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)
Female Nude

Paul Cadmus

Female Nude

Sale Date: June 13, 2013

Auction Closed

Sandy Reading

Paul Cadmus

Sandy Reading

Sale Date: June 13, 2013

Auction Closed

Jon Reading, JS 4

Paul Cadmus

Jon Reading, JS 4

Sale Date: June 13, 2013

Auction Closed

Study for David and Goliath, 1971

Paul Cadmus

Study for David and Goliath, 1971

Sale Date: June 13, 2013

Auction Closed

Reclining Female Nude

Paul Cadmus

Reclining Female Nude

Sale Date: June 13, 2013

Auction Closed

Study for David and Goliath, 1964

Paul Cadmus

Study for David and Goliath, 1964

Sale Date: June 13, 2013

Auction Closed

Seated Nude, JS 21

Paul Cadmus

Seated Nude, JS 21

Sale Date: June 13, 2013

Auction Closed

Male Nude, NM 164A, 1981

Paul Cadmus

Male Nude, NM 164A, 1981

Sale Date: June 13, 2013

Auction Closed

Jon Reading, NM 226, 1990

Paul Cadmus

Jon Reading, NM 226, 1990

Sale Date: June 13, 2013

Auction Closed

Male Nude, NM 276, 1996

Paul Cadmus

Male Nude, NM 276, 1996

Sale Date: June 13, 2013

Auction Closed

Male Nude, NM 199, 1986

Paul Cadmus

Male Nude, NM 199, 1986

Sale Date: June 13, 2013

Auction Closed

Male Nude, NM165, 1950–1999

Paul Cadmus

Male Nude, NM165, 1950–1999

Sale Date: June 13, 2013

Auction Closed

Profile Portrait of a Man, 1947

Paul Cadmus

Profile Portrait of a Man, 1947

Sale Date: May 17, 2013

Auction Closed

Portrait of a Woman

Paul Cadmus

Portrait of a Woman

Sale Date: May 17, 2013

Auction Closed

Vladimir, 1930

Paul Cadmus

Vladimir, 1930

Sale Date: May 17, 2013

Auction Closed

Two Boys on a Beach, No. 2, 1939

Paul Cadmus

Two Boys on a Beach, No. 2, 1939

Sale Date: May 17, 2013

Auction Closed

Male Nude NM197, 1986

Paul Cadmus

Male Nude NM197, 1986

Sale Date: May 22, 2013

Auction Closed

Waiting for Rehearsal, 1984

Paul Cadmus

Waiting for Rehearsal, 1984

Sale Date: May 1, 2013

Auction Closed

Nudo #3, 1984

Paul Cadmus

Nudo #3, 1984

Sale Date: May 1, 2013

Auction Closed

Mother and child, Polo spill, Two boys..., 1934–1941

Paul Cadmus

Mother and child, Polo spill, Two boys..., 1934–1941

Sale Date: May 2, 2013

Auction Closed

Dancer at piano

Paul Cadmus

Dancer at piano

Sale Date: April 11, 2013

Auction Closed

First study for study for a David and Goliath, 1964

Paul Cadmus

First study for study for a David and Goliath, 1964

Sale Date: April 11, 2013

Auction Closed

Youth with Kite, 1941

Paul Cadmus

Youth with Kite, 1941

Sale Date: March 24, 2013

Auction Closed

Two Boys on a Beach, No. 1, 1938

Paul Cadmus

Two Boys on a Beach, No. 1, 1938

Sale Date: March 7, 2013

Auction Closed