Joseph Mellor Hanson

Joseph Mellor Hanson (1900-1963) was a British-born modernist painter who worked primarily in figure painting, with an abstract approach. His work can be placed in the tradition of geometric abstraction.

Training Hanson studied in Paris from 1925 to 1935 with Othon Friesz and was his first student; he subsequently became Friesz’ assistant in his studio. By 1928, Hanson had progressed far enough to participate in the Salon des Artistes Indépendants and presented a solo exhibition at the Galerie “Mots et Images”. He continued to paint and exhibit throughout his life. He was also closely associated with Amédée Ozenfant, acting from 1927 to 1935 as his assistant in the execution of murals and helping with the instruction of pupils in his private art academy.

Exhibitions Galerie "Mots et Images," Paris, France 1928 Société des Artistes Indépendants (a.k.a. Salon des Sur-Indépendants) Paris, France 1928-1929-1930 Galerie Aubier, Paris, France 1929 Galerie Jeanne Castel, Paris, France 1935 Wertheim Gallery, London, England 1937-1938 Bankfield Museum, Halifax, England 1938 Passedoit Gallery, New York, New York, U.S. 1941-1957 The Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. 1943-1950 Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. 1950 Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio, U.S. 1950 Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, U.S. 1953 Museum of Modern Art, 25th Anniversary, New York, New York, U.S. 1954 Nebraska Art Association, Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. 1954 Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., U.S. 1959 Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art (Formerly the A.D. White MuseumW) Ithaca, New York, U.S. 1960 source:

Museum collections Bankfield Museum, Halifax, England Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York U.S. Georgia Museum of Art, Athens, Georgia, U.S. National Museum Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales The Hepworth Wakefield, Yorkshire, England William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Ithaca, New York, U.S. source: