Sterling Strauser (1907–1995) "An Actress," Oil on Panel, 1985
One of a kind — only one available
Pickup available at 4 E Yanonali St
Usually ready in 24 hours
Description
"An Actress," an oil on panel portrait by Sterling Strauser, 1985. A pale, mask-like face with heavy-lidded eyes and red lips is framed by a blue-and-white hood, with tufts of blue and ochre hair falling across the forehead. The paint is thick and loose, scraped through in places to the blue below.
Signed and dated "Strauser 85" upper right. In a whitewashed wood frame with a hand-scored edge.
About the artist
Sterling Strauser was born in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania in 1907. He received his BA degree from Bloomsburg State College and began painting in 1926 in an impressionist style that would evolve into folk modernism. He married his high school sweetheart in June 1928. With his wife, Dorothy, he was a collector and promoter of folk art, and for many years was a teacher, office manager, and supervisor of the boiler works at the Pocono, Pennsylvania public schools. He painted in the evenings and on weekends until his retirement in 1962. The Zimbalist Gallery in New York had first shown his work in 1939 where many pieces were sold and the reviews were positive. Strauser went on to exhibit worldwide. His work is in the permanent collections of a number of museums and corporations. In 1996, a retrospective show was held at the Lyzon Gallery in Nashville, Tennessee. An exhibition of his work, "A Modernist Revisited," was held at the Reading Public Museum in Pennsylvania in 1999.
Condition
In good shape, with no flaking. The frame has a few light handling marks.
Dimensions: 11.75"L x 16.75"H
Shipping & Delivery
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Small items — packed in-house and shipped UPS Ground or 2nd Day Air, usually out within a week. Most run somewhere around $25–$60 depending on size and destination.
Furniture, large art and lighting — delivered white-glove through our freight partners, quoted live at checkout. As a guide, expect roughly $350–$900 to California and the West Coast, and $700–$1,500 nationwide. Delivery usually takes 2–5 weeks outside California.
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Local to Santa Barbara? Pickup at 4 E Yanonali St is free and usually ready within 24 hours. Local delivery to Santa Barbara, Goleta and Montecito is $80 for a one-person delivery, or $160 for two people on larger and heavier pieces.
Condition, Authenticity & Returns
Everything we sell is vintage or antique, and no two pieces are the same. That means honest wear: patina, small marks, the evidence of a long life. We photograph each piece thoroughly and note anything significant in the description. If something is not clear from the photos, ask us before you buy and we will send more.
Our promise. All sales are final — but if a piece arrives damaged, or differs materially from how we described it, tell us within 48 hours of delivery and we will make it right.
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Hold It, or Come See It
We will hold furniture and art for 24 hours, no deposit, while you measure the room or think it over. Call the shop at 805-364-5144.
In Santa Barbara? Come see this one in person. We are at 4 E Yanonali St in the Funk Zone, open 10am–6pm Monday through Saturday and 11am–5pm Sunday. New pieces arrive every day — far more than we can list online.