Brice at age three or four, already with a passion for drawing, ca. 1925
Frances and Brice, ca. 1925. This is the photo used in the Kansas City Post newspaper article, next image.
Frances and Brice featured in Kansas City Post article about Fanny touring with her children, ca. 1925
Fanny, Brice, and sister Frances, mid-1920's
Brice portrait near the time of his parents' divorce, ca. 1928
Family portrait of Frances, Fanny, and Brice near the time of Fanny and Nick's divorce, ca. 1928
Frances and Brice, ca. 1930
Brice, summer at Ocean Beach, Fire Island, New York around the time Brice declared his interest in art, ca. 1933-34
Brice portrait, ca. 1932
Henry Botkin, George and Ira Gershwins’ cousin who became Brice’s art mentor and 'surrogate father,' in his studio, ca. mid-1930’s
Henry Botkin inscribed photo to Brice, "For My Dear Bill…" ca. mid-1930's
Brice's mostly absent "Daddy," Julius W. "Nicky" Arnstein, 1947. Brice chose a very different life for himself, one much closer to that of Henry Botkin, whom he admired. (For more, please see: Library/Brice in Words/Letter to his Mentor's Children)
Brice, Fanny, Frances, and Eddy Cantor on the film set of Ali Baba Goes to Town, 1937. Cantor debuted in the 1919 Ziegfeld Follies that included Fanny and her friends W.C. Fields and the great, black comedian Bert Williams.
Fanny and Brice, Beverly Hills, ca. 1937
Brice and Fanny admire a painting by Henry Botkin, Gershwins’ cousin and Brice’s mentor in art, 1938
L to R: Anya Arlen, Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Fanny, and Brice looking at Brice's painting, ca. 1940
Brice wearing a hat inside of the shack that Brice and friends had ‘renovated’ into their clubhouse, ca. 1940
Brice drinking a beer and reading newspaper in club house, ca. 1940
Shirley Bardeen, Brice's future wife, and Brice in club house, ca. 1940
Shirley, Brice's future wife, Brice wearing shower cap, and Perry Allen's girlfriend, ca. 1940
Shirley, Brice's future wife, and Brice in his 1939 Ford convertible at Fanny's house, ca. 1940
Perry Allen, Perry's girlfriend, Shirley, Brice's future wife, and Brice, ca. 1940
Brice drinking a beer and reading newspaper in club house, ca. 1940
Brice and Shirley, Brice's future wife, in the backseat of Brice's 1939 Ford convertible, ca. 1940
Brice sitting on car door and Shirley, Brice's future wife, in Brice's 1939 Ford convertible, ca. 1940
Shirley, Brice's future wife, and Brice sitting up on the seats of Brice's 1939 Ford convertible, ca. 1940
Shirley, Brice's future wife, Brice, and Perry Allen's girlfriend in Brice's 1939 Ford convertible, ca. 1940
Shirley, now Mrs. William Brice, and Brice, a married couple, ca. 1942
Steet view of Brice’s mother’s Beverly Hills home where he and his wife lived during the WWII and until 1950.
Shirley Brice in the drive of her new home, living with Brice, Fanny, and the Starks, ca. mid-1940's
View of the his mother’s two, small outbuildings. Brice made his ‘studio’ in the building at the end of the path, while the building to the right, the “pool house”, was his and his wife’s abode.
Int. Brice’s ‘studio’ at his mother’s Beverly Hills home. On the far wall are: Brice’s self-portrait (left) and his Picasso gouache (right), purchased by Brice with his “pocket” money when he was thirteen-years-old.
