LewAllen Galleries is honored to present Legacy of an American modernist, an exhibition of paintings by nationally recognized Modernist Herman Maril (1908–1986). On view January 30 through March 7, 2026, the exhibition celebrates the artist’s six-decade commitment to an aesthetic of structural grace and intrinsic merit. Maril’s work achieves profound emotional resonance through deceptively lyrical simplicity, creating a sense of elegant stillness.

Maril’s quiet power is rooted in his lifelong commitment to an aesthetic of “credibility.” His signature reduction of geometric form across landscapes, still-lifes, and figures is a self-imposed discipline that establishes unwavering trust with the viewer. By distilling the observable world to its essential geometries, Maril provides a transcendent vision. This approach transforms every subject—from a simple fishing boat to the most abstracted human form— into an indispensable compositional element. This rich clarity of form guides his work from the intimate dignity of his Depression-era scenes toward the airy, joyful, and optimistic coastal landscapes of his later years.

This same commitment to clarity also governs his quiet still lifes and domestic interiors. In these poised spaces, Maril uses simplified geometries—such as the stage-like setting of walls and floors—to create scenes that intimate a story. By organizing the objects of his home and studio, the artist transforms commonplace items into compelling, meditative statements that evoke a simpler life and time of leisure.