Commissioned Oil Portrait Paintings for Individual and Group Portraiture.

Biography of Award Winning Oil Portrait Painter Marvin Mattelson


Marvin Mattelson is an award winning oil portrait painter who draws on over thirty-five years of professional experience as an artist and educator. Ten of Marvin’s paintings are included in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution. The Metropolitan Museum of Art recently acquired one of his paintings for their permanent collection. His portraits hang in both private and corporate collections around the world. He has been commissioned to create portraits of the CEOs from Met Life, NYNEX, and ITT Corporation, the Board of Directors of MBNA, as well as composer Philip Glass, writer/historian Conner Cruise O’Brien and the Archbishop of New York, Edward Cardinal Egan. He is currently working on a posthumous portrait of the late John Cardinal O'Connor for the New York Archdiocese. The Portrait Society of America awarded Marvin Mattelson First Place in their 2006 International Portrait Competition for his portrait of His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan. They also presented him with a Certificate of Merit in 2005 and their Merit Award in 2004. He was also the recipient of their Best Portfolio Award, for the past three years. In 2003 he received an Award of Merit in the Artists Magazine Art Competition, having also been selected as a finalist in 2000 and 2001. His portrait of Eric was chosen as the cover image for the New York Society of Portrait Artists 2002 National Invitational and Members Juried Exhibition Call for Entries, where his portrait of Steve Fishbach was given the Distinguished Merit Award.
	The American Society of Portrait Artists honored Marvin Mattelson for his Portrait Painting of Eric with the Second Prize award in their 2001 International Portrait Competition, which took place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. His portrait of Karin had been selected as a Finalist in their 2000 Competition. In 2002 Marvin was chosen as a finalist by ASOPA for an unprecedented third consecutive year in their Portrait Painting Competition, and received the Honors Award for his portrait of Mr. Stephen Fishbach.

Prior to becoming a full time portrait painter, Marvin was an award-winning illustrator. During his career as an illustrator he was commissioned to paint over twenty covers for Time Magazine. A partial list of clients includes Dream Works, IBM, MTV, Newsweek, FEDEX, Putnam, Warner Publishing, A&E, CBS, ABC, Geffen Films, National Geographic, Scientific American, The US Postal Service and Angel Records.

His cover for the CD Chant helped propel it to number three on the Pop Charts, making it the most popular classical album of all time. He has received over sixty awards from the Society of Illustrators.

Marvin’s work has been featured in articles in Communication Arts, Print Magazine, Idea Magazine, and Step-by-Step Graphics Magazine and has appeared in numerous illustration, advertising and design annuals. He was the subject of a cover story for the Portrait Society of Atlanta's Folio Magazine and most recently featured in a New York Newsday article on portrait painting.

After receiving his BFA from the Philadelphia College of Art, Marvin embarked on the long road to discover the knowledge that he felt was so evident in the work of the old masters. He is most indebted to John Frederick Murray, a student of the late Frank Reilly, for his insights into the academic painting process and his great encouragement. Through Reilly's teacher George A. Bridgeman, Marvin traces his artistic heritage back through the Ecole des Beaux-Arts where 19th Century academic stalwarts, such as Jean Leon Gerome and William Bouguereau, were revered instructors. Gerome studied with Paul DeLaroche, who in turn had studied under Jacques Louis David; Gerome's artistic progeny include Americans Thomas Eakins, Dennis Miller Bunker and William McGregor Paxton, as well as George Bridgeman.

Marvin himself is a distinguished educator, who teaches classes at the School of Visual Arts in New York City in addition to conducting private portrait and figure painting workshops around the country.

Marvin is a member of the Portrait Society of America, The Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, the American Society of Portrait Artists, and was on the leadership committee of the New York Society of Portrait Artists. He lives on Long Island in Great Neck, New York, with his wife and their two sons.

Oil Portrait Painter's Chant CD Painting

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Commissioned Oil Portrait Paintings for Individual and Group Portraiture. Biography of Award Winning Oil Portrait Painter Marvin Mattelson

Commissioned Oil Portrait Paintings for Individual and Group Portraiture.

Biography of Award Winning Oil Portrait Painter Marvin Mattelson