Fanny with Brice’s 1939 still life painting, ca. 1939-40. See this painting (WB39-0001) in the website's 1930's Painting Gallery
Shirley Brice in nightgown in Brice's studio at Fanny's home, ca. mid-1940's
Brice and Shirley in his studio at Fanny's home, ca. mid-1940's
Brice, an avid squash player, practicing at home, ca mid-1940’s
In and around Fanny's pool: Fran (Brice) Stark, Brice, Shirley, and Fanny (pointing), ca. mid-1940's
Shirley, Brice, and Fran (Brice) Stark swimming in Fanny's pool, ca. mid-1940's
Fran (Brice) Stark and Shirley Brice, ca. mid-1940's
Brice and his wife, Shirley, in Fanny's pool, ca. mid-1940's
Brice holding on to diving board in Fanny's pool, ca. mid-1940's
Vincent Price and Brice in Fanny's pool, ca. mid-1940's
Vincent Price stretching in Fanny's garden, ca. mid-1940's
Brice portrait in T-shirt and jacket, ca. mid-1940's
Brice portrait in T-shirt, ca. mid-1940's
Brice, Shirley Brice, and friend, artist Howard Warshaw, 1947
Shirley Brice, Brice, and friend, artist Howard Warshaw behind wheel of Jeep, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947. Brices and Warshaws went to Mexico to paint murals in an abandoned building. (For more on the murals, please see: Photo Album/Brice in Studio, Working and Getty Center)
Howard Warshaw and Shirley Brice in front of abandoned building, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
Brice, Howard Warshaw, and Shirley Brice surrounded by local children, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
Shirley Brice and local children, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
Brice, in profile, seated on ground in front of wall with self-portrait cartoon profile, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
Brice drawing caricature of Howard Warshaw with a bottle of tequila and the words "Tequila Sauz..." and Warshaw, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
Brice standing in window hole, laying in mural drawing, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
Shirley Brice seated on ground before partially completed Brice mural, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
Brice standing in front of his mural, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
Warshaw 'passed out' on the ground after mural completion, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
L to R: unidentified man, Shirley Brice, Brice, Helen Warshaw, Howard Warshaw on beach against wall, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
Howard Warshaw and Brice on beach, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
Brice and Shirley Brice against wall on beach, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
Shirley Brice with Rosarito Beach Hotel in background. From the 1930's, the hotel was a haunt for Hollywood stars who wanted a "get away" and a relaxed local ambiance, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
Shirley Brice and Brice, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
Shirley Brice standing against wall, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
Shirley Brice in close shot, Ensenada, Mexico, 1947
Brice, Shirley Brice, Howard Warshaw, and Helen Warshaw seated in garden, ca. late-1940's
Shirley Brice, Helen Warshaw, Howard Warshaw, and Brice standing in garden, ca. late-1940's
Shirley Brice, pregnant with son John, and Brice, Fanny's house, 1950
The Brice's new home, "The Plywood House" designed by architect Richard Neutra in 1936, ca. 1950
Shirley, Brice, and baby John, Brice home garden, 1950
Brice with baby John on his lap, Brice home garden, 1950
Brice, Shirley Brice, Rico Lebrun with props, early 1950’s
Brice, Rico Lebrun, and Howard Warshaw, friends and fellow Jepson Art Institute teachers, early-1950's. Besides Fanny Brice, other show business luminaries such as Zero Mostel and Vincent Price came to hear lectures at Jepson's. Students included Robert Irwin and Wallace Berman.
Rico Lebrun seated in his studio, early-1950's
Rico Lebrun, early-1950's
Brice and Shirley Brice on harbor dock, early-1950's
Brice and Shirley Brice at an afternoon party, early-1960's
Brice and Shirley Brice at an afternoon party, early-1960's
Shirley and John Brice on sabbatical trip, Palace of Fontainebleau, France, 1958
Brice and his son John 'pretend' fishing, sabbatical trip, France, 1958
John Brice by Citroën that took Brices through France, Italy, and Belgium, in French countryside, 1958
French countryside, Brice sabbatical trip, 1958
Shirley Brice at simple lunch picnic, Brice sabbatical trip, France, 1958
Brice, sabbatical trip, France, 1958
John Brice and Shirley breakfasting at hotel overlooking Lake Annecy, France, where the Brices paused to join LA friends Frank Perls and the Brodys, 1958
John Brice and Brice, hotel overlooking Lake Annecy, France, 1958
John Brice and Brice on Lake Annecy, France, Brice sabbatical trip, 1958
Shirley and John Brice outside cathedral, Brice sabbatical trip, 1958
Brice and Shirley Brice outside cathedral, sabbatical trip, 1958
Frescoes snapped by Brice, sabbatical trip, 1958
Frescoes snapped by Brice, sabbatical trip, 1958
Brice, Shirley, and John Brice, sabbatical trip, Italy, 1958
Pompeii frescoes snapped by Brice, sabbatical trip, Italy, 1958
Pompeii frescoes snapped by Brice, sabbatical trip, Italy, 1958
Paestum, Italy, Brice sabbatical trip, 1958. While Brice focused on medieval and Renaissance frescoes during this trip, his acquaintance with Paestum and other ruins were likely to have been references for his "anticipatory paintings" of ruin fragments just prior to his 1970 trip to Greece.
