A set of three framed gestural drawings by Paul Chidlaw (1900-1989) depicting flocks of birds rendered in black ink on paper.

Paul Chidlaw was an early proponent of abstract expressionism and had a long and distinguished career in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and studied at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. In 1927, after working as a commercial artist for several years, he left for Europe where he worked, traveled and studied, including a period at L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Fontainebleau. After returning to Cincinnati in 1935 he painted several commissions for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and served in the US Army Corps of Engineers during WWII before settling in to a long teaching career at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. There he was known for his modernist aesthetic, and mentored many students including notable American Pop artists Jim Dine and Tom Wesselmann. In fact, he was so revered that the institution named the Chidlaw Gallery after him in 1986. Chidlaw’s work resides at the Cincinnati Art Museum, Xavier University and in many private collections.

EACH: 9 in. W x 0.75 in. D x 11 in. H