RUEHL FREDERICK HECKMAN (1890-1942)

Ruehl Frederick Heckman was an American painter and muralist associated with early twentieth-century public art projects in the United States. He was born in 1890 and pursued artistic training in the United States and Europe, developing a practice that included easel painting as well as large-scale decorative and mural work.

Heckman is known for his participation in federally supported art programs during the 1930s, when he received commissions for murals in public buildings. His work reflects themes common to American mural painting of the period, including regional history and civic life, and was executed in a representational style suited to architectural settings.

He died in 1942. His murals and paintings form part of the broader context of American public art initiatives of the interwar period.