Drawings Attributed to Carl Zimmerman, Arthur Helwig, and Florence Smithburn

Item Details

Attributed to Carl Zimmerman (Cincinnati, Ohio, 1900 – 1985)
Untitled (figure in coat)
Sanguine conté crayon on paper
Signed “CZ” to the lower right

Zimmerman was a prominent Cincinnati artist, known for his mural and oil paintings, as well as his teaching ability. He studied under Reginald Grooms, John E. Weis and Herman Wessel. In 1927, Zimmerman received his first commission to paint a mural through the recommendation of John E. Weiss, and after much success he was commissioned to paint murals for large cities across the United States. Zimmerman taught at the Art Academy, Taft Museum and Cincinnati Art Museum. He was the president and a longtime member of the Cincinnati Art Club.

Attributed to Arthur Helwig (Cincinnati, Ohio, 1899 – 1976)
Untitled (rabbit)
Watercolor on paper
Unsigned

Arthur Helwig was a notable artist and past president of the Cincinnati Art Club (1939 to 1941). Helwig was an active artist and instructor for well over four decades years. During this period he exhibited in galleries and museums in Europe, and over twenty different cities across the United States from San Francisco to New York City. He won a number of awards for his paintings including four 1st prize awards in national shows for his impressive lithographic prints. Helwig’s contribution as an art instructor was impressive, teaching for many years at the Cincinnati Art Academy. Helwig studied under Theodore Dorl, Bessie Hoover Wessel, and James Hopkins. He worked in watercolor, oils, and numerous printing methods and was also a well-known mural painter. His work has been featured in the collections of numerous museums across the United States including The Cincinnati Art Museum, Chicago Art Institute, The Philadelphia Museum, and The Cleveland Art Museum.

Attributed to Florence Bartley Smithburn (American, 1904 – 1989)
Untitled (Nike of Samothrace, figures, stool, vehicle)
Charcoal, graphite, and pastel on paper
Unsigned

Smithburn studied art at the John Herron Art School in Indianapolis, Indiana, before moving to Uganda for ten years where she portrayed the African tribal way of life with her artwork. Her experiences living in Africa and the United States ultimately shaped her artistic oeuvre, as her art continued to address socio-economic and political issues relevant to the times. Her work has been exhibited widely in Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Atlanta, New York, and Indianapolis and has been included in the collections of the Georgia Museum of Art and the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Condition

- toning to the sheets with embrittlement to the darker sheets and some uneven discoloration; minor smudges and tears to the edges; Zimmerman work taped to paperboard backing.

Dimensions

- measures paperboard backing.

Item #

ITMG273811