Raphael Soyer

Happy Birthday Raphael Soyer!! Born on Christmas Day, this Russian born American artist was known as an American scene painter. After being born in Russia, his family relocated to New York in 1912. Raphael, his identical twin brother Moses and their other brother Isaac were all painters. New York and its people were the favored theme in his work. Soyer was an adamant believer in realism and representational art, rejecting abstract art. In addition to painting, he was also a teacher. The painting included here is titled Men at the Mission (1935).

American scene painting-a movement of American painters who rejected modernism and abstract art, preferring instead a representational style. They were also tied to "social realism". Everyday American life was the focus, with some tendency toward nationalism and Romanticism.