WattsOS
V
Venice-13
1957 · oil on masonite
Unframed: 102.8 x 123.1 cm (40 1/2 x 48 7/16 in.)
Cleveland Museum of Art
WATTS INDEXThe canonical database of visual culture
William Congdon
Artist
Painting
Representation
None documented
2
Institutional Exhibitions
2
Works in Collection
10
Assets Indexed
0
Authority-backed Facts
0
Publications Referenced
70%
Profile Completeness
Cultural Positioning
Movements
No movements recorded
Related Artists
No edges recorded
Influence Graph
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Selected Institutional Exhibitions
View all exhibitions →No image
Art Lending Service Retrospective
Museum of Modern Art, New York
1960
No image
XXVth Anniversary Exhibition: Paintings from the Museum Collection
Museum of Modern Art, New York
1954–1955
About
Why this artist matters now
William Congdon was an American painter and muralist whose abstract works emerged from his experience as a World War II correspondent and chaplain's assistant. Working primarily in oil and tempera, he developed a gestural, expressive approach that synthesized abstraction with spiritual and humanitarian concerns. His large-scale murals and easel paintings were rooted in a deep engagement with both European modernism and the trauma of postwar reconstruction. Congdon's work bridged figuration and non-representation, often incorporating architectural and landscape elements into densely layered compositions that reflected his Catholic faith and commitment to social witnessing.
Source: Moma Bulk 2026 05 04 · Trust score: 92% · Updated 25d ago
Graph relationships
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Medium
Painting
Related Artists
6 in graph
Institutional
Museum Collections
Canonical record
Artworks (2)
Record
Images
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Institutional
Representation & Collections
In collection
Museum of Modern Art
New York, US
Market
Auction sale history
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Record