William Freed (1902-1984)

Proceeds from the sale of William Freed's works benefit the Provincetown Art Association and Museum

William Freed (1902-1984)

Influenced by Cezanne, and a close friend and student of Hans Hoffmann, William Freed was an established central member of both the New York and Provincetown art communities. With an analytical and dialectical mind, he painted deeply, expressions reflecting his response to nature through cubism colored shapes, and forms. Freed’s distinctive body of work is more graceful and representational than Hoffman’s, while both are praised for vibrant, spirited abstractions.

Freed studied at the Educational Alliance and the Arts Student League in New York and worked for the WPA which transformed art in public spaces. His hundreds of oil paintings and plethora of watercolors resulted in 22 solo exhibitions, as well as 40 invitational and group shows throughout the US and Europe. His work can be found in major public collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Chrysler Museum of Art, National Museum of American Art-Smithsonian and Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, among others, as well as in an abundance of prestigious private collections.