The Artistic Journey of Ary Stillman
Born in Russia, Ary Stillman began his artistic training at the Imperial School of Art in Vilna. After immigrating to the United States at the age of 16, he landed in Sioux City, Iowa, where he worked in a jewelry store while dedicating his time to painting. Following a period at the Art Institute of Chicago, he relocated to New York City in 1919 and studied at the National Academy of Design. In 1921, Stillman moved to Paris, where he lived and worked for 12 years. During his time in Paris, he achieved both artistic and commercial success, exhibiting at the Salon d'Automne, Salon des Echanges, Salone National des Beaux-Arts, and the Salon de Tulleries, as well as holding a one-man show at the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune.
Evolution of Style and Later Years
Returning to New York City in 1933, Stillman exhibited at the Guild Art Gallery between 1935 and 1937. His work transitioned from being largely objective to more subjective, focusing on the inner content of his subjects rather than their outer form. Following the revelation of the Holocaust, his focus shifted toward abstract works, becoming completely non-objective by 1948. During the early 1950s, he held annual one-person shows at the Bertha Schaefer Gallery in New York City. After experiencing vision loss in one eye and the loss of his Manhattan studio, he lived in Paris, Mallorca, and Mexico before settling in Houston. His legacy is preserved through the Stillman-Lack foundation, and a significant collection of his works is held at Columbia University.
