After a decade establishing himself as an artist in New York City and Paris, Raoul Middleman returned to Baltimore in 1971 to devote himself to painting his native city. He soon bought a townhouse in Mt Vernon to raise his growing family, and created a stunning studio right in the center of the home. Here his artistic life and personal life were interwoven and inseparable. Models were friends, who, after posing, would stay for tea or dinner with the family; or they were the family themselves. His wife Ruth might take a break from her art to sit for him, and perhaps one of his children, bored or hoping to make a little pocket change, would pose or do studio chores. When no models were available, Raoul would paint fish from the Lexington Market, one of his loyal inanimate studio companions like the Foo Dog, or, of course, his own image.  Life in the Studio features large scale narratives from this period. Often burlesque takes on traditional themes, these works showcase the artist’s virtuoso painting technique while providing a window into his life. Family, friends and frequently the studio itself, all serve as subjects in the lively world that Middleman conjures in these paintings. The studio at 943 N. Calvert St. was always full of life.