Mid 20th Century Anonymous Folk Art Painting Found on Back of Traditional Italian Work

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Anonymity and mystery surrounds this back portion of a traditional oil on board still-life, Italian painting. The front is a … Read more Anonymity and mystery surrounds this back portion of a traditional oil on board still-life, Italian painting. The front is a simple flowers in a vase scene that's executed with palette knife. It's actually a well done and beautiful work, in a most straightforward kind of way. And it's signed with the Italian name E. Barontini, on the bottom left corner. And the story could have ended there; But...

We turn the board around and we are delightfully faced with an anonymous Folk Art! Quickly scanning it we find no signature or clue as to who has done it.

We believe the front facing work made its way from Italy to the United States, and at some point during the 20th Century a mystery folk artist decided to interject on to this piece to captivate us with their brilliant art.

At first you would think a child did this, but after a few minutes of studying it you would quickly rule that notion out. The depth of sophistication, control, and mature playfulness would not have emanated from a child. And so this back side of this piece of board is where the true genius lies. An avant-garde artist (if we may call them that) took us back to childhood in the most profound manner. He or she seems to have transported us to a playground in the most naive childlike way they could find.

The work is a combination of figures, that are balanced between the abstract and the real. We have a house, a fish, a tree, and a child; and they are counterbalanced with abstract figures of lines, circles, triangles, and polkadots. They, we feel, represent toys and the imagination of a young child.

Elevating all this is the color choices. And they are superb. Deep yellow, orange, red, green, blue, and teal come to life alongside the figures in the most magical way. And when all this was accomplished the artist stepped away leaving us without a name; like the evaporating dreams of child.

Circa: Mid 20th Century
Condition: Consistent with age and wear
Dimensions: 18" W x 24" H See less