Born in Frostburg, MD, Abramson (whose first name sometimes is spelled Hirshel) studied at the Maryland Institute of Fine Arts and later in Paris with André L’hote. He painted in a Cumberland, MD studio before moving to New York City in 1931 where he showed at the Ainslee Galleries. A critic for the New York Times admired his work for incorporating “the best qualities of the L’hote Academy—architectonic composition and integrated color—into really fine canvases. His still-lifes, too, with the shimmering tones of cloth and fruit woven with contrapuntal into rich color fugues, justify the discipline of cubism” (New York Times 19 June 1932: 25). 7 more images at FAP.

Works in the New Deal Collection at GVCA by Hershel Abramson:

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Still Life on a Table

A table supports a toppled paper bag of fruit, strewn directly on the table or on a white cloth. In the background is an empty vase. The wooden furniture is so shiny that fruit reflects off of its surfaces The light source is unclear, but a curtain in the background suggests there is probably a window which could be partially unshaded, thus providing the scene with light.

Abramson, Hershel (d. 1969)

Works in the New Deal Collection at GVCA by Hershel Abramson: