This atmospheric mid-century city skyline painting by Leo Breslau, signed Breslau, glows in warm golden tones as lights shimmer across the water below. Executed in oil on canvas, the compact 11×16 inch work captures a luminous urban waterfront at dusk, making it a distinctive choice for collectors of American cityscapes, New York skyline art, vintage mid-century modern paintings, and nocturne harbor views. Acquired in Europe, it offers an appealing blend of American subject matter and international collecting history.
This 11×16 inch oil on canvas presents a dramatic city skyline bathed in a monochrome field of golds and ambers. A cluster of high-rises and towers rises against the evening sky, their shapes simplified into vertical blocks and spires. Along the water’s edge lies a low band of piers, warehouses, and docks, punctuated by small spots of red, green, and white that suggest neon signage and harbor lights.
Breslau builds the scene through layered glazes and small, precise touches of light, rather than heavy texture. The sky is broadly brushed with horizontal strokes of warm ochre and muted white, echoing thin cloud bands and giving the impression of light diffusion at sunset or just after dark. In the foreground, the water reflects the skyline as a shimmering tapestry of thin vertical strokes, broken lines, and dabs of paint, conveying motion and ripples.
Signed “Breslau” at lower right, the painting relates closely to Leo Breslau’s documented practice of capturing varied motifs—coastal scenes, rural views, seascapes, and cityscapes—often characterized by mood, atmosphere, and decorative color. The inspiration here is clearly the modern metropolis at twilight, with the artist focusing less on architectural accuracy and more on the glowing pattern of lights and the reflective surface of the harbor. The result is a compact but sophisticated urban nocturne that feels both contemporary and nostalgic.
Leo Breslau (1909–2005) was an American painter born in New York City in 1909. A prolific and versatile artist, he worked primarily in acrylics and oils, producing an extensive body of paintings that ranged from rural “American Scene” subjects to seascapes, floral fields, abstracts, and cityscapes.
During the 1930s, Breslau participated in the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), for which he created the painting Plowing—a work that entered the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.Smithsonian American Art Museum That commission placed him among the artists who helped define the visual language of the New Deal era, focusing on themes of American life and landscape.
Breslau is particularly notable for his use of multiple pseudonyms to differentiate subject matter and market segments. According to research compiled in artist reference sources, he signed seasonal landscapes as “P. Etienne,” seascapes as “Nelson,” flower fields as “Landis,” abstract collages as “Brent,” and occasionally used other names including Putnam, Eros, Elise, Bennet, and Bach. Works signed with his own surname, Breslau, tend to include more direct oil paintings—landscapes, seascapes, and city scenes—produced for American galleries and, later, for export.
He spent much of his life working between New York and Florida, where he continued to paint prolifically. His paintings have appeared regularly at regional auction houses and in private collections, valued for their accessible imagery and mid-century sensibility. This skyline painting fits within his broader practice of exploring light, atmosphere, and reflection across different environments—from farms and coasts to harbors and modern cities.
Leo Breslau (American, 1909–2005), “Golden Skyline” (attributed), oil on canvas, 11×16 in., signed Breslau lower right. Warm-toned mid-century cityscape with illuminated waterfront and silhouetted skyscrapers against a glowing sky. Acquired in Europe.
CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Leo Breslau (American, 1909–2005)
Signature on Work: Breslau (lower right)
Title: Golden Skyline (attributed)
Date: c. 1950s–1970s (mid-century)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 11 × 16 inches (unframed)
Subject: Illuminated urban skyline and waterfront at dusk
Origin: Acquired in Europe
Authenticity Basis:
– Visible signature consistent with known Breslau signatures.
– Subject matter, handling of light, and mid-century technique in keeping with Breslau’s documented oeuvre of landscapes and cityscapes.
Condition: Very good vintage condition; minor age-appropriate surface wear only, no major losses or repairs observed.
