"Soyer - three brothers, American painters, emigrated with their family from Russia in 1912. Two were twins, Raphael Soyer, 1899-1987, and Moses Soyer, 1899-1974, b. Borisoglebsk. They settled in New York City making its inhabitants the chief subject of their paintings. They concentrated on the depiction of the natural attitudes, thoughts, and gestures of individuals in the performance of habitual tasks. Raphael's subdued, realistic style expresses an intimate sympathy for people, as in Office Workers (Whitney Mus., New York City) or in his portraits, e.g., Mina (Metropolitan Mus.). Moses' figures are usually presented in higher-keyed color or sharper contrasts of black and white, as in The Old Worker (Phillips Memorial Gall., Washington, D.C.). Their younger brother, Isaac Soyer, 1907-81, b. Borisoglebsk, also specialized in everyday figure scenes. His Employment Agency."
From The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | 2008 | Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press.
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