Bernard Safran - The Market©http://www.safran-arts.com/market.html
I was undertaking my usual art search and honestly didn't know what my next post was going to be about, who I would feature, and what sort of inspiration I would receive. I opened up the Google search engine and I began searching for art depicting Life in the city. I was immediately drawn to a piece of art that lead me directly to this artist.
Bernard Safran was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1924. His father was from Russia and his mother from Poland. Safran grew up in the active community of Bensonhurst and memories of his childhood days were filled with the aspects of everyday life in the big city.
He somehow always knew he wanted to be an artist even at the age of five. At age nine, He was sent to an adult art classes by his grandmother.
In the years 1936 to 1939, He attended the High School of Music and Art in New York and
Pratt Institute Art School between 1940 and 1945 where he studied illustration.
It was there that he met his future wife Adele.
While at Pratt, his studies were put on hold when he joined the U.S. Army in 1942 to 1945 to serve in World War II. Even during this time he continued to produce drawings on sketchbooks and paper of images of the war. In 1945, he returned to Pratt and later graduated.
Safran then began a career as an illustrator in New York City and Adele decided to be his agent as it allowed him a lot more free time to concentrate on illustration. Eventually, Safran realized that he did not like being an illustrator, and decided to pursue a career as a fine artist.
He took a six-month leave from work and spent this time studying the masterpieces in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1956. He had a distinct admiration for the work of Peter Paul Rubens, which he felt displayed an "unparalleled vitality, fluidity and brilliance in the handling of oil paint."
It was during this time he taught himself to make and use the black oil medium rediscovered by "Jacques Maroger (the former chief conservator of the Louvre, who had dedicated his life to studying the painting techniques of the old masters)."
Later, Safran began working for the TIME Magazine In 1957 and between 1957 and 1966 Safran produced 73 cover portraits. Safran then could make a respectable living and the new income paved the way that allowed him to travel to Europe to study the masterpieces there and to pursue his own work. In the mid 1960s, Safran left TIME to pursue his own interest. He then decided to paint a subject that He first new - "the people and cityscape of Manhattan."
In 1973, Safran moved his family from New York City to a farmhouse, several miles from the nearest neighbor, outside of Sackville in New Brunswick, Canada for several reasons: one of them being, to provide a healthier life and education for his children.
Bernard Safran died in 1995 of a sudden heart attack. "The works he left behind are his legacy."
Bernard Safran has a real interesting Biography, and I certainly advise that you read for yourself here - Bernard Safran Bio - He also has an incredible collection of art work which includes, TIME Magazine Cover Paintings, New York City Paintings, Rural Canada Paintings, and pieces of many other subject, which I also advise you to view them here - Bernard Safran Paintings -
Real marvelous collection!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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