Alexander Brook (1898–1980): A Steadfast Voice of American Realism Alexander Brook (July 14, 1898 – February 26, 1980) stands as a prominent figure in the landscape of American Realist painting during the 1930s and beyond. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian immigrants Eudoxia Gelescu and Onufri Brook, his early life was profoundly shaped by polio at age twelve—a debilitating illness that sidelined him from formal schooling but ignited a lifelong passion for artistic exploration. Brook’s formative years were marked by diligent study at the Art Students League of New York (1915), where he…