Over the years, many artists have referred to Silverman as a grandfather Figure of sorts, a guiding presence who either through his artwork or teaching — the artist has has hosted classes in his Manhattan studio since 1971 until he discontinued them in 2023, while also teaching at the Art Students League of New York and the School of Visual Arts, — has been an example and inspiration for those wanting to learn how to create convincing portraits while also learning from Silverman’s many decades of accomplishment. Considering that the artist has seen almost 80 years’ worth of action and reaction in the New York art world …. Silverman is a veritable storehouse of information and historical perspective.

From In The Studios: Burton Silverman by Allison Malafronte

About Burton Silverman

More about the artist:

Burton Silverman been painting and exhibiting as a fine artist for over 75 years. His early training was at age 11 in the kid’s classes at the Art Student’s League in NY. Years later he would become a teacher at the League and at the National Academy of Design. and a guest instructor ay art colleges all across the nation. He attended Columbia University where he majored in Art History and graduated in 1949 and 2 years later he was drafted into the US Army during the Korean War.

After discharge from the service, his career as a painter evolved slowly but steadily as his gallery representation expanded both in NY and in Philadelphia and Washington DC. Like early American painters Winslow Homer, the Ashcan artists and Edward Hopper, his manifest graphic and painting skills drew him to an extraordinary parallel career in illustration. His work appeared in national magazines and print media with covers on Time. Newsweek and New York. as well as the 25 years of portraits for the New Yorker’s celebrated feature, Profiles. This led to election to the vaunted Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame Other honors. and awards and multiple Museum retrospectives followed culminating in a celebrated retrosppective in 2023 at the historic Salmagundi Gallery and Museum in New York

At 96 he continues to paint in his studio, with both large-format pictures and intimate, smaller glimpses of the little-noticed moments of our lives.

Click here for a full biography  including  honors, awards and collections