Edward Eugene Boccia American, 1921-2012 Charcoal and pastel on paper Signed and dated '64 upper left. Portrait of a bearded man with colorful highlights, framed. Possibly a portrait of fellow St. Louis artist and Washington University of St. Louis faculty, Charles F. Quest.
Edward Eugene Boccia Italian/American, (1921-2007) Ocean Kites 2, 1966 pastel on paper signed and dated lower left, with title lower right, gilt-framed.
Edward Eugene Boccia Italian/American, (1921-2007) Sea Weed, 1966 pastel on paper signed and dated upper right, with title lower right, matted, unframed.
Edward Eugene Boccia Italian/American, (1921-2007) Beach Houses, 1966 pastel on paper signed and dated upper right, titled lower right, matted, unframed.
Edward Eugene Boccia Italian/American, (1921-2012) Self-Portrait at Easel, 1982 oil on canvas signed and dated lower left, and again with title and date verso, framed. Born to Italian parents in New Jersey, Edward Eugene Boccia studied art at Pratt in New York City before moving to St. Louis where he taught at Washington University for over 30 years. Boccia became famous for his neo-expressionist style, and hundreds of his paintings were collected by Morton D. May (heir to May Department Stores, an avid art collector of expressionist works, and a great philanthropist), among others. Over the course of his long career, Boccia created over 1500 paintings and another 50 large-scale polyptychs in which he engaged in ethical, religious (both pagan and Christian) and philosophical topics. Here using dramatic dark blue-grey tones highlighted with pastel touches including a whitish beard, we see Boccia reflecting on his own image in a surreal, magical and mysterious fashion. The carefully striped shirt and easel serve as his attributes, and his poignant gaze with one eye toward the viewer and one eye toward the easel give us a self-constructed hint about how he was able to see and paint in an extraordinarily open fashion while employing vast perspective. His predominantly sorrowful tone might have had to do with the long-term sickness of his son who passed away in the early 1980s. A critical monograph of the artist is expected to be released sometime in 2024 or 2025; see www.edward-boccia.com for more information.
Edward Eugene Boccia Italian/American, (1921-2007) Christine, 1999 three ink wash studies for portrait "Christine" each signed and dated with title upper right, framed.
Edward Eugene Boccia Italian/American, (1921-2007) Self-Portrait at Easel, 1982 oil on canvas signed and dated lower left, and again with title and date verso, framed.
Edward Eugene Boccia American (St. Louis), 1921-2012 Untitled Oil on canvas, signed upper right Abstract, post-cubist composition in deep jewel tones, framed.
Edward Eugene Boccia Italian/American, (1921-2007) Multiple Figures, Musicians, Tall Ships, 1967 oil on canvas signed and dated lower right and again on the reverse, unframed. In the lower-left corner, there is a self-portrait of Boccia.
Edward Eugene Boccia Missouri / New York / Italy, (1921-2012) Many are Called, 1976 ink and gouache on paper signed and dated upper right, matted, unframed. Boccia was an American painter and poet who lived and worked in St. Louis, Missouri and served as a university professor in the School of Fine Arts, Washington University, St. Louis.[1] Boccia's work consisted mostly of large scale paintings in Neo-Expressionist style, and reflect an interest in religion and its role in the modern world. The American collector of avant garde European modernism Morton D. May was Boccia's most important patron, and held a large collection of Boccia's work. Born to Italian parents in Newark, New Jersey, Boccia attended the Newark School of Fine Arts. He studied at the Pratt Institute and the Art Students League, New York.
Edward Eugene Boccia Missouri / New York / Italy, (1921-2012) Abstract Portrait, 1958 charcoal and pastel on paper signed and dated lower right, framed. Boccia was an American painter and poet who lived and worked in St. Louis, Missouri and served as a university professor in the School of Fine Arts, Washington University, St. Louis.[1] Boccia's work consisted mostly of large scale paintings in Neo-Expressionist style, and reflect an interest in religion and its role in the modern world. The American collector of avant garde European modernism Morton D. May was Boccia's most important patron, and held a large collection of Boccia's work. Born to Italian parents in Newark, New Jersey, Boccia attended the Newark School of Fine Arts. He studied at the Pratt Institute and the Art Students League, New York.
