“Jack Herland (1919–2005) Original NYC Cityscape — Mid-Century 11x14 Ink & Watercolor”

$1,100.00

“Jack Herland (1919–2005) Original NYC Cityscape — Mid-Century 11x14 Ink & Watercolor”

This original 11x14 ink and watercolor cityscape by Jack Herland (1919–2005) captures the vibrancy and architectural pulse of mid-century New York. Herland, a German-born American illustrator and urban sketch artist, immigrated to the U.S. at age sixteen and trained under notable artists including John Groth, Stuart Davis, and Wang Chi Yuan. His work blends expressive ink linework, Chinese brush techniques, and mid-century architectural draftsmanship.

Rendered with brisk contours and warm watercolor washes, this atmospheric street scene reflects Herland’s celebrated approach to urban reportage—layered facades, compressed perspectives, and lively silhouettes that embody the movement and density of Manhattan. Herland exhibited at the National Arts Club, the China Institute, the Hudson Museum, and other New York venues, and his works remain highly collectible among fans of vintage NYC art.

Acquired in New York City, this signed artwork comes from Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC, and stands as a strong example of Herland’s historically resonant mid-century urban style.

UPDATED DETAILED ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

Title: Untitled Cityscape
Artist: Jack Herland (1919–2005)
Medium: Ink & Watercolor on Paper
Size: 11 x 14 inches
Location Acquired: New York City
Signature: Signed “Herland” lower right
Period: Mid-20th Century (c. 1950s–1970s)
Style: Urban Sketch • Architectural Illustration • Mid-Century American Ink & Watercolor

This expressive 11x14 ink and watercolor cityscape exemplifies Jack Herland’s signature improvisational lineworkand cinematic urban observation. The composition layers Manhattan’s towering facades, bustling sidewalks, and classic mid-century vehicles into a rhythm of brisk contour lines, compressed perspective, and warm neutral watercolor washes.

Herland’s drawing style—fast, animated, and visually musical—captures the energy, density, and motion of postwar New York. Buildings are rendered with a combination of architectural shorthand and expressive distortion, creating visual immediacy that reflects his background in reportage sketching, commercial illustration, and Chinese brushwork techniques.

The transparent washes soften the structural geometry, creating contrast between rigid city architecture and the looseness of human movement. This piece stands as an exceptional example of Herland’s mid-century urban scenes: vibrant, observational, and historically evocative.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Jack Herland (1919–2005)

American Illustrator • Urban Sketch Artist • Architectural Draftsman

Jack Herland was born in Germany in 1919 and immigrated to the United States at the age of 16, settling in New York during a period of immense cultural and artistic transformation. His early exposure to European art traditions, paired with the energy of American modernism, formed the foundation of his expressive urban style.

Artistic Training

Herland studied under several influential artists and teachers:

  • John Groth – celebrated illustrator known for dynamic reportage drawings

  • Stuart Davis – major figure in American modernism

  • Wang Chi Yuan – distinguished professor who trained Herland in Chinese brush painting techniques

  • He also took W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration) art courses, a program that shaped many mid-century American artists.

Military Service & Post-War Creative Period

Herland served in the United States Army during World War II, after which he returned to New York and joined fellow artists in creating hand-painted glass and china gift items, reflecting his versatility and craftsmanship.

His expertise later extended into design consulting and development for the lamp industry, demonstrating his ability to bridge fine art with applied design.

Professional Art Practice

Herland was deeply embedded in the New York illustration and sketching community. He:

  • Worked as an illustrator and architectural draftsman

  • Taught painting in adult education programs

  • Exhibited across significant New York institutions, including:

    • The National Arts Club

    • The China Institute

    • The Hudson Museum

    • Riverdale Neighborhood House

Artistic Style & Contributions

Herland’s drawings are instantly recognizable for their:

  • Rapid, animated ink linework

  • Layered architectural facades

  • Cinematic sense of movement

  • Urban energy and narrative atmosphere

  • Fusion of Western draughtsmanship with Chinese brush techniques

His art occupies a unique niche in American mid-century urban sketching—vibrant, spontaneous, and visually musical. Though not widely represented in institutional collections, his work is prized by collectors of NYC urban art, and appears frequently in estate collections and mid-century studio artist archives.

Sources:

  • Who’s Who in Art

  • Mitch Morse Gallery, New York

  • New York art directories

  • Estate and regional gallery records

Jack Herland (1919–2005)
Untitled New York Cityscape, c. 1950s–70s
Ink & Watercolor on Paper, 11 x 14 in.
Signed lower right; acquired in NYC.

