(b New York City, 1884; d 1974) American painter. Leon Kroll studied at both the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League and then at the Academie Julien in Paris, gaining exposure to the latest art trends and finding inspiration in the work of Cezanne and Renoir. Although the artist is known mostly for landscapes and figural paintings, Leon Kroll began his career painting cityscapes and industrial scenes. Both American and European artists of this period frequently depicted cityscapes in winter to alleviate the harsh and inhuman qualities of urban life. An early fascination with trains continued throughout Kroll’s life, reflecting the current interest in the rapid developments in transportation. (Credit: Christie’s, New York, Important American Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture, November 30, 1995, lot 69)
