Halpert, Samuel (Russian/American 1884 - 1930), Rooftops (New York), oil on panel, 22.25 x 16.5 inches, signed S. Halpert lower right on edge of flower pot, Halpert became a pioneer of modern art in America, having been in Paris at a revolutionary time in the art world during the first decade of the 20th century. His painting was influenced by Paul Cezanne and the French avant-garde, and in adapting the French culture, he had an edge in that he, unlike most American artists, spoke and wrote French fluently. He formed close friendships with modernists Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Fernand Leger, Jean Metsinger, and some of the older artists including Henri Rousseau and Henri Matisse. framed in a flat panel gilded wood frame measuring 27 x 21 inches,