Joseph J. Stefanelli (1921–2017) was a pivotal figure in the first generation of New York School Abstract Expressionists, celebrated for his lyrical use of color, bold forms, and lifelong commitment to experimentation. Born in South Philadelphia to an Italian-American family, Stefanelli showed early artistic promise, later refining his craft through formal studies at the Philadelphia Museum School of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. His trajectory was interrupted by World War II, during which he served as a combat illustrator and correspondent for Yank magazine, documenting the Pacific theater with striking immediacy.

After the war, Stefanelli moved to New York City, immersing himself in the burgeoning downtown art scene. In 1947, he studied with Hans Hofmann, whose emphasis on color and formal structure would influence Stefanelli’s early forays into abstraction. By 1951, he had joined the Artists’ Club and was invited by Franz Kline to participate in the groundbreaking Ninth Street Show, curated by Leo Castelli—a seminal moment marking the birth of Abstract Expressionism. Stefanelli became an integral member of the Downtown Group, which included contemporaries like de Kooning, Motherwell, and Joan Mitchell.

Stefanelli’s paintings—characterized by sweeping brushstrokes, geometric gestures, and masterful color juxtapositions—embodied the visceral energy of the Abstract Expressionist movement while retaining a sense of poetic intimacy. Critic John Russell of The New York Times praised his ability to “marry pink and pale blue in a way that had been forgotten since the death of Raoul Dufy.” Though he avoided strict categorization, Stefanelli’s compositions danced between spontaneity and control, evoking movement, light, and memory.

As an educator, Stefanelli held teaching positions at major institutions including the University of California, Princeton University, NYU, Columbia University, and the Temple University program in Rome. His influence extended across generations, mentoring young artists while maintaining an unwavering devotion to his own evolving practice.

His work was exhibited internationally and is included in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Walker Art Center, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art, among many others. In 2000, he was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, and in 2005, he received the Benjamin Altman Prize for Painting from the National Academy Museum.

Joseph Stefanelli remained active well into his nineties, painting and exhibiting with vigor and clarity. His compositions, rich in cultural memory and formal innovation, stand as enduring testaments to the spirit of American postwar art. As the last living artist of the first-generation Abstract Expressionists at the time of his death, Stefanelli’s legacy holds a vital place in the history of modern art.

Selected Exhibitions

• 2010 – Galerie Barbara von Stechow, Düsseldorf, Germany

• 2008 – Joe Stefanelli: New York School of Abstract Expressionism, Galerie Barbara von Stechow, Frankfurt, Germany (solo)

• 2008 – Suvretta House, St. Moritz, Switzerland (solo)

• 2006 – Galerie Barbara von Stechow, Düsseldorf, Germany (solo)

• 2006 – Ludwigmuseum im Deutschherrenhaus, Koblenz, Germany (solo)

• 2005 – New York: Abstract Expressionism, Galerie Barbara von Stechow, Frankfurt, Germany (solo)

• 2004 – Cherry Stone Gallery, Wellfleet, MA (solo)

• 2004 – Galerie Barbara von Stechow, Düsseldorf, Germany (solo)

• 2003 – Galerie Barbara von Stechow, Frankfurt, Germany (solo)

• 2003 – Galerie Barbara von Stechow, Düsseldorf, Germany (solo)

• 2001 – Galerie Barbara von Stechow, Frankfurt, Germany (solo)

• 2001 – Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY (solo)

• 2000 – Galerie Barbara von Stechow, Frankfurt, Germany (solo)

• 2000 – Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, NY

• 1995 – Denise Bibro Fine Art Gallery, New York, NY (solo)

• 1994 – Reclaiming of the New York School: Toward a More Inclusive View of the 1950s, Baruch College, CUNY, New York, NY

• 1994 – New York - Provincetown: a 50s Connection, Provincetown Art Association and Museum, Provincetown, MA

• 1994 – Olaf Clasen Gallery, Cologne, Germany (solo)

• 1993 – Galerie Peter Baumler, Regensburg, Germany (solo)

• 1992 – Olaf Clasen Gallery, Cologne, Germany (solo)

• 1989 – Pennsylvania Academy, Philadelphia, PA (solo)

• 1989 – Randall Gallery, St. Louis, MO (solo)

• 1989 – R.H. Love Gallery, Chicago, IL (solo)

• 1988 – Retrospective, The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA (solo)

• 1988 – Benton Gallery, Southampton, NY (solo)

• 1988 – Cyrus Gallery, New York, NY (solo)

• 1987 – Armstrong Gallery, New York, NY (solo)

• 1986 – Barbara Ingber Gallery, New York, NY (solo)

• 1984 – Barbara Ingber Gallery, New York, NY (solo)

• 1982 – New School for Social Research, New York, NY (solo)

• 1972 – New School for Social Research, New York, NY (solo)

• 1965 – University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AK (solo)

• 1964 – Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (solo)

• 1963–1964 – Hans Hofmann and His Students, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY

• 1963 – Thibaut Gallery, New York, NY (solo)

• 1962 – Hacker Gallery, New York, NY (solo)

• 1960 – 60 Americans: 1960, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN

• 1957–1958 – Poindexter Gallery, New York, NY (solo)

• 1951–1957 – 9th Street Show, New York Painting and Sculpture Annual, Stable Gallery, New York, NY (participated in first and next four shows)

• 1956 – Ganymede Gallery, New York, NY (solo)

• 1952–1956 – Tanager Gallery, New York, NY

• 1953–1955 – Whitney Museum of American Art Annuals, New York, NY

• 1954 – Artists’ Gallery, New York, NY (solo)

• 1953 – Hendler Gallery, Philadelphia, PA (solo)

• 1952 – The New Gallery, New York, NY (solo)

• 1950 – New Talent Show, Kootz Gallery, New York, NY

• 1950 – Artists’ Gallery, New York, NY (solo)

Public Collections

• Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY

• Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

• Corcoran Gallery, Washington, DC

• Albright-Knox Museum, Buffalo, NY

• Montana Historical Society, Helena, MT

• National Academy of Design, New York, NY

• Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN

• Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY

• Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT