Paul Cadmus

(American, 1904–1999)

Paul Cadmus was an American painter, best known for his stylized, high-contrast renderings of male nudes and portraits. In his elegant tempura paintings, Cadmus emphasizes his subjects’ musculature in a style akin to Magical Realism, offering a level of intricate detail beyond observable life. Born on December 17, 1904 in New York, NY, he studied at the Art Students League in 1928 and thereafter worked in field commercial illustration, eventually receiving commissions in 1933 from the New Deal art program and going on to create mural paintings in post offices and other government offices. One of his earliest and most important works was The Fleets In!, a 1934 commission by the Public Works of Art Project of the WPA, wherein he painted a series of portraits of sailors on leave which controversially included a homosexual couple. His work garnered him both critical and commercial success, and he died in Connecticut on December 12, 1999. Cadmus has been featured in numerous important museum exhibitions, including the Whitney Museum in New York in 1996.

Paul Cadmus Artworks

Paul Cadmus (1,435 results)
Stewart's, 1934

Paul Cadmus

Stewart's, 1934

Sale Date: August 22, 2017

Auction Closed

Untitled, Self Portrait/Ralph Mae Williams...

Paul Cadmus

Untitled, Self Portrait/Ralph Mae Williams...

Sale Date: June 7, 2017

Auction Closed

Self-Portrait, 1998

Paul Cadmus

Self-Portrait, 1998

Sale Date: June 7, 2017

Auction Closed

Male Nude NM 176A

Paul Cadmus

Male Nude NM 176A

Sale Date: June 7, 2017

Auction Closed

Dancer with Blue Headband (NM 208), 1987

Paul Cadmus

Dancer with Blue Headband (NM 208), 1987

Sale Date: June 15, 2017

Auction Closed

Backstage Dancers #2, 1970

Paul Cadmus

Backstage Dancers #2, 1970

Sale Date: June 15, 2017

Auction Closed

Reclining Male Nude (Z9)

Paul Cadmus

Reclining Male Nude (Z9)

Sale Date: June 15, 2017

Auction Closed

Male Nude (Z34), 1965

Paul Cadmus

Male Nude (Z34), 1965

Sale Date: June 15, 2017

Auction Closed

Head of a Black Man in Profile, 1944

Paul Cadmus

Head of a Black Man in Profile, 1944

Sale Date: June 15, 2017

Auction Closed

Study for

Paul Cadmus

Study for "Jon Reading" (NM248A), 1997

Sale Date: June 15, 2017

Auction Closed

Forrest Thayer

Paul Cadmus

Forrest Thayer

Sale Date: June 15, 2017

Auction Closed

Michael Harder, 1990

Paul Cadmus

Michael Harder, 1990

Sale Date: June 15, 2017

Auction Closed

Teddo, 1985

Paul Cadmus

Teddo, 1985

Sale Date: May 23, 2017

Auction Closed

Male Nude (NM 102), 1966

Paul Cadmus

Male Nude (NM 102), 1966

Sale Date: May 10, 2017

Auction Closed

Seated Dancer, NM 72, 1969

Paul Cadmus

Seated Dancer, NM 72, 1969

Sale Date: May 10, 2017

Auction Closed

NUDO #3, 1984

Paul Cadmus

NUDO #3, 1984

Sale Date: May 16, 2017

Auction Closed

Nudo #2, 1984

Paul Cadmus

Nudo #2, 1984

Sale Date: May 2, 2017

Auction Closed

TEDDO, 1985

Paul Cadmus

TEDDO, 1985

Sale Date: May 1, 2017

Auction Closed

NUDO #1, 2, 3, 1984

Paul Cadmus

NUDO #1, 2, 3, 1984

Sale Date: May 1, 2017

Auction Closed

WAITING FOR REHEARSAL, 1984

Paul Cadmus

WAITING FOR REHEARSAL, 1984

Sale Date: May 1, 2017

Auction Closed

DANCERS RESTING, 1974

Paul Cadmus

DANCERS RESTING, 1974

Sale Date: May 1, 2017

Auction Closed

RECLINING MALE NUDE, 1968

Paul Cadmus

RECLINING MALE NUDE, 1968

Sale Date: May 1, 2017

Auction Closed

MOTHER AND CHILD, 1934

Paul Cadmus

MOTHER AND CHILD, 1934

Sale Date: May 1, 2017

Auction Closed

STEWART'S, 1934

Paul Cadmus

STEWART'S, 1934

Sale Date: May 1, 2017

Auction Closed