James Lechay (American, 1907-2001)
Lechay was best known for his versatile works in an array of media including oils, gouache, casein, and lithography. His paintings reveal a deep relationship between artist and subject. While he rejected following a singular style, his works often consisted of vivid strokes over a flat surface. Lechay’s painting of modern painter Beauford Delaney captures his stoic expression against bold colors.
In 1928, Lechay received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Illinois University and taught painting and drawing at the University of Iowa starting in 1945 until his retirement. He exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; Art Institute of Chicago; Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts; Brooklyn Museum; and Smithsonian National Collection of Fine Arts, Washington DC.
