Will Barnet (1911-2012) was an American painter, draftsman, and printmaker whose career spanned over 80 years. Well known as a teacher at the Arts Students League in New York, as well as Cooper Union, Yale University and Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, he is credited as a strong influence to such famous artists as James Rosenquist, Knox Martin, Emil Milan, Paul Jenkins, Cy Twombly, and Alex Katz. He was inspired by the artistic movements of multiple eras, once remarking that “painting is almost like a religious experience, which should go on and on”. He was well-known for his representational art depicting everyday life in a dream-like state with decidedly abstract blocks of color and clean lines. While early in his career Barnet mostly created monochromatic woodcuts inspired by German Expressionist and American Regionalist prints, his printmaking style evolved, along with that of his paintings.  Today he is mostly known for images which feature figures, and for serene subjects, with minimal backgrounds and bold colors.