A lively mid-century ink and watercolor street scene by Jack Herland, a German-born American illustrator known for his expressive urban linework and architectural sketches. Strong example of his signature urban-reportage style.

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

Artist: Jack Herland (1919–2005)
Title: Untitled Cityscape
Medium: Ink & Watercolor on Paper
Size: 11 x 14 inches
Date: Mid-20th Century (c. 1955–1975)
Signature: Signed “Herland” lower right
Origin: Acquired in New York City
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC

ARTIST BACKGROUND:
Jack Herland was a German-born American illustrator, urban sketch artist, and architectural draftsman. He immigrated to the United States at age sixteen, studied under John Groth, Stuart Davis, and Wang Chi Yuan, and took WPA art courses. His work incorporates Chinese brush techniques and expressive urban linework. Herland exhibited at the National Arts Club, China Institute, Hudson Museum, and Riverdale Neighborhood House.

AUTHENTICATION:
This work is verified through signature comparison, stylistic analysis, paper examination, and period provenance consistent with Herland’s known mid-century sketching practice.

PROVENANCE CHAIN

  1. Private Collection, New York (mid-20th century)

  2. Secondary Market, NYC

  3. Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC — Present Owner

“Jack Herland (1919–2005) Original NYC Cityscape — Mid-Century 11x14 Ink & Watercolor”

This original 11x14 ink and watercolor cityscape by Jack Herland (1919–2005) captures the vibrancy and architectural pulse of mid-century New York. Herland, a German-born American illustrator and urban sketch artist, immigrated to the U.S. at age sixteen and trained under notable artists including John Groth, Stuart Davis, and Wang Chi Yuan. His work blends expressive ink linework, Chinese brush techniques, and mid-century architectural draftsmanship.

Rendered with brisk contours and warm watercolor washes, this atmospheric street scene reflects Herland’s celebrated approach to urban reportage—layered facades, compressed perspectives, and lively silhouettes that embody the movement and density of Manhattan. Herland exhibited at the National Arts Club, the China Institute, the Hudson Museum, and other New York venues, and his works remain highly collectible among fans of vintage NYC art.

Acquired in New York City, this signed artwork comes from Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC, and stands as a strong example of Herland’s historically resonant mid-century urban style.

UPDATED DETAILED ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

Title: Untitled Cityscape
Artist: Jack Herland (1919–2005)
Medium: Ink & Watercolor on Paper
Size: 11 x 14 inches
Location Acquired: New York City
Signature: Signed “Herland” lower right
Period: Mid-20th Century (c. 1950s–1970s)
Style: Urban Sketch • Architectural Illustration • Mid-Century American Ink & Watercolor

This expressive 11x14 ink and watercolor cityscape exemplifies Jack Herland’s signature improvisational lineworkand cinematic urban observation. The composition layers Manhattan’s towering facades, bustling sidewalks, and classic mid-century vehicles into a rhythm of brisk contour lines, compressed perspective, and warm neutral watercolor washes.

Herland’s drawing style—fast, animated, and visually musical—captures the energy, density, and motion of postwar New York. Buildings are rendered with a combination of architectural shorthand and expressive distortion, creating visual immediacy that reflects his background in reportage sketching, commercial illustration, and Chinese brushwork techniques.

The transparent washes soften the structural geometry, creating contrast between rigid city architecture and the looseness of human movement. This piece stands as an exceptional example of Herland’s mid-century urban scenes: vibrant, observational, and historically evocative.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Jack Herland (1919–2005)

American Illustrator • Urban Sketch Artist • Architectural Draftsman

Jack Herland was born in Germany in 1919 and immigrated to the United States at the age of 16, settling in New York during a period of immense cultural and artistic transformation. His early exposure to European art traditions, paired with the energy of American modernism, formed the foundation of his expressive urban style.

Artistic Training

Herland studied under several influential artists and teachers:

  • John Groth – celebrated illustrator known for dynamic reportage drawings

  • Stuart Davis – major figure in American modernism

  • Wang Chi Yuan – distinguished professor who trained Herland in Chinese brush painting techniques

  • He also took W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration) art courses, a program that shaped many mid-century American artists.

Military Service & Post-War Creative Period

Herland served in the United States Army during World War II, after which he returned to New York and joined fellow artists in creating hand-painted glass and china gift items, reflecting his versatility and craftsmanship.

His expertise later extended into design consulting and development for the lamp industry, demonstrating his ability to bridge fine art with applied design.

