
Will Barnet (American, 1911–2012) was a painter and printmaker, best known for his abstract depictions of women and domestic scenes. His works reflect an emphasis on flat painting surfaces and meditative tones. Barnet was born in Beverly, MA, and studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts between 1927 and 1930. As early as 1934, he became the official printer for the Arts Students League, New York, where he had printed for the Mexican Muralist, Jose Clemente Orozco. At the school, he taught and influenced several generations of artists. Barnet was a figurative artist throughout his career, although there was a period in the 1940s when he experimented with using semi-abstract forms to replace realistic space.
Barnet's work has been on display in several museums, most notably the Smithsonian National Gallery of Art. Barnet’s work has been critiqued in several books, catalogues, and magazines. He received numerous awards and recognitions, and was a member of National Academy of Design, The Century Association, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Barnet lived and worked in New York. He died at his home in Manhattan at the age of 101.