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Micheala Peterson
Suzanne Reynolds, Instructor
Art Report 1020
24 November, 2014

Burton Silverman is an American artist, renowned portraitist and radical realist known
around the world. He works in watercolor, oil on linen, or pastel, Silverman's style is
contemporary American realism. He was born in Brooklyn, New York 1928. He went to Music
and Art High School in New York and attend the Art Students League to get more training on
certain elements he was having troubles on grasping. Silverman knew he needed to get a college
degree so he attended Colombia University and received a Bachelor of Art in 1949 then went on
to Pratt Insatiate to continue perfecting his gift. He has had 33 solo shows across the country,
also appeared in numerous national and international exhibitions. In proof of him being an
exceptional artist he has won 37 major prizes and awards. Silverman is alive and healthy today at
the age of 86 and became a master of the necessarily intimate process to understand the subtle
interactions by which he "captures the likeness" of his subjects.
Over the past two decades, Burt Silverman has conducted several week long classes
devoted to enhancing the painting and drawing skills of both young and older aspiring artist. He
has presented slide lectures in museums and art schools across the country on Realism in the age
of Modernism in the 20th century. He taught at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, the
Art Students League and continues to conduct studio classes today. He has taught at many
prestige schools throughout America; including: the National Academy School of Fine Arts, the
Academy of Art University in San Francisco, the Brigham Young School of Fine Arts and was
Smith Distinguished Visiting Professor at the George Washington University in Washington DC.

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Burton Silverman has remained true to his own style despite his being surrounded by
abstract expressionism and the contemporary art movement in his native New York City.
Silvermans art is distinguished by his keen sense of contemporary urban life and his ability to
elicit the essential character of his subjects through intuitive observation and skilled
interpretation. His portraits relate to the finest traditions of European and American realism
while providing penetrating insights into the human condition. Silvermans work has withstood
the test of time, and more specifically the onslaught of various anti-figurative movements during
the 1960s, 70s and 80s.
In 1956 he, along with lifelong colleague and friend Harvey Dinnerstein, went to
Montgomery, Alabama to make drawings of the then barely noticed Montgomery Bus Boycott
which launched the career of Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement in America. It
was celebrated 50 years later by the Delaware Art Museum in the exhibition "Glorious Dignity:"
45 Drawings of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Harvey Dinnerstein and Burton Silverman was
than followed by a 50th Anniversary Exhibition at the Montgomery Museum of Art in 2006
Burton Silverman has published four books dedicated to helping others understand how
to draw and paint, within each book are examples with step by step directions on learning how to
grasp the basics of drawing. In following with all of these wonderful books for any aspiring artist
to own, Silverman also has a few other books available for purchase to please his art lovers who
only wish to view the beauty of his art; instead of learning from his work.
The Intimate Eye by Silverman is a beautiful book, which features 48 facsimile drawings,
almost all in color, of Silverman's perceptive images with handwritten commentaries on facing
pages by the artist that faithfully replicates the studio original. It follows in the traditions of the
journals of 19th century artists, Degas and Delacroix, and like theirs, Silverman's book

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substantiates the importance of drawing. It shows what a remarkable and versatile tool drawing
is, not only in Silverman's hands, but in the hands of every artist. The book was published by
Brigham Young University here in Utah, this particular institute has become accustom to the
way Silverman teaches and shares that with all art major students.
In 2006 a retrospective exhibit of the Intimate Eye; the drawings of Burton Silverman
opened at the Brigham Young Museum of Art. Silverman has personally done drawing
demonstrations and gallery talks at the BYU. In February of 1999, the Butler Institute of
American Art held a 25-year retrospective exhibition of his work titled Sight and Insight; the Art
of Burton Silverman. The exhibit also traveled to the Brigham Young Museum (May, 1999.)
Anyone can see some of his public collections at University of Utah and BYU here in Utah.
Silverman's Sight and Insight book is a collection of his past 25 years of work by this
universally respected painter, illustrator and teacher, who has been increasingly regarded as one
of Americas important realist artists. With essays and a memoir by the artist, this profusely
illustrated monograph chronicles a career rich in depictions of life and equally rich in array of
ideas about art. Silvermans memoir, Odyssey, offers observations about his work, his goals
and his controversial views of the art world today. A full-color catalog of the exhibitions held at
the Butler Institute of American Art and the Brigham Young Museum complements the text and
provides the reader with a moveable feast of his work to which they can return to again and
again.
Breaking the rules of water color demonstrates a technique developed by Burt Silverman,
which utilizes unorthodox painting methods to expand the command of watercolor painting. The
author gets the freshness and spontaneity desired in watercolor but has the ability to change his
mind, make corrections and build up a watercolor as he might build up a painting in oil or pastel.

