Style Imitating Art: Earth and Sky!

Style Imitating Art…

Welcome to Style Imitating Art which comes from Salazar, Shelbee, and me. You can think of this series as fashion meets art museum! SIA challenges people to find inspiration in different art works, create looks based upon that art work, and share them with the curator for that piece. Shelbee was this week’s curator with this amazing painting. I hope you enjoy this post, the information, and my interpretation.

How it works…

Every other Monday one of us selects an inspiration piece of art and posts the image on their blog. We then invite others to interpret that art work through their style. The following Monday, we share our outfits. The curator shares submissions the following Wednesday on her blog. Shelbee chose this week’s art work for this round of Style Imitating Art. If you’d like, you can read why she chose it here. Please send your photo to Shelbee by Tuesday, September 9th, 2025 by 10 pm EST. Style Imitating Art is an interesting way to inspire your outfits. You can see a few of my looks here, here, here, and here.

The artist…

Born in New York City sometime in 1905, Paul Raphael Meltsner began painting before he was eight years old.  He sold his very first painting to the government of Palestine for $25!  He attended the public schools in Harlem and graduated from Flushing High School in 1922.  He later studied at the National Academy of Design.  Following that, he illustrated for both Coronet and Bachelor magazines. 

A little more…

During the 30s, Meltsner traveled around the United States in an old Ford as part of the Federal Arts Project of the WPA (Works Progress Administration).  He visited farms and factories and then painted what he saw.  While the subjects of his paintings tended to be depressing, he used bright and bold colors.  Many WPA artists, including Meltsner, painted in the social realism style.  This meant they were painting exactly what they saw, not trying to pretty it up but portraying life as it really was.  He included rural landscapes as well as industrial cityscapes.  He often painted people as they worked. 

Still more…

In 1937, Meltsner painted Paul, Marcella and Van Gogh.  This is a painting of his dog, his daughter (though I have seen other citations saying it’s his wife), and him.  In fact, I found another article that said Meltsner had never married.  I suppose it could still be his daughter.  Instead of a paint brush, Meltsner is holding a workman’s hammer.  The Luxembourg Museum in Paris owned the original.  Unfortunately, it was confiscated by the Nazis during their occupation of France.  Meltsner was Jewish.  In 1940, he painted a copy of the work, now called Paul, Marcella, and Van Gogh (No.2).  The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City owns this painting, but it is not currently on display. 

Even more…

In 1935, a separate WPA unit formed in order to produce prints and to employ more artists as well as to stimulate interest in collecting prints.  Meltsner’s works had so many large areas of color and simplified angular lines that they were easy to reproduce as prints.  “People identified with his working class motifs and he identified with the people whom he depicted. While some social realist artists of the time were focused on exposing the injustices of industrialism, Meltsner also celebrated the workers who were part of it. Perhaps in contrast with his proletarian themes, or perhaps in concert with their vision, his lithographs were popularly received and collected by both average individuals and by museums of fine art (source).”

A skosh more…

In the mid 1930s, Meltsner began painting completely different subjects:  celebrities!  He painted Carmen Miranda (complete with a banana hat), helping to make her more popular.  That painting was acquired by the Brazilian Government.  He also painted Gypsy Rose Lee, Dorothy Stickney, Gertrude Lawrence, Lynne Fontaine, John Barrymore, and Marian Anderson.  I have to confess I’ve only heard of Carmen Miranda, Gypsy Rose Lee and John Barrymore.  And, then, he discovered Martha Graham (I’ve heard of her, too), one of the most famous female American dancers ever.  One of his paintings of Graham is owned by the National Portrait Gallery but is not currently on display.  Another is owned by the Wichita Art Museum and is also not currently on display.  A third is owned by the National Museum of Argentina, but I couldn’t navigate the website to see if, indeed, it still has the piece and if it is displayed. 

An auction…

In 1944, Meltsner auctioned eight portraits at the I. Magnin store in Beverly Hills.  The proceeds of the auction were to benefit the Fifth War Loan Drive.  This was another war bonds drive.  The portraits of Albert Einstein, Gertrude Lawrence, Vera Zorina, Carmen Amaya, Lynn Fontanne, John Barrymore, Carmen Miranda, and Marian Anderson raised a total of $2,715.000!  That’s $49,833, 825 today!  Not too shabby, right?

