Decorative Late 20th-Century Still Life Painting of Hazelnuts

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On offer is a dramatic chiaroscuro-style painting of unshelled hazelnuts spilling out of a crisp white paper cone-shaped funnel called … Read more On offer is a dramatic chiaroscuro-style painting of unshelled hazelnuts spilling out of a crisp white paper cone-shaped funnel called a cornet de papier. These were used by French grocers, particularly during the 1940s, to hold the measured weight of the nuts.
Yet, despite its innately French glamour, this especially striking still life was produced on a canvas made in a suburb in eastern Los Angeles County. The circular stamp on the stretcher reads “WOLSEY CO. INDUSTRY CAL”. The Wolsey Company was a well-known manufacturer of artist supplies, stretchers, frames, and easels based out of the aptly named City of Industry, California. The abbreviation "CAL" (instead of CA) along with the operational timeline of the company indicates the stretcher bars were manufactured between the 1960s and 1980s. The large stamped numbers “12” and “09” correspond to the standard dimensions of the canvas stretcher bars in inches, confirming a 9" x 12" canvas size.
Large stenciled alphanumeric codes on raw canvas—especially written in red or black ink like this "STL-159"—are typical factory or distributor production markers. This signifies that the canvas was likely painted as part of a wholesale decor supply chain. These operations assigned codes to specific catalog subject matters (e.g., "STL" might represent a still life) so workers and framers could quickly track and pair paintings with frames. Matched here with a frame that perfectly sets off the painting's timeless and beautifully rendered subject, it's a piece that continues to delight.
Signature/Maker’s mark: Lower right corner, J. Villat (photo #7). There is no record for this artist. Unframed dimensions: 11.5” wide x 8.75” high. See less