Collection: Josef Presser

Josef Presser was born in 1907 in Lublin, then part of the Russian Empire, and died in Paris in 1967. He trained as a painter and later settled in the United States, where his work spanned painting, furniture design, and photography. His early furniture designs, such as an adjustable armchair from around 1908, reflect an engagement with functionalist aesthetics.

Presser’s artistic output included abstract compositions, notably his "Homage to the Square" series, which he developed in the 1950s and 1960s. These works employed geometric precision and layered color fields, often using oil on Masonite.

His gelatin silver print "Siesta" demonstrates an interest in capturing quiet, intimate moments through photography. In addition to painting, he designed furniture, such as a tall-case clock around 1906 and an armchair circa 1927, blending craftsmanship with modernist sensibilities.