Raoul Middleman (1935 – October 29, 2021) was an American painter known for his "provocatively prolific work--primarily traditional, including figure studies, landscapes, and still lifes--and for being a megawatt personality.

[2] In a 2009 Baltimore City Paper article Bret McCabe described Middleman's paintings as featuring "... expressive strokes, a tight control over an earthy palette, a romantic tone slightly offset by a penetrating eye —becomes distinctive even if you haven’t seen them before, so strongly does he articulate his old-fashioned sensibility in his works.” [1] American University Museum at the Katzen Center described Middleman as a "Baltimore maestro [whose] nudes are not pretty—they are sagging, dimpled, and real.

His cityscapes reveal the underbelly of post-industrial rot, his narrative paintings give contemporary life to his personal obsessions.

"[3] Mike Guliano also writing in the Baltimore City Paper said ...."Other artists would look at the relatively undramatic landscape of this region and respond with quiet paintings, but Middleman sees all of nature as being animated.

Giuliano continued on to say, "Middleman's theatrical and somewhat claustrophobic portraits remain firmly within a studio environment; when he goes to the country, people pretty much drop from the scene.