Abstract gouache on paper encased in acrylics by David Vestal for Winfield Fine Art In Jewelry; c. 1946; approximately 1-3/4" x 1" signed on front, lower right: "DV '46"; etched on reverse: "Designed by David Vestal" and "WINFIELD Pat. Pend." (covered by an old inventory tag); fine condition.

David Vestal was born in 1924, in California.  He painted some of the most masterful abstracts for Winfield Fine Art and went on to become a well known photographer and writer.

Before working at Winfield Fine Art in Jewelry, he studied painting at the Art Institute of Chicago (1941- 1944), later moving to New York City in 1945 where he worked as an assistant to advertiser and photographer Ralph Steiner.

Vestal's wife,  Miriam Echelman, was very instrumental in furthering his career.  At her recommendation, Vestal studied with Sid Grossman at the Photo League. He had his first solo exhibition at Helen Gee's Limelight in 1954. Following that, he exhibited at A Photographer's Gallery, Image Gallery, and at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

In later years, he continued working as a freelance photographer and writer. He also taught at the School of Visual Arts, the Pratt Institute. 

In 1966 Vestal received the first of two Guggenheim Fellowships, taking a leave of absence to travel and photograph.

His work has been exhibited extensively and is included in numerous collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago^.

SOLD (item #WFA16)

Fabulous brooch by Luij Hassan for Winfield Fine Art in Jewelry, c. 1947; foil, cloth, paint, broken glass, and copper encased in acrylics; approximately 2-3/4" x 1-3/4"; inscribed on reverse, "Hassan, Winfield Fine Art, Pat. Pend;" fine condition.

$450.00 (item #WFA20)