Acrylic on masonite, signed lower left, ex collection of Nancy Chase. James Cromartie, b. 1944, 19.5H inches x 29.5W inches sight, 28H inches x 38 inches overall. Excerpt from wikipedia, James H. Cromartie is an American artist credited with the birth of Hard-Edge Realism, a style by turns both redolent of and a departure from the Magic realism pioneered by Andrew Wyeth. The list of celebrities and wealthy patrons reported to be among his collectors is extensive and examples of Cromartie's work may be found in 125 countries across the globe. Domestically, Cromartie has been called, "one of America's leading historical artists," for his commissioned portraits of the White House, Smithsonian Institution, U.S Capitol and Supreme Court, among others. In 2005, James H. Cromartie's historical portrait of the White House was featured in the widely distributed art history textbook, ArtTalk, a distinction granted to a mere 25 living artists globally.