"King of the Blues" - b.b. King Portrait in Watercolor and Ink on Paper by John Martin Socha

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Vibrant portrait entitled "King of the Blues" by John Martin Socha (American, 1913-1983). Bold and angular, this piece depicts an … Read more Vibrant portrait entitled "King of the Blues" by John Martin Socha (American, 1913-1983). Bold and angular, this piece depicts an African-American man wearing a crown. Given the date of the piece (1955), it is likely a reference to B. B. King, who began topping the Billboard charts in 1953. The portrait is slightly abstracted, with ornamentation that adds detail and depth.

Signed and dated "Socha 1955" in the lower left corner.
Presented in a wood frame with a linen mat.
Frame size: 17.5"H x 14.75"W
Image size: 9.5"H x 6.5"W

John Martin Socha (American, 1913-1983) was a painter and teacher from St. Paul, Minnesota. As a teenager, Socha studied with Diego Rivera and attended the Minneapolis School of Art. He later worked as a WPA artist in the 1930s, and Rivera’s influence can be seen in his murals. Socha then served in the US Army from 1943-1946 before attending the University of Minnesota in 1947. Socha’s work has won many awards and is in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.

Exhibited: Minnesota State Fair, 1938-40 (prize), 1941 (prize), 1942; Minneapolis Women's Club, 1938-42 (prize); Minneapolis IA, 1938-41, 1942 (prize), 1943-46; AIC, 1941-42; MMA, 1941-42; WMAA, 1942; NGA, 1940, 1942; Guatemala City, 1940; Mexico City, 1942; Walker Art Center, 1938, 1940, 1949 (prize); Davenport Municipal Art Gal., 1941; St Paul Art Gal., 1938-42; Denver Art Mus.; Univ. Wisconsin; Fed. Courts Bldg (solo), Hamline Univ. (solo), St. Catherine's Col. (solo), Public Library (solo), St. Paul Park H.S (solo), all in St. Paul; Guy Mayer Gal., NY (solo); Mankato State College, 1957 (solo).

Member: Minnesota AA; Minnesota Art Union; Montparnasse Club, St. Paul; Minnesota Educ. Assn.; Minneapolis Soc. FA; Walker Art Center; Western AA.

Work: Univ. Nebraska; Minneapolis IA; Minneapolis Woman's Club; Walker Art Center; Dayton College; Univ. Minnesota; Am. Red Cross, Wash., DC; murals, Winona (MN) State Teachers College; Univ. Minnesota; Fed. Reserve Bank, Minneapolis; St. Luke's Cathedral, St. Paul, MN; New Ulm H.S.; St. James Episcopal Church, Minneapolis Chapel, Ft. Snelling, MN See less