Brice sitting on column, Paestum, Italy, sabbatical trip, 1958
Shirley, Brice, and John Brice, Paestum, Italy, Brice sabbatical trip, 1958
Paestum, Italy, Brice sabbatical trip, 1958
Temple, Paestum, Italy, Brice sabbatical trip, 1958
Frank Perls, Shirley, and John Brice, sabbatical trip, Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy, 1958
Shirley Brice hand feeding the pigeons of Piazza San Marco, sabbatical trip, Venice, Italy, 1958
La Baule on the Atlantic coast of France, sabbatical trip, 1958. The Brices took a week's respite to relax from visiting one church and museum after another and to visit Fanny's old friend, dancer Harry Pilcer.
Brice and Shirley Brice on hotel balcony, sabbatical trip, La Baule, France, 1958
Brice on hotel balcony, sabbatical trip, La Baule, France, 1958
Shirley Brice on hotel balcony, sabbatical trip, La Baule, France, 1958
Brice on beach at La Baule, sabbatical trip, France, 1958
Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris with the Brices and Frank Perls, sabbatical trip, Paris, France, 1958
Brice and John Brice at the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, sabbatical trip, Paris, France, 1958
Frank Perls, Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, sabbatical trip, Paris, France, 1958
The SS United States ocean liner that returned the Brices from France to New York at the conclusion of Brice's sabbatical, Le Havre, France, 1958
The Brices at dinner aboard the SS United States, 1958
The Brices disembarking from the SS United States and passing through New York customs, 1958
A playful card from Brice friend, painter Alfred Leslie, whom the Brices visited in New York, 1958
Brice and Shirley Brice, doorway of Brice home studio, photo by Brice friend and photographer Ann (Perls) Rosener, ca. early-1960's
Brice and Shirley Brice, doorway of Brice home studio, photo by Brice friend and photographer Ann (Perls) Rosener, ca. early-1960's
Brice and Shirley Brice, doorway of Brice home studio, photo by Brice friend and photographer Ann (Perls) Rosener, ca. early-1960's
Brice and Shirley Brice, doorway of Brice home studio, photo by Brice friend and photographer Ann (Perls) Rosener, ca. early-1960's
Brice and Shirley Brice, doorway of Brice home studio, photo by Brice friend and photographer Ann (Perls) Rosener, ca. early-1960's
Brice and Shirley Brice, doorway of Brice home studio, photo by Brice friend and photographer Ann (Perls) Rosener, ca. early-1960's
Brice and Shirley Brice, doorway of Brice home studio, photo by Brice friend and photographer Ann (Perls) Rosener, ca. early-1960's
Brice and Shirley Brice, doorway of Brice home studio, photo by Brice friend and photographer Ann (Perls) Rosener, ca. early-1960's
Brice and Shirley Brice on bench in their garden with studio in background, photo by Brice friend and photographer Ann (Perls) Rosener, ca. early-1960's
Brice and Shirley Brice on bench in their garden with studio in background, photo by Brice friend and photographer Ann (Perls) Rosener, ca. early-1960's
Brice and Shirley Brice on bench in their garden with studio in background, photo by Brice friend and photographer Ann (Perls) Rosener, ca. early-1960's
Contact sheet strip of photos of Brice in his garden, ca. early-1960's
Charles (aka, Boy) and Alice (aka, Sister) Russell's ranch, Carmel Valley, California, ca. mid-1960's. The Russells and Brices had been friends since their teen years and went with the Brices on the 1970 and 1979 Greek island trips.