Edward Eugene Boccia American (Missouri), 1921-2012 Untitled Acrylic on canvas Signed lower right. Abstract composition in a palette of bright green and pink, with accents of blue and goldenrod. Ebonized frame. The post war Italian American painter Edward E. Boccia was born 1921 in New Jersey and died 2012 in St. Louis, Missouri. Boccia was best known for his large-scale panel painting depicting contemporary life and religious iconography. The artist whose work is often described as expressionist was a classically trained painter with roots in the Italian renaissance but a distinctly modern aesthetic. He taught at the Washington University in St. Louis for over 30 years and served as a Dean at the Columbus Art School where he taught in the "Bauhaus method." A member of the covert Ghost Army, Boccia served in WW II and was a favorite of the prestigious art collector Morton D. May, the top American collector of German Expressionism. Primarily figural, Boccia's style appears to be different from the contemporary Abstract Expressionist movement of the mid-century, however the gestural quality and scale show a certain similarity or sensibility. And while the scale and complexity of his painting required a great deal of solitary time in his studio, Boccia is considered to be part of the St. Louis artist community centered around expatriates and Washington University during the war and postwar period, including luminaries such as the collectors Joseph Pulitzer and Morton May, the art historian H.W. Janson, curator Perry Rathbone, as well as the painters Philip Guston, Stephen Green and Max Beckmann among others. Boccia has been in the subject of 50 + solo exhibitions and his work may be found in over 600 private collections and more than 100 public collections including major museums, universities, and religious organizations. Subjects and styles and other distinctive characteristics for which the artist's work is best known: Boccia's lifetime oeuvre showcases various stylistic modes, including formal experiments in Abstraction, Neo-Expressionist, Expressionist, Magical Realism, Surrealist, and contemporary religious painting. The most important works include approximately 15 large scale multi-panel paintings depicting various scenes with motifs of Catholicism, contemporary mid-century life, mythology, and personal narratives. The triptych is the most common format, and almost all the pictures are characterized by the use of grotesque imagery, motifs from the Passion of Christ, and puzzling hybrids of modern life and Greco-Roman myths. Formal education and training and other professional influences such as individual artists: Edward E. Boccia earned his BFA, Pratt Institute, New York, MA, Columbia University, served as Dean, Fine Art, Columbus School of Art, Ohio and Professor of Fine Art, Washington University in St. Louis. He was a member of the covert Ghost Army of WW II. The artist was recruited by Ken Hudson to work for WU, following in the footsteps of former faculty members such as Philip Guston, Stephen Greene and Max Beckmann whose work would be a major influence. Boccia's primary patron Morton May held the most important American collection of German Expressionism which Boccia was given frequent and unrestricted access. Geographical areas of special interest to the artist's career included St. Louis, Missouri, Rome, Italy, New York, New York. Art Movements of special influence included German Expressionism, namely the work of Max Beckmann, Emile Nolde, the work of Paul Cezanne, Northern Italian Renaissance, American Modernism including the work of Joseph Stella. Relevant Personal Background such as places lived, family, studio locations, etc. Italian-American Artist, worked as a Fine Art Professor, Washington University in St Louis + Studio in Webster Groves, Missouri. Pre-deceased by son David, survived by wife Madeleine, daughter Alice Boccia, and granddaughter Jennifer Paternikis. Special Awards. The Cavaliere Al Merito Della Repubblica, Italy knighted the artist and the Italian government chose Boccia for the prestigious Borso di Studio. In 1990, Saint Louis University bestowed upon him membership in the Order of the Crown of King St. Louis IX. Museums (name, city, and state) that hold works by the artist in their permanent collections. Dartmouth College museum, Hanover, New Hampshire Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado Wilbur D. May Museum, Reno, Nevada Drury College Museum, Springfield, Missouri Fontbonne University Museum, St. Louis, Missouri Kansas State College Museum, Manhattan, Kansas Joe and Emily Lowe Gallery, University of Miami, Miami, Florida The Lowe Art Museum, The University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida The National Picture Gallery and Alexander Soutsous Museum, Athens, Greece