WR Watkins
WR Watkins (William Reginald Watkins, 1890-1985), a neglected American artist, painted a series of watercolor nudes from the 1920s-1960s that are among his most distinct work and position him for rediscovery and revision in the art world.
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nudes 1920s-1960sUpdated about a month ago
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WR Watkins
This woodblock card was hand-pulled and stamped by WR Watkins in the 1930’s. Happy Holidays! share:
WR Watkins

WR Watkins Ashcan Nude
c.1920s

WR Watkins
Many of WR Watkins’ paintings from the 1920s seem rather grim and downbeat despite that decade’s reputation as roaring. Watkins was a colorist, so this choice of somber palette sends a signal. ...
WR Watkins
A short journey from pencil sketch to watercolor study. share:
WR Watkins
Formal dress required, except for the model. Photograph by WR Watkins of his painting class at the Maryland Institute of Arts, c.1930s. Smoking allowed. share:
WR Watkins
Here is a behind-the-scenes pairing of paintings — both of the same model at the same pose, probably made in succession. The first is a quick sketch with only brief color and textural attention; the second, while still loose, is a much more detailed and fleshed out iteration. share:
WR Watkins

WR Watkins Standing Nude
(a very fast and primitive figure study from the 1920s)

WR Watkins
WR Watkins’ figurative style in the 1920s alternated between a sinuous realism and a blocked-out sketchism that looks almost primitive, but in a good way. Here are two of the latter: share:
WR Watkins
Four pencil sketches, all from the 1920’s. share:
WR Watkins
Here’s a trio of sketchy Watkins paintings from the 1930’s with the washed-out ghostly style he favored in that decade. You can see more examples of this tendency in an earlier post. share:
WR Watkins
Okay, this is the most ’60s-style hair we’ve found on a Watkins model. Nothing more to say, except that it continues his fascination with painting nude backs. See here and here for more examples. share:
WR Watkins

WR Watkins Beehive!
(Blonde nude back c.1960s)

WR Watkins
We just found this snapshot by WR Watkins from one of his 1960’s sittings. It pretty closely maps to this painting from the same period, same model. Extraneous objects have been removed but the blanket is still a match. ...
WR Watkins

WR Watkins Nude leaning on stool c.1950s
(representative of WR Watkins' use of the "direct stare")

WR Watkins
One of the distinguishing features of WR Watkins’ work is his attention to the faces of his models, which brings them closer to portraiture than figure study. He frequently paints his nudes in direct confrontation with the viewer, something we’ve characterized as the Watkins stare. H...