Muriel Streeter Sold at Auction Prices

b. 1913 - d. 1995

Muriel Streeter began her art career as surrealist painter. Through Pierre Matisse, the son of painter Henri Matisse, Ms. Streeter met Julien Levy, who represented the leading surrealists in the 1940's, including Arshille Gorky, Frieda Kahlo and Rufino Tamayo. She married Julien in 1944 and had her first show that year at the Julien Levy Gallery and again in 1950.

Artist Dorothea Tanning, who was married to Max Ernst and who painted a Surrealist painting of Muriel Streeter, said that "Muriel was considered the most beautiful girl in New York.....breathtaking, with pale camellia skin, and wonderful almost Oriental eyes."

Peggy Guggenheim included Muriel Streeter's work in a 1945 show at her gallery "Art of This Century: The Women". The original proposal for an all-female show came from Marcel Duchamp. Mariel was in the 1949 Whitney Annual, and also had an all-person show that went to the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury. She had her last New York show in 1969, before moving to Arizona.

When she moved to the West, she painted her environment and then her artistic talents expanded to larger and more abstract work. In Tucson, Arizona she was represented by Rosequist Gallery. After a battle with cancer, Ms. Streeter painted 21 large abstract paintings of cacti. The show was a great success. Her last show back east was at the Anna Howard Gallery in Washington Depot, Connecticut.