50

Will Barnet

(1911-2012)

Lollipops and Balloons.

Oil on canvas, circa 1940.
Signed at lower left.
14 x 28 in. (35.6 x 71.1 cm.)

  • Provenance:
    Collection of the artist, New York.
    Thence by descent to current owner, New Jersey.

    Before Will Barnet became a household name in the artworld, recognized for his Neo-Classical compositions rendering intimate domestic scenes, he was an active member of the Artists Union. The Artists Union was instrumental in bringing awareness and funding to unemployed artists through art programs as part of FDR's New Deal. "Lollipops and Balloons" is an abstracted still life Barnet painted around the time he was employed under the WPA/FAP. In this early painting his mastery of compositional balance is clearly established.

    Whether an activist for artists' rights, a leader in the workshops under the New Deal programs, or a supporter of his contemporaries, Will Barnet was a tireless champion for the arts. He recognized the importance of camaraderie while working in government programs, as he expressed in a quote for Marlene Park's 1977 publication, "New Deal for Art." Reflecting on the robust applause for a speech by José Clemente Orozco, Barnet stated, "It was a very warm blooded, human kind of relationship."

    Well into his last decade, Will continued to be an active participant in the New York art scene and could often be seen at gallery openings, supporting fellow artists and the legacies of those who predeceased him.
  • Condition:
    Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

    Condition reports and additional images are provided as a courtesy and should be used by you to aid in the formation of your own opinion regarding condition. All material is sold subject to Swann's standard Terms and Conditions of Sale as published in our catalogues and posted on our website, and include the following terms: (1) all property is sold "as-is"; and (2) works cannot be returned on the basis of condition.

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December 18, 2025 12:00 PM EST
New York, NY, US

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