1940s Figurative Expressionist Man Reading Original Watercolor on Paper

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Description

About the artwork: This Expressionist-style painting, "Man Reading with Crossed Legs" is by an unknown yet deft artist features bold … Read more About the artwork: This Expressionist-style painting, "Man Reading with Crossed Legs" is by an unknown yet deft artist features bold brushwork to depict a man casually reading a book while seated on a chair with his legs crossed in a figure four.

The casual figure four leg position (which looks like a 4 when viewed from above) is most often used by Americans or by young men from other cultures that have been exposed to American news and entertainment media or conversational groups. In Middle Eastern countries, the posture is often considered impolite because showing the sole of one’s shoe is a sign of disrespect. It is relatively rare in Europe and Asia, where one leg is usually closely crossed over the other. During the Second World War, the Nazis kept a lookout for men who sat in the figure four posture since anyone using it was clearly not German or had spent time in the United States. Like the man reading his book and seeing the world it describes, the viewer can read the body language of this painting’s subject and see the casual yet bold confidence of an American.

This original artwork is matted, covered with glass, and set in a straightforward brown wood frame ready to hang.

Painting dimensions without the frame = 29 x 20 inches.
Provenance:
Private collection – New York See less