The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri The Margaret Harwell Art Museum, Poplar Bluff, Missouri The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri Museu De Montserrat, Montserrat, Spain The Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, Florida The Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, St. Louis Seton Hall University Museum, South Orange, New Jersey The St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri The St. Louis University Museum of Art, St. Louis, Missouri The State Historical Society of Missouri Art Gallery, Columbia, Missouri Florissant Valley Community College Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri St. Bonaventure University Museum, St. Bonaventure, New York Required: Sources for the above information and name of person submitting. The Edward E. Boccia and Madeleine J. Boccia Artist Trust, St Louis, and New York. Select Sources include E. Boccia: A Retrospective Exhibition, Catalog, October 30 – December 8, 1960, St. Louis University, M. B. McNamee, Editor, 1960. A Galaxy of Treasures from St. Louis Collections, Collection Catalog, January 18 – February 12, 1961, City Art Museum of St. Louis, 1961. An Artist Views the Evolution of Exchange and the Rise of Banking in the Mississippi Valley, First National Bank in St. Louis, 1966. Ten Missouri Painters, Exhibition Catalog, Missouri State Council on the Arts, 1968. Edward Boccia: A Ten-Year Retrospective 1959-1969, Exhibition Catalog, September 6 –28, 1969, Spanish International Pavilion, St. Louis. Edward E. Boccia, Dada Gallery, Exhibition Catalog, Athens, Greece, 1981. Edward E. Boccia: A Retrospective, Exhibition Catalog, April 23 – May 29, 1983, Catalog, Mitchell Museum, Mt. Vernon Illinois. Boccia: The Triptychs, December 8, 1985 – January 5, 1986, Exhibition Catalog, School of Fine Arts, Washington University/Art St. Louis II, Thompson Center, Exhibition Catalog, St. Louis Artists Coalition, 1986. Nexus – Generations of the Artistic Spirit, Exhibition Catalog, October 29, 1995 – January 14, 1996, St. Louis Artist' Guild. Halpert, V. B. Continuing Tradition: Doubly Gifted Artists, February 5 – May 30, 1999, Atelier A/E, New York. Edward Boccia, Exhibition March 23 – April 16, 2000, Dresser Foundation Gallery, The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, St. Louis. Edward E. Boccia: A Retrospective, Exhibition Catalog, McCaughen & Burr Fine Arts Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri, 2005 Boccia and Friends, A Spring Drawing Exhibition, Catalog, April 14 – April 28, 2007, McCaughen & Burr Fine Arts Gallery, St. Louis. Good Friday, Exhibition Catalog, February 15 – April 26, 2009, Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, St. Louis University. Ed Boccia: Multi-Paneled Paintings, Exhibition Catalog, September 8 – October 3, 2010, Boyle Family Gallery, Lindenwood University, St. Charles, Missouri. Friedman Hamilton, Lynn. Maturity and Its Muse, Exhibition Catalog, October 1, 2010 – February 5, 2011, Sheldon Art Galleries & Nancy Spirtas Kranzberg Gallery, St. Louis. Berland, Rosa JH, Alice Boccia and Petra Lipan. Edward Boccia: Figurative Expressionist, Exhibition Catalog, January 18 – March 3, 2013, St. Louis University Museum of Art. Berland, Rosa JH. "New Research, Recently Discovered Artwork by the American Painter: Edward E. Boccia, St. Louis (1921-2012)." Forma Revista d'Humanitats, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Summer 2015. Berland, Rosa JH. "Cezanne's Apple and Edward E. Boccia. Hierarchy, Revolt and Artistic Innovation in Twentieth Century America." Ekphrasis Journal. Images, Cinema, Theatre, Media. Babe?-Bolyai University, Cluj, Romania, Summer 2015. Andrew Lipstein interviews Rosa JH Berland about Edward E. Boccia in Meural, Deep Cuts, June 21, 2016. Episode 6. Submitted by Edward E. Boccia Artist Trust
Edward Eugene Boccia Missouri, New York / Italy, (1921-2012) Re-Birth, 1961 oil on canvas signed and dated lower right, and again with title and date verso, framed.
Edward Eugene Boccia Missouri / New York / Italy, (1921-2012) Many are Called, 1976 ink and gouache on paper signed and dated upper right, matted, unframed. Boccia was an American painter and poet who lived and worked in St. Louis, Missouri and served as a university professor in the School of Fine Arts, Washington University, St. Louis.[1] Boccia's work consisted mostly of large scale paintings in Neo-Expressionist style, and reflect an interest in religion and its role in the modern world. The American collector of avant garde European modernism Morton D. May was Boccia's most important patron, and held a large collection of Boccia's work. Born to Italian parents in Newark, New Jersey, Boccia attended the Newark School of Fine Arts. He studied at the Pratt Institute and the Art Students League, New York.
