financial backing of $50 a week. Ganso has prospered from his art ever since. His work is in over 15 American museums, and the Print Club of Cleveland awarded him a $500 purchase prize for a wood engraving. A versatile artist, he paints a variety of subjects. Source: from a profile written by Clyde Singer 16”H x 21”W Dimensions: 16 x 21 in