20th century American artist Mary Ellen Rosenblüth-Mendes (1931-88) was a creative force with a remarkable body of work that produced a vivid cast of characters as she saw them -- from the street to the studio to the stage, reflecting her in inner life, captured in pen, paint brush, and sculpture.

 

Growing up in an artistically vibrant home on the Upper East Side of New York City, where guests might include the songwriter Richard Rodgers or the playwright Claire Boothe Luce, Mary Ellen gained an early exposure to art from her mother and physician father -- both talented artists.

 

Mary Ellen would go on to develop her own artistic path, studying first at The Dalton School under Aaron Kurzen and Rufino Tamayo, and later at the Art Students League under Julian Levi, Leo Manso, and other influential instructors.

 

She was also part of the dynamic artistic scene in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where she spent many summers. As you will see, the waterfront and people there provided inspiration for many of her paintings and drawings.

 

Mary Ellen's works encompass an array of techniques, including oils, watercolors, charcoal, and sculpture, and spans the world of mid-20th Century American art. Among her influences were Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Pablo Picasso, Raphael Soyer, and Ben Shahn.

 

The Mary Ellen Rosenbluth Archive includes letters, poetry, photographs, and documents related to her exhibitions and to her academic studies at The Art Students League.

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