Mid 20th Century Leon Dusso Diptych, Paintings Oil on Wood- Set of 2

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Leon Dusso (1918-1991), diptych, oil on board, mid 20th century, signed lower right.

A substantial diptych (2 pieces or panels … Read more Leon Dusso (1918-1991), diptych, oil on board, mid 20th century, signed lower right.

A substantial diptych (2 pieces or panels that together create a single piece) oil painting showing two young ladies and one young man. The two ladies look to be gathering seashells and are wearing beautifully draped gowns while birds walk about. The young man is wearing in a toga, a laurel wreath and is playing an aulos, a wind instrument in ancient Greece, translated as flute or double flute. They look to be burning something in vessels, possibly incense. In the background there is a column with a fish atop, large rocks, a sailboat, an expansive body of water and the glowing midday sun.

Detailed black lines trace the shape and movement of the bodies, facial features and hair, as well as the other elements depicted. Grace and beauty are shown vividly and these particular paintings show classical and Greco-Roman style and subject matter. It is highly possible that these were set dressing for a Hollywood film or television production.

Born Leon d’Usseau in Los Angeles, CA in 1918, he began his training under the guidance of his father, who was a fine art director at Paramount Pictures. He painted under the name Dusso and studied under Merrill Gage and Archipenko at the Chouinard Art Institute where he taught life drawing class. His paintings were often influenced by Mayan and Incan designs.

According to Dusso, “After spending eight years as a make-up artist at MGM, a growing need for deeper personal expression caused me to abandon this lucrative occupation for one more spiritually rewarding.” Dusso is listed in “Who’s Who in Western Art.” His oil paintings have been purchased and used in the making of the film “Man in the Grey Flannel Suit,” and the film “Anything Goes,” as well as the Perry Mason series on television starring Raymond Burr.

Leon Dusso's works have been exhibited at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), 1937-40; CPLH, 1941; MM, 1942; Los Angeles Arts Association, 1944; Audubon Association, 1945; California Water Color Society, 1946; Laguna Festival of Arts. Dusso's works have been collected by: Marshall Field and Palmer House (Chicago) and Dallas Museum.

For more about Leon Dusso, read "Artists in California, 1786-1940" by Edan Hughes. See less