Serge Strosberg
THE BOCA RATON MONKEY, 2025
Oil and egg tempera painting on linen
40 x 30 in
101.6 x 76.2 cm
Available at Surovek Gallery
Every person who sees my monkeys tells me it puts a smile on their face. That’s really all I want. - Serge Strosberg
Serge Strosberg (b. 1966), the Belgian-born American portrait artist, studied at the Académie Julian and the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He has lived in London and New York. He has traveled the world, his works have been shown around the world and, by a twist of fate, he has embraced the culture and beauty of Palm Beach.
Just before the pandemic shut things down, Strosberg visited the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach. Through his portrait artist’s eyes, Strosberg saw historic photographs of Palm Beach’s founders and decided to paint them as they might look in the 21st century.
The portraits he made of the historic figures were shown at the Cornell Art Museum in Delray Beach is 2024. The exhibit, Reimagining Palm Beach, was a huge success.
One of the portraits that Strosberg painted displayed at the exhibit is of architect Addison Mizner (1872-1933) with his pet monkey, Johnnie Brown, on his shoulder. Johnnie Brown, known as The Human Monkey, was a Palm Beach fixture. Gravesites are not allowed in Palm Beach, but an exception was made for Johnnie Brown, whose headstone can be found in a Worth Avenue courtyard, where Mizner lived.
Strosberg pays homage to Johnnie, and to Palm Beach, in a series of oil and egg tempera paintings that bring both to life.
Luis Montoya and Leslie Ortiz have been working together in West Palm Beach for more than twenty years. The quality of their works, both paintings and sculptures, reflects their talent and training as fine artists.
Montoya established the first fine art foundry in South Florida, opened a sculpture supply store and developed the Sculpture Department at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach and taught there for many years. Ortiz joined him in the foundry in 1985 and the two artists began to collaborate on sculptures, paintings and drawings that reflect the mastery and skill of both artists.
Please contact us if you would like more information about the work of Serge Strosberg and Montoya & Ortiz available at Surovek Gallery.
References:
Meghan McCarthy. Serge Strosberg. Palm Beach Daily News. February 16, 2026.
Arsine Kaloustian. Barrel of Monkeys. Palm Beach City Lifestyle. 2026.
