Joseph Tomanek Oil Painting of Seated Female Nude at Rocky Shore

Item Details

Joseph Tomanek (Illinois/Indiana, 1889 – 1974)
Untitled (coastal scene with figure)
Oil painting on board
Signed to lower right

Known for his paintings of nude female figures often situated in lush foliage or marine settings, Joseph Tomanek was mainly active in Indiana and Illinois. He was born in Czechoslovakia and studied at the School of Design in Prague before emigrating to the United States. He worked as an interior designer and took art classes at the Art Institute of Chicago under Antonin Sterba, Albert Krehbiel, and Karl Buehr. For his nude figural paintings, Tomanek often used several models, one for the face, one for the body, and another for the feet. He wrote about the difficulties he had in receiving permission to pose his nude models outdoors, whereas in Paris he was able to pose them in private studio gardens. In addition to nudes, he also painted floral still lifes, neo-Rococo garden scenes, billboard advertisements, and religious subjects, many of which were painted for Catholic churches, including a 50-foot long mural installed at the altar of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Forest Park. During his career, Tomanek was a member of many art associations, including the Bohemian Art Club, the Association of Chicago Painters and Sculptors, the Chicago Gallery Association, and the Palette and Chisel Club. His work has been exhibited and collected by multiple institutions including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Indianapolis Museum of Art, among others.

Condition

- light scattered accretion to painting surface; accretion and stains to frame liner; nicks and abrasions to frame.

Dimensions

- measures frame; visible image measures 9.75" W x 13.75" H.

Item #

ITMG422785