"On the Water's Edge" by Ernest Fiene (1894-1965)
Oil on Board 8" x 15 "
Signed lower right
Artist Information
Ernst Fiene was an American graphic artist working out of New York City and Woodstock, NY. He is most known for his printed work, lithographs and etchings. His work includes cityscapes, landscapes and other figural art.
Fiene was born in Elberfeld, Germany on November 2, 1894. He fled Germany in 1912 to avoid military service in what would become WWI. He traveled to the Netherlands, then continued on to the United States.
He studied at the National Academy of Design in NYC and then at the Beaux Arts Institute. In 1923 he continued study in printmaking at the Art Students League of NY where he would eventually teach painting and drawing classes.
In 1923, he had his first solo exhibition at the Whitney Studio Club, which helped him secure an art dealer. His work was considered modern, depicting scenes of modern life and industry through precisionism.
In 1932, he was awarded at Guggenheim Fellowship which allowed him to study mural painting in Italy. His work sold as lithographs though the Associated American Artists (AAA) for $5 each.
He was hired to document dramatic scenes and characters during the production of the film The Long Voyage Home, a cinematic adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's plays.
In 1948, he was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Associate member and became a full Academician in 1952. He also served on the faculty of the Famous Artists School in Westport, Connecticut.