Provenance chain
Artist: Leo Breslau (American, 1909–2005)
Private Collection, Europe (mid- to late 20th century)
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC — Current owner
This atmospheric mid-century city skyline painting by Leo Breslau, signed Breslau, glows in warm golden tones as lights shimmer across the water below. Executed in oil on canvas, the compact 11×16 inch work captures a luminous urban waterfront at dusk, making it a distinctive choice for collectors of American cityscapes, New York skyline art, vintage mid-century modern paintings, and nocturne harbor views. Acquired in Europe, it offers an appealing blend of American subject matter and international collecting history.
This 11×16 inch oil on canvas presents a dramatic city skyline bathed in a monochrome field of golds and ambers. A cluster of high-rises and towers rises against the evening sky, their shapes simplified into vertical blocks and spires. Along the water’s edge lies a low band of piers, warehouses, and docks, punctuated by small spots of red, green, and white that suggest neon signage and harbor lights.
Breslau builds the scene through layered glazes and small, precise touches of light, rather than heavy texture. The sky is broadly brushed with horizontal strokes of warm ochre and muted white, echoing thin cloud bands and giving the impression of light diffusion at sunset or just after dark. In the foreground, the water reflects the skyline as a shimmering tapestry of thin vertical strokes, broken lines, and dabs of paint, conveying motion and ripples.
Signed “Breslau” at lower right, the painting relates closely to Leo Breslau’s documented practice of capturing varied motifs—coastal scenes, rural views, seascapes, and cityscapes—often characterized by mood, atmosphere, and decorative color. The inspiration here is clearly the modern metropolis at twilight, with the artist focusing less on architectural accuracy and more on the glowing pattern of lights and the reflective surface of the harbor. The result is a compact but sophisticated urban nocturne that feels both contemporary and nostalgic.
Leo Breslau (1909–2005) was an American painter born in New York City in 1909. A prolific and versatile artist, he worked primarily in acrylics and oils, producing an extensive body of paintings that ranged from rural “American Scene” subjects to seascapes, floral fields, abstracts, and cityscapes.
During the 1930s, Breslau participated in the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), for which he created the painting Plowing—a work that entered the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.Smithsonian American Art Museum That commission placed him among the artists who helped define the visual language of the New Deal era, focusing on themes of American life and landscape.
Breslau is particularly notable for his use of multiple pseudonyms to differentiate subject matter and market segments. According to research compiled in artist reference sources, he signed seasonal landscapes as “P. Etienne,” seascapes as “Nelson,” flower fields as “Landis,” abstract collages as “Brent,” and occasionally used other names including Putnam, Eros, Elise, Bennet, and Bach. Works signed with his own surname, Breslau, tend to include more direct oil paintings—landscapes, seascapes, and city scenes—produced for American galleries and, later, for export.
He spent much of his life working between New York and Florida, where he continued to paint prolifically. His paintings have appeared regularly at regional auction houses and in private collections, valued for their accessible imagery and mid-century sensibility. This skyline painting fits within his broader practice of exploring light, atmosphere, and reflection across different environments—from farms and coasts to harbors and modern cities.
Leo Breslau (American, 1909–2005), “Golden Skyline” (attributed), oil on canvas, 11×16 in., signed Breslau lower right. Warm-toned mid-century cityscape with illuminated waterfront and silhouetted skyscrapers against a glowing sky. Acquired in Europe.
CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Leo Breslau (American, 1909–2005)
Signature on Work: Breslau (lower right)
Title: Golden Skyline (attributed)
Date: c. 1950s–1970s (mid-century)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 11 × 16 inches (unframed)
Subject: Illuminated urban skyline and waterfront at dusk
Origin: Acquired in Europe
Authenticity Basis:
– Visible signature consistent with known Breslau signatures.
– Subject matter, handling of light, and mid-century technique in keeping with Breslau’s documented oeuvre of landscapes and cityscapes.
Condition: Very good vintage condition; minor age-appropriate surface wear only, no major losses or repairs observed.
Provenance chain
Artist: Leo Breslau (American, 1909–2005)
Private Collection, Europe (mid- to late 20th century)
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC — Current owner
