Early Life, Family and Training

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1891, Sidney Laufman was the son of working-class immigrants from Eastern Europe. His early years were shaped by the industrious environment of the Midwest, where he began his professional life working as a surveyor. This practical occupation provided a steady foundation while he pursued his creative interests in the evenings. He sought formal instruction at the Cleveland School of Art, beginning a long process of technical refinement.

His ambitions eventually led him away from the familiar landscapes of Ohio toward the established art centers of the American interior. He moved to Chicago to study at the Art Institute of Chicago, where he trained under Karl Buehr. This period of study was marked by a deepening engagement with the formal qualities of painting. Seeking to further expand his perspective, he later moved to the Art Students League to study with Robert Henri, a period that helped define his approach to the medium.

Personal and professional lives became intertwined in 1916 when he married Beatrice Ratner, a high school friend. Their partnership would support his transition from the practicalities of surveying to the life of a professional painter. By the time he joined the Woodstock art colony in 1917, the groundwork for his career as a modernist artist had been firmly established through years of disciplined study and varied labor.

Life and Activity in Europe

Following a period of immersion in the Woodstock art colony in 1917, Laufman sought a broader stage for his developing vision. In 1920, he moved to Paris, beginning a thirteen-year residency that would define his middle years. This period allowed him to exist within the heart of the avant-garde, moving between the structured life of a studio and the shifting light of the French landscape. He maintained a studio in Paris during the summer months, focusing his efforts within the city's established artistic circles.

When the seasons changed, he sought the clarity of the south of France. During these winters, he practiced plein-aire painting, working directly from nature to capture the immediate effects of light and atmosphere. This rhythmic movement between the urban studio and the open landscape provided a steady cadence to his creative life. His presence in the French art scene was recognized in 1922, when he was granted a one-man exhibition at Galerie Devambez in Paris.

Life and Activity in the United States

After thirteen years in the European avant-garde, Sidney Laufman returned permanently to the United States in December 1933. This transition marked a shift from the studios of Paris to the evolving American landscape. He settled in New York City, where he remained for over two decades, residing there from 1934 until 1957. During these years, his presence in the American art scene was marked by a steady commitment to his practice, even as the country navigated the complexities of the mid-century era.

His later years saw a move toward the warmth of the South. In 1974, he relocated to Sarasota, Florida, a place where he continued his work as a painter. He remained in Sarasota until his death in 1985. This final chapter of his life provided a quiet backdrop to a career that had spanned continents and diverse cultural environments.

Key Works and Collections

The legacy of Sidney Laufman is preserved within several significant American institutions. The Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., maintains a presence in his oeuvre through the inclusion of The Bouquet, a work dating from ca. 1933-1934, and Morning, which was painted in 1955. These pieces reflect the steady development of his hand as he navigated the shifts between his time in Europe and his later years in the United States.

Other notable holdings include Deer Tongue Lane, which is part of the collection at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. His presence in major collections is further confirmed by the Whitney Museum of American Art, which holds two works by the artist. These acquisitions ensure that his contributions to the mid-century American landscape remain accessible to scholars and the public alike.