Manuel Tolegian (1911–1983) was an American painter born in Fresno, California on October 18, 1911. He moved to Los Angeles at age nine and first studied art there at Manual Arts High School under Frederick Schwankovsky. After World War II, he settled back in California. As a contemporary of Jackson Pollock, Tolegian's work is characterized by his use of gouache, as seen in his piece 'Apples, grapes and bread' (1950), which bears the artist signature.