Finally…

By the mid 1950s, Meltsner apparently tired of the NYC scene and moved his studio to Woodstock, NY.  In 1957, Art and Photography magazine called Meltsner “America’s Happiest Artist.”  While in Woodstock, he joined an artist colony which included many of his contemporaries.  He painted in a barn studio and didn’t own a phone or a car.  A short three years later, a 1960 news clipping reported he’d lost all his savings and “was unable to paint due to psychological problems (source).”  Meltsner was a member of The Mural Painters, the Society of Independent Artists, and was a fellow at The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation.  He died in Woodstock in 1966.  He is buried in Mount Lebanon Cemetery in Glendale, NY.  I did a quick Find a Grave search and found his small, unremarkable tombstone.  It’s sad to think he gave the world so much beauty and is remembered by this small block of granite.  You can read a little more about him here.  And, here is an old newspaper article about him. 

The artwork…

I wasn’t able to find much about this painting. It is oil on canvas. It measures 24 x 30 in. (60.96 x 76.2 cm). It was last sold in 2005, but I do not know for how much. Hopefully, Shelbee will have more information!

My interpretation…

I decided to lean heavily into the reds, oranges, and rust colors of the painting. I realize the blues in the foreground and background are there, but there are also kisses of blue in my dress! This is the “Okinawa” dress from Gudrun Sjödén.  I thought the graphic nature of the print also mimicked that of the painting.  I also added a slip in a teal color that’s closer to that of the man’s shirt.

The Lewk!

I know the black sandals are a bit of clash with the rest of the look. I wanted to wear them as a counterpoint to all the color, and I think the starkness of the painting calls for them. These are my Miz Mooz Shay sandals. I have to tell you they are so comfortable. I wore them to the museum the other day and walked around for over two hours without any toes yelling at me! The blue topaz earrings have appeared on the blog so many times and are from eBay. The ring was the first piece of David Yurman jewelry Nigel ever bought me. The two bracelets are both from David Yurman and were Christmas and anniversary gifts (here, here). The Chatelaine necklace is also David Yurman. The other blue topaz cuff bracelet is from that cute little store whose name I don’t know! I thought the blue jewelry, which went with my dress, represented the prominent blue of the man’s shirt.

Wrap it up, Marsha!

I got the idea, as I was researching, that Paul Meltsner was a bit of a fun guy until something happened to him in the 60s.  I mean, I know he was painting somber images, but the use of color and the techniques are kinda exuberant.  I also think he was a bit feisty since he recreated the painting, Paul, Marcella and Van Gogh.  So, can we talk?  Have you ever heard of social realism?  Why do you think he painted Martha Graham so often?  How do you feel about this painting?  Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as quickly as I can.

Don’t forget…

If you want to be included in the Style Imitating Art round up, send Shelbee your photo by 10:00 pm EST, Tuesday, September 9th. Photos of everyone participating will appear on her blog on Wednesday, September 10th! If you’re interested in joining us, consider all of your options…the colors, the textures, the feelings they evoke! Come on, give it a try! I think you’ll love it!

Thank you!

I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for reading, commenting, subscribing or emailing! It truly means so much to me! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.

Affiliate links, discount codes, and such:

Just a reminder that Marsha in the Middle may use an affiliate link. Those links are usually italicized. If you click or make a purchase from an italicized link I provide, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.  My April Cornell code, MARSHA15, now works, but it’s good for only one use. You can get $15 off $100. I’d wait and use it during a really good sale! Use Marsha12 for 12% off any order of $65 or more at Buykud. I have also become a Halftee Partner. Use the code, MARSHA2098, for 20% off any purchase. I am also an affiliate with Clara Sunwoo. You can use my code, MARSHA10, for 10% off your entire order. Use MARSHA15 at Katia Designs for 15% off your order. In case you didn’t know, bloggers must disclose the use of affiliate links. That’s why I include this in each post.

Where you can find me:

Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style,  Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, Suzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!

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