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This book uses step-by-step demonstrations of portraits and figures as well as landscapes to
demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique. This book is designed to be of interest to artists
of all levels of ability.
Painting People, one of Silverman's first published books, is an informal, sensitive,
psychologically reveling piece which shows paintings of people being the central focus his work.
In this lavishly illustrated book, Silverman describes how he paints haunting portraits and figures
in oil, watercolor, and pastel and shows how he handles each medium in a series of step-by-step
demonstrations with nearly every step reproduced in full color. Silverman believes to really paint
a picture of a person you must take time to truly understand the character of that person.
Silverman was a very lucky artist, he become a professional illustrator at a time when
illustration was still flourishing. His art was notice by a very intelligent art director that had a
few connections, so he was lucky and talented enough to become very successful. He knew at the
young age of twelve years old he was going to be an artist. Silverman was one of the best in his
class and anyone could see it including his family and friends. His parents supported his
undeniable future and pushed him to get better by sending him to art schools and classes out side
of school.
Silverman served in the Korean War being in the special unit that produces PR for the
Pentagon. He never saw combat because his talent was his luck. He was opposed to this idea but
due to him having a college education and being so well known in the art world the United States
Army would not approve his request. In relation to this, he never went to Korea but instead
resided in Washington DC, which Silverman said, I hated that I was part of some propaganda
machine, but I figured it was survival. He had a very liberal background due to his father, but
now considers himself to be more of a socialist.

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Silverman feels when painting his subjects while being nude it isn't very sexy. All of his
painting of nude women are not meant to be viewed for sex appeal. For him it is about the
persons character; for example, making a portrait look more dark a serious if his subject is
depressed. Silverman believes naming a painting can be one of the most important aspects when
finishing his work; it being the only words the viewer reads, it sets up their imaginations to
believe what the painting is all about. Instead of stating exactly what an artist is drawing they
should always use one word that lets the readers mind to wonder because that is the beauty of
paintings.
His portrait commissions have included distinguished persons in government and the
private sector Mr. Silverman has also been commissioned to paint portraits for the covers of
Time Magazine and has drawn portraits of over 125 persons featured in the Profiles segment of
the New Yorker from 1964 through 1994. He was elected to the National Academy of Design as
a full Academician in 1974 as well as to the prestigious Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in
1990 and is only one of three selectees to the Pastel Society of America Hall of Fame . In 1998
he was honored by the American Society of Portrait Artists with the John Singer Sargent Medal
for Distinction in Portraiture. In 2001 the artist was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the
Academy of Art College in San Francisco. In February of 2005 Mr. Silverman was also honored
by the Newington Cropsey Cultural Studies Center Award for Excellence in the Arts. Silverman
is represented by Gallery Henoch in New York, where he has his home and studio.

My Feelings and Impressions of Burton Silvermans Art Work

I feel Silverman is a greatly respected artist throughout the world because has lived
through so much history of America. From the 1930s 2000s many historical events have

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taken place where Silverman being a realist painter has captured these events and portraits of
people going through the events. I personally think all of his painting will be shown in history
classes and to future generations because if the historical value they will hold within the next
twenty years. The older his paintings get will only increase in value and depict what a great artist
Burton Silverman is.
In doing all the research I have done on this wonderful artist I think he creates beautiful
artwork. I love that he is not just an artist that paints things from his imagination or scenery, he
captures real life people and events. He has so much passion for what he does that he has taught
many aspiring artist throughout the nation. It is one thing for an artist to paint exceptional pieces
but to also want to share his gift with others to help them become better makes Silverman more
than just an artist. He is an inspiration to so many people and has touched lives of people around
the world.