Born in Borisoglebsk, Russia in 1899, Raphael Soyer is
identified as a Social Realist painter because of his interest
in the common man, although he avoided subjects that were particularly
critical of society.
Soyer moved with his family to the Lower East Side of New
York City in 1913, after they were deported from Russia by the
Tsarist regime. His father, a Hebrew teacher and writer, encouraged
artistic and intellectual pursuits. His popularity with his Russian
students and his liberal ideas led to problems for him with the
authorities, and he was forced to leave with his family.
Soyer left school at sixteen to help support the family. He
attended free classes at Cooper Union and at the National Academy
of Design. Guy Pene du Bois, a teacher at the Art Students League,
recognized his talent and introduced him to Charles Daniel, who
gave him his first solo exhibition in 1929. The success of this
event secured his position as a professional artist.
The experience of immigrant life in the United States provided
him with a rich source of imagery for his art, which was sensitive,
penetrating portrayals including transients, shoppers, dancers,
and fellow artists. Near his studio in Manhattan's Lower East
Side he observed his fellow New Yorkers.
His subjects were portrayed with strong, flat colors, which
evoked a sense of isolation. Common themes were intimate studies
of solitary women, often nudes, and portraits of fellow artists,
reflecting his great affection and admiration for them.
Soyer's most frequent model was himself, often posed with
pencil or brush in hand, as in Self-Portrait ca. 1927, and his
work was mainly in oil and lithography. He did not accept commissions
for portraits because his interest was with the private person
and the effects of the modern world on the psyche, rather than
a public facade.
Artists he admired, such as Rembrandt, Degas, and Eakins,
he felt were dedicated to showing their times truthfully, and
emphasized inner character more than physical beauty.
Both of Soyer's brothers, Moses and Isaac, were also artists.
With his identical twin Moses, he painted murals for the post
office in Kingessing, Pennsylvania. He also taught at the Art
Students League. He was a co-founder of Reality magazine and champion
of Realism at a time when Abstract Expressionism dominated the
American art scene.
The Depression's economic difficulties could be seen in his
subjects, and unemployed men caught Soyer's eye. Women at work
became a theme with Soyer after 1940.