Edward Eugene Boccia Missouri / New York / Italy, (1921-2012) Abstract Portrait, 1958 charcoal and pastel on paper signed and dated lower right, framed. Boccia was an American painter and poet who lived and worked in St. Louis, Missouri and served as a university professor in the School of Fine Arts, Washington University, St. Louis.[1] Boccia's work consisted mostly of large scale paintings in Neo-Expressionist style, and reflect an interest in religion and its role in the modern world. The American collector of avant garde European modernism Morton D. May was Boccia's most important patron, and held a large collection of Boccia's work. Born to Italian parents in Newark, New Jersey, Boccia attended the Newark School of Fine Arts. He studied at the Pratt Institute and the Art Students League, New York.
EDWARD EUGENE BOCCIA (AMERICAN, 1921-2012) Oil on canvas, signed lower right. Still life with a pear, orange, egg, plate, and fish. About the Artist: The post war Italian American painter Edward E. Boccia was born 1921 New Jersey – died 2012 St. Louis, Missouri. Boccia is best known for his large-scale panel painting depicting contemporary life and religious iconography. While he was a classically trained painter with roots in the Italian Renaissance Boccia had a distinctly modern flair. He taught at the Washington University in St. Louis for over 30 years and served as a Dean at the Columbus Art School where he taught in the Bauhaus method. Edward Boccia,member of the covert Ghost Army during WWII, is considered to be part of the St. Louis artist community centered around expatriates and Washington University during the war and postwar period, including luminaries such as the collectors Joseph Pulitzer and Morton May, the art historian H.W. Janson, curator Perry Rathbone, as well as the painters Philip Guston, Stephen Green and Max Beckmann among others. Boccia was a favorite of the prestigious art collector Morton D. May, the top American collector of German Expressionism. Boccia’s lifetime oeuvre showcases various stylistic modes, including formal experiments in Abstraction, Neo-Expressionist, Expressionist, Magical Realism, Surrealist, and contemporary religious painting. The most important works include approximately 15 large scale multi-panel paintings depicting various scenes with motifs of Catholicism, contemporary mid-century life, mythology, and personal narratives. The triptych is the most common format, and almost all the pictures are characterized by the use of grotesque imagery, motifs from the Passion of Christ, and puzzling hybrids of modern life and Greco-Roman myths. Formal education and training and other professional influences such as individual artists: Edward E. Boccia earned his BFA, Pratt Institute, New York; MA, Columbia University; served as Dean, Fine Art, Columbus School of Art, Ohio; and Professor of Fine Art, Washington University in St. Louis. Boccia was recruited by Ken Hudson to work for Washington University, St. Louis, following in the footsteps of former faculty members such as Philip Guston, Stephen Greene and Max Beckmann whose work would be a major influence. Boccia’s primary patron, Morton D. May, held the most important American collection of German Expressionism which Boccia was given frequent and unrestricted access. Geographical areas of special interest to the artist's career included St. Louis, Missouri, Rome, Italy, New York, New York. Art Movements of special influence included German Expressionism, namely the work of Max Beckmann, Emile Nolde, the work of Paul Cezanne, Northern Italian Renaissance, American Modernism including the work of Joseph Stella. Special Awards include The Cavaliere Al Merito Della Repubblica;Italy knighted the artist; and the Italian government chose Boccia for the prestigious Borso di Studio. In 1990, Saint Louis University bestowed upon him membership in the Order of the Crown of King St. Louis IX. Boccia has been in the subject of 50 + solo exhibitions and his work may be found in over 600 private collections and more than 100 public collections including: Dartmouth College museum, Hanover, New Hampshire Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado Wilbur D. May Museum, Reno, Nevada Drury College Museum, Springfield, Missouri Fontbonne University Museum, St. Louis, Missouri Kansas State College Museum, Manhattan, Kansas Joe and Emily Lowe Gallery, University of Miami, Miami, Florida The Lowe Art Museum, The University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida The National Picture Gallery and Alexander Soutsous Museum, Athens, Greece The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri The Margaret Harwell Art Museum, Poplar Bluff, Missouri The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri Museu De Montserrat, Montserrat, Spain The Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, Florida The Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, St. Louis Seton Hall University Museum, South Orange, New Jersey The St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri The St. Louis University Museum of Art, St. Louis, Missouri The State Historical Society of Missouri Art Gallery, Columbia, Missouri Florissant Valley Community College Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri St. Bonaventure University Museum, St. Bonaventure, New York Sources include: E. Boccia: A Retrospective Exhibition, Catalog, October 30 – December 8, 1960, St. Louis University, M. B. McNamee, Editor, 1960. A Galaxy of Treasures from St. Louis Collections, Collection Catalog, January 18 – February 12, 1961, City Art Museum of St. Louis, 1961. An Artist Views the Evolution of Exchange and the Rise of Banking in the Mississippi Valley, First National Bank in St. Louis, 1966. Ten Missouri Painters, Exhibition Catalog, Missouri State Council on the Arts, 1968. Edward Boccia: A Ten-Year Retrospective 1959-1969, Exhibition Catalog, September 6 –28, 1969, Spanish International Pavilion, St. Louis. Edward E. Boccia, Dada Gallery, Exhibition Catalog, Athens, Greece, 1981. Edward E. Boccia: A Retrospective, Exhibition Catalog, April 23 – May 29, 1983, Catalog, Mitchell Museum, Mt. Vernon Illinois. Boccia: The Triptychs, December 8, 1985 – January 5, 1986, Exhibition Catalog, School of Fine Arts, Washington University/Art St. Louis II, Thompson Center, Exhibition Catalog, St. Louis Artists Coalition, 1986. Nexus – Generations of the Artistic Spirit, Exhibition Catalog, October 29, 1995 – January 14, 1996, St. Louis Artist’ Guild. Halpert, V. B. Continuing Tradition: Doubly Gifted Artists, February 5 – May 30, 1999, Atelier A/E, New York. Edward Boccia, Exhibition March 23 – April 16, 2000, Dresser Foundation Gallery, The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, St. Louis. Edward E. Boccia: A Retrospective, Exhibition Catalog, McCaughen & Burr Fine Arts Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri, 2005 Boccia and Friends, A Spring Drawing Exhibition, Catalog, April 14 – April 28, 2007, McCaughen & Burr Fine Arts Gallery, St. Louis. Good Friday, Exhibition Catalog, February 15 – April 26, 2009, Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, St. Louis University. Ed Boccia: Multi-Paneled Paintings, Exhibition Catalog, September 8 – October 3, 2010, Boyle Family Gallery, Lindenwood University, St. Charles, Missouri. Friedman Hamilton, Lynn. Maturity and Its Muse, Exhibition Catalog, October 1, 2010 – February 5, 2011, Sheldon Art Galleries & Nancy Spirtas Kranzberg Gallery, St. Louis. Berland, Rosa JH, Alice Boccia and Petra Lipan. Edward Boccia: Figurative Expressionist, Exhibition Catalog, January 18 – March 3, 2013, St. Louis University Museum of Art. Berland, Rosa JH. “New Research, Recently Discovered Artwork by the American Painter: Edward E. Boccia, St. Louis (1921-2012).” Forma Revista d’Humanitats, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Summer 2015. Berland, Rosa JH. “Cezanne’s Apple and Edward E. Boccia. Hierarchy, Revolt and Artistic Innovation in Twentieth Century America.” Ekphrasis Journal. Images, Cinema, Theatre, Media. Babe?-Bolyai University, Cluj, Romania, Summer 2015. Andrew Lipstein interviews Rosa JH Berland about Edward E. Boccia in Meural, Deep Cuts, June 21, 2016. Episode 6. Sight: 31.5" height, 47.5" width; frame: 38.25" height, 54.25" width
Edward Boccia Missouri, New York / Italy, (1921-2012) Fantastical Scene with Reclining Nude, and Multiple other Figures including a Self-Portrait of the Artist as a Pirate in a Remote Desert Island, 1977 oil on paper signed and dated upper right, framed.
Edward Boccia (American, 1921-2012) Woman Leaving Herself, 1953 ink and oil on paper signed and dated 14 x 16 inches. Note to the buyer: This work is currently being stored at the Hindman St. Louis office. The shipment of the work from St. Louis will be at the buyer's expense. Property from the Estate of Joan Conway Crancer, St. Louis, Missouri
EDWARD BOCCIA (AMERICAN, 1921-2012) MOTORCYCLE Oil on canvas, 1958, signed lower portion. Multiple abstractions of figures and shapes, notated to verso, framed. 19"h. 23.75"
Edward Eugene Boccia St. Louis (1921-2012) Figure with Yellow, 1966 charcoal and pastel on paper, signed and dated upper right, framed. 23 x 16 1/2 inches (sight) Provenance: The Painter's Gallery, St. Louis
Edward E. Boccia American (1921-2012) Pastoral Vision, 1963, pastel on paper, signed and dated lower left, with title lower right, framed. 23 x 16 1/2 inches
Edward Boccia (American, 1921-2007) Man in a Red Beret, 1968 oil on canvas signed E. Boccia (upper right), signed, titled and dated (verso) 24 x 17 1/2 inches.
