Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 134 works by Jacob Kainen in our catalogue
In short
To the gallery's eye, Jacob Kainen's most famous painting is (Russian Suite) Pushkin (1973). Color Guard (1973) and Invasion (1936) complete the trio every eye recognises. Of the 134 works by Jacob Kainen in our catalog, the gallery presents the 100 most famous below, each original with its year, its museum and what makes it unique.
The artwork titled (Russian Suite) Pushkin is a lithograph created by the artist Jacob Kainen. This specific piece was produced in 1973. It belongs to a larger body of work known as the Russian Suite series, a collection of artworks developed by Kainen during this period of his career.
We are looking at Color Guard, a work created by Jacob Kainen in 1973. This piece belongs to the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, a fact that speaks to its place within a significant institutional history. It is an abstract composition that avoids a literal representation of any specific scene or object, focusing instead on the interplay of various elements.
Crimson Nude1961
12
Two Men Crawling1959
13
Boy Telephoning1964
14
Nude Relaxing1969
15
Anacharsis1972
16
Woman Seated at a Pedestal1967
17
Evening Recreation
18
Landscape with Figure
19
Flightmaster1972
20
Tenement Fire1934
21
Going Home1937
22
Banana Man1937
23
Nude Reclining1937
24
Cement Mixer1938
25
Cafeteria1936
26
Bronx El1941
27
The Bath1941
28
Sculptor1939
29
River Piece1940
30
Loading Up1939
31
Huckster1942
32
Street with Red House1947
33
Unmoored No. 11950
34
The Night Obscure1949
35
House with Black Sky1949
36
Marine Apparition1949
37
The Bright Reward1950
38
Forest Bird1950
39
Residential Facades1949
40
The Vulnerable1954
41
Echoes of Antiquity1954
42
Gene Davis1961
43
At the Window1960
44
Woman with Dark Hair1959
45
St. Sebastian II1959
46
Back1966
47
Primeval Family1960
48
Stranger at the Gate1958
49
Seated Nude1965
50
Boy with Kite II1962
51
Nude Resting1963
52
No Dominion1968
53
Wheel of Misfortune1969
54
Untitled1971
55
Cosmo Queen1972
56
Untitled1971
57
(Russian Suite) Dusk Leningrad1973
58
Fabrizio1972
59
Invader1973
60
Mr. Kafka1970
61
The Apprentice1972
62
The Fabulous Manipulator1973
63
Observer XIII1974 · Art Institute of Chicago
64
Grand Master, from the Washington Portfolio '741974
65
Flagman I1974
66
Hoard1976
67
Prodigy II1977
68
Jacob and the Angel1977
69
Figment II1977
70
Professor X 21977
71
Flagman1974
72
Secret Agent1976
73
Observer XV1974
74
Nazarene I1975
75
Theopanes1976
76
Advance Man1974
77
Nazarene II1975
78
Luminary1976
79
Hesperus1974
80
The Way XI1979
81
The Way III1979
82
Sanctum1980
83
Blue Height1978
84
El Presidente1978
85
The Summons I1983
86
Dabrowsky V1986
87
Triple Threat1985
88
Foxfire I1988
89
Bright Surround1989
90
Broken Arc1997
91
Birdman1970
92
Man Astraddle1935
93
Barber Shop1939
94
The Enforcer1972
95
The Rose Cocoon1970
96
Abraham1970
97
Alma1972
98
Journey into Time1952
99
Fixation1970
100
Study for Hesperus
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The museum that holds the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Jacob Kainen | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Art Institute of Chicago |
Chicago | 1 | Observer XIII |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
The artwork titled (Russian Suite) Pushkin is a lithograph created by the artist Jacob Kainen. This specific piece was produced in 1973. It belongs to a larger body of work known as the Russian Suite series, a collection of artworks developed by Kainen during this period of his career.
(Russian Suite) Pushkin (1973). Color Guard (1973) and Invasion (1936) come next.
64 years old: (Russian Suite) Pushkin dates from 1973, and Jacob Kainen was born in 1909.
(Russian Suite) Pushkin, Color Guard, Invasion, Driver's Seat, Spanish Landscape with Figures, Aftermath, Coffee Pot, Money Ball, Wood Block Printer and Metamorphosis. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 134 works by Jacob Kainen, dated from 1934 to 1997.
Mostly in Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1970s: 40 of the 100 works on this page were made then, (Russian Suite) Pushkin among them.
On this page, the earliest is Tenement Fire (1934) and the latest Broken Arc (1997).
Abstract (5), Geometric (5) and Geometric shapes (3), across the 100 works on this page.
Lithograph, for 2 of the 100 works on this page.
Expressionism, judging by the originals on this page.
Jacob Kainen was a multifaceted American artist, renowned as a painter, printmaker, art historian, and collector. His career spanned decades, marked by stylistic evolution, intellectual curiosity, and significant contributions to the art world both through his own creations and his scholarly endeavors.