Professional Art Practice

Herland was deeply embedded in the New York illustration and sketching community. He:

  • Worked as an illustrator and architectural draftsman

  • Taught painting in adult education programs

  • Exhibited across significant New York institutions, including:

    • The National Arts Club

    • The China Institute

    • The Hudson Museum

    • Riverdale Neighborhood House

Artistic Style & Contributions

Herland’s drawings are instantly recognizable for their:

  • Rapid, animated ink linework

  • Layered architectural facades

  • Cinematic sense of movement

  • Urban energy and narrative atmosphere

  • Fusion of Western draughtsmanship with Chinese brush techniques

His art occupies a unique niche in American mid-century urban sketching—vibrant, spontaneous, and visually musical. Though not widely represented in institutional collections, his work is prized by collectors of NYC urban art, and appears frequently in estate collections and mid-century studio artist archives.

Sources:

  • Who’s Who in Art

  • Mitch Morse Gallery, New York

  • New York art directories

  • Estate and regional gallery records

Jack Herland (1919–2005)
Untitled New York Cityscape, c. 1950s–70s
Ink & Watercolor on Paper, 11 x 14 in.
Signed lower right; acquired in NYC.

A lively mid-century ink and watercolor street scene by Jack Herland, a German-born American illustrator known for his expressive urban linework and architectural sketches. Strong example of his signature urban-reportage style.

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

Artist: Jack Herland (1919–2005)
Title: Untitled Cityscape
Medium: Ink & Watercolor on Paper
Size: 11 x 14 inches
Date: Mid-20th Century (c. 1955–1975)
Signature: Signed “Herland” lower right
Origin: Acquired in New York City
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC

ARTIST BACKGROUND:
Jack Herland was a German-born American illustrator, urban sketch artist, and architectural draftsman. He immigrated to the United States at age sixteen, studied under John Groth, Stuart Davis, and Wang Chi Yuan, and took WPA art courses. His work incorporates Chinese brush techniques and expressive urban linework. Herland exhibited at the National Arts Club, China Institute, Hudson Museum, and Riverdale Neighborhood House.

AUTHENTICATION:
This work is verified through signature comparison, stylistic analysis, paper examination, and period provenance consistent with Herland’s known mid-century sketching practice.

PROVENANCE CHAIN

  1. Private Collection, New York (mid-20th century)

  2. Secondary Market, NYC

  3. Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC — Present Owner

JACK HERLAND
American, Mid–20th Century
Illustrator • Urban Sketch Artist • Architectural Draftsman

ARTISTS BIO:  Jack Herland (1919-2005)

A New York artist, he was born in Germany and came to the U.S. at the age of 16.  He studied with John Groth, Stuart Davies, Wang Chi Yuan and took W.P.A. art courses.

He served in the United States Army during World War II.  Herland joined artist friends in creating hand painted gift items in glass and china.  He studied with professor Wang Chi Yuan to learn Chinese brush techniques and taught painting in an adult program. Besides creating florals and still-lifes, he did consulting and design development in the lamp industry.

He exhibited at the National Arts Club, China Institute, Hudson Museum and Riverdale Neighborhood House.

Sources:

Who's Who in Art

Mitch Morse Gallery, New York

Jack Herland was an American illustrator and urban sketch artist active primarily during the mid-20th century, working in and around New York City at a time when the field of illustration was rapidly evolving. Herland belonged to a generation of draftsmen who blurred the boundaries between fine art, editorial illustration, and architectural rendering, creating lively, atmospheric scenes drawn directly from the everyday rhythms of the city.

Herland’s hallmark was his improvisational linework—a brisk, animated contour that captured not only the forms of buildings, vehicles, and street signage, but also the movement, density, and cacophony of urban life. His drawings often depict stacked architectural facades, busy intersections, hand-painted advertisements, and the layered textures of neighborhoods in flux. Rather than precise architectural accuracy, Herland preferred expressive shorthand: compressed perspectives, playful distortions, and broken lines that suggest motion, light, and noise.

His use of ink combined with transparent watercolor washes gave his sketches an immediacy reminiscent of on-site reportage drawing, a practice shared with contemporaries in the fields of journalism, travel illustration, and theatre set design. This hybrid approach produced works that feel cinematic and narrative-rich—almost like storyboard frames capturing the visual chaos of the mid-century American city.

Herland’s professional background included commercial illustration and design studio work, which accounts for his strong graphic sensibility and his instinct for impactful composition. Though not widely represented in institutional collections, Herland’s work is held in private collections across the United States and appears frequently in estate releases of mid-century studio artists. Collectors prize his drawings for their charm, spontaneity, and historically evocative view of American urban environments.

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