Brice in the garden of the Russell Ranch, Carmel Valley, California, ca. mid-1960's
Alice Russell, Charles Russell, and Brice in Russell Ranch swimming pool, Carmel Valley California, ca. mid-1960's
Brice and Charles Russell standing on pool edge, Russell Ranch, Carmel Valley California, ca. mid-1960's
Charles Russell, Shirley Brice, and Brice at cathedral, Mexico, ca. mid-1960's
Brice and Charles Russell, Gulf of California, Guaymas, Mexico, ca. mid-1960's
Brice and Charles Russell posing for the camera in a pretense that they caught the fish they happened upon, Guaymas, Mexico, ca. mid-1960's
Brice and Charles Russell trying to fix the muffler on the Russell car, Mexico, ca. mid-1960's
Charles Russell, Shirley Brice, and Brice in a jolly mood in their hotel, Mexico, ca. mid-1960's
Brice, laughing, with Charles and Alice Russell in their hotel, Mexico, ca. mid-1960's
Painter Rufino Tamayo mixing drinks for the Brices and Russells, Tamayo home, Mexico, ca. mid-1960's
Painter Rufino Tamayo in his pool, Tamayo home, Mexico, ca. mid-1960's
Painter Tamayo in pool with Brice and Alice Russell poolside, Tamayo home, Mexico, ca. mid-1960's
Artist Rufino Tamayo, Brice, an unknown woman, and Tamayo's wife Olga, Tamayo home, Mexico, ca. mid-1960's
L to R: William Brice, Alice Russell, Olga Tamayo, Artist Rufino Tamayo, and Charles Russell in the Tamayo living room. Photo taken by Shirley Brice; ca. mid-1960's
Los Angeles Times, Home Magazine feature article on the Brices, May 21, 1967
Mrs. Shirley Brice, ca. late 1960's
Brice at the Acropolis, Athens Greece, on the first day of his family’s journey to Greece. Brice arrived filled with excited anticipation, intuiting that Greece and what he experienced there might somehow help him break out of his creative cul-de-sac. He shot hundreds of photographs of the marvels he saw, ones that would fuel his creative drive for the rest of his life. Photo by John Brice, 1970
The Brice, Russell and Poe party boarding My Daphni in Pireaus harbor for a three-week cruise of the Cyclades. Shown L to R: Barbara Poe, Charles Russell, Alice Russell, Shirley Brice (partially hidden behind Mrs. Russell), John Brice and Adam Poe (hidden behind John). Photo by Brice, 1970
My Daphni at anchor in the Cyclades. Photo by Brice, 1970
Brice drawing aboard My Daphni with Charles Russell behind him, 1970. Photo by John Brice
Alice Russell and Shirley Brice aboard My Daphni, 1970
Poros harbor, one of the many Cycladic islands visited on the voyage. Photo by Brice, 1970
Images that interested Brice: brightly painted fishing boats. Photo by Brice, 1970
Images that interested Brice: one of the characteristic whitewashed Orthodox Greek churches with typical blue dome.
Sketch from Brice’s Greek Sketchbook and Journal drawn during his Cycladic cruise, 1970
The monochromatic, ghostly treatment of these whitewashed village streets and homes appear to have fascinated Brice and to echo his own early interest in closely toned works (40's and 50's) as well as artists he admired such as Zurbarán and Morandi among others. Post Greece, some of Brice’s 1970's paintings employed similarly muted tones. Photo by Brice, 1970
The monochromatic, ghostly treatment of these whitewashed stone walls, doors and walkways appear appear to have fascinated Brice and to echo his own early interest in closely toned works (40's and 50's) as well as artists he admired such as Zurbarán and Morandi among others. Post Greece, some of Brice’s 1970's paintings employed similarly muted tones. Photo by Brice, 1970
The monochromatic, ghostly treatment of these whitewashed windows appear appear to have fascinated Brice and to echo his own early interest in closely toned works (40's and 50's) as well as artists he admired such as Zurbarán and Morandi among others. Post Greece, some of Brice’s 1970's paintings employed similarly muted tones. Photo by Brice, 1970
One of many decorative and unique doors Brice photographed that may well have developed his deeper interest in “portals”, architectural, biomorphic and organic, which began to inhabit much of Brice’s post Greece works. Photo by Brice, 1970
Sketch from Brice’s Greek Sketchbook
and Journal of a window treatment
drawn during his Cycladic cruise, 1970
Brice’s photograph of fragments of a temple’s pediment and slanted cornice with a small cloud hovering above, elements that later appeared in some of Brice’s post Greece works.
