Weber, << WEHB ur, >> Max (1881-1961), was a pioneer modern painter in America. He is best known for the abstract works he painted between 1912 and 1919. His later paintings move back toward representation, featuring figures with expressive gestures. Many of these later canvases deal with Jewish themes, reflecting his personal background.
Weber was born in Western Russia and moved with his family to New York City when he was ten. He came under the influence of modern artists while painting and studying in Paris from 1905 to 1908. Weber’s paintings began to receive favorable criticism in the late 1920’s. In 1930, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City presented a one-man show of Weber’s works. It marked the first time the museum devoted a show to one living American artist.