Geek Orthodox Church exterior. Photo by Brice, 1970
Interior of another Geek Orthodox Church. Photo by Brice, 1970
“Tamata” embossed images hanging in a Greek Orthodox church. Tamata are a form of votive offering made by parishioners that literally or metaphorically symbolize the subject of prayer for which the plaque is offered. Brice’s introduction to them added to his growing interest in the notion of icons. Fascinating on their own to Brice, they also endorsed the associative power he found in the stone fragments of statuary spread over the Greek landscape or displayed in museums. The combination of these encounters worked its way into Brice’s post Greece works. Photo by Brice, 1970
Mosaic, Patmos Monastery. Like the “icons” Brice experienced in Greece, like the Medieval frescoes he had seen during his 1958 European sabbatical to study frescoes, this and other mosaics furthered his interest and awareness of what might be called “loaded images”—simple images that offer the viewer imbedded complex meanings and associations. Post Greece, Brice increasingly focused on this idea of simple but loaded imagery in his work. Photo by Brice, 1970
Cliff dwellings overlooking the Aegean. Photo by John Brice
Brice on the Aegean with cliff dwellings in the background. Photo by John Brice
Image of a ‘floating island and small church’. Photo by Brice, 1970
Temple columns and
lintels atop a cliff overlooking the Aegean. Photo by Brice, 1970
Sketch from Brice’s Greek Sketchbook and journal that includes temple columns and a lintel drawn during his Cycladic cruise, 1970
Temple column remains overlooking the Aegean. Photo by Brice, 1970
View of Delos Island, the birthplace of Apollo in Greek mythology, displaying a vast quilt of ruins and statuary fragments. Photo by Brice, 1970
Delos, partial kore (female statuary) framed by two temple columns and their lentil. Photo by Brice, 1970
Female and male statuary figure fragments from the distant past yet their contrapuntal poses make them at once feel both present and timeless offering a sense of multi-time that became imbued in much of Brice’s post Greece work. Photo by Brice, 1970
Brice on Greek trip, Cyclades, Greece, 1970
Map tracing in red the Brice, Russell, Poe 1970 Cycladic voyage.
Brice in home garden, ca. mid-1970's
Shirley Brice and Brice, visiting temple ruins during their second trip to Greece and for another cruise, 1979
Brice with friends David Hockney and Richard Diebenkorn at Brice's opening, LA Louver Gallery, Venice, California, 1984
Brice and Shirley Brice in home garden, Los Angeles, CA, mid-1980's
Shirley Brice and Brice on home garden terrace, Los Angeles, CA, mid-1980's
Shirley Brice and Brice in Kyoto for Crown Point Press print project, 1987
Brice with friend, former student, and artist, Don Lagerberg, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2005
Brice in the living room, Los Angeles, 2006
Shirley Brice in the living room, Los Angeles, 2006
Brice takes a moment to contemplate at friend's (Barbara Poe) house, Los Angeles, summer 2007, eight months before Brice passed.
William Brice drawing exhibition opening, LA Louver Gallery, Venice, California, November 2010
Crowd, William Brice drawing exhibition opening, LA Louver Gallery, Venice, California, November 2010
Peter Goulds, gallery founder and director, greets Shirley Brice, seated, at Brice drawing exhibition opening, LA Louver Gallery, Venice, California, November 2010
