1979 Howard Connolly “Red Barn” Signed American Winter Landscape Painting

Details

Description

A beautifully atmospheric 1979 original winter landscape by noted American painter and illustrator Howard Connolly (1903–1990), depicting a traditional red … Read more A beautifully atmospheric 1979 original winter landscape by noted American painter and illustrator Howard Connolly (1903–1990), depicting a traditional red barn standing prominently within a quiet, snow-covered rural landscape.

The composition is anchored by the saturated barn, whose deep red exterior and near-black roof provide a striking focal point against a restrained winter palette of ivory, taupe, charcoal, brown and muted blush.

Connolly employs loose, confident painterly passages throughout the foreground, using expressive marks to suggest snow-covered earth, grasses, shrubs and bare winter vegetation. These textural elements contrast beautifully with the strong geometric architecture of the barn and the delicately rendered trees disappearing into the distant landscape.

The work is an original painting executed on textured artist's board, a surface whose subtle texture remains visible throughout portions of the composition.

The painting is signed “Howard Connolly” at the lower right. Even more importantly, the reverse of the artist's board retains a handwritten period inscription identifying the work as:

“Red Barn — Howard Connolly 1979”

This verso inscription provides the title, artist and date directly on the work itself and is an especially desirable element of its documentation.

Connolly was an accomplished American painter and professional illustrator whose career encompassed commercial illustration as well as landscape, marine, sporting and figural subjects. His commercial work included assignments for major publications and national brands, while his fine-art practice continued throughout his career. His glamorous female and pin-up illustrations have become particularly collectible within the American illustration market.

This later 1979 landscape represents a quieter side of Connolly's body of work, combining his accomplished draftsmanship with the expressive brushwork and restrained palette of American regional landscape painting.

The painting is housed in an impressive vintage decorative frame featuring gilt moldings, an olive-green accent band, linen liner and repeating hand-finished oval details. The frame beautifully complements the warm earth tones of the composition and gives the work substantial presence at 41 inches wide.

A handsome documented example of Howard Connolly's later work and an appealing acquisition for collectors of American landscape painting, regionalist art, Americana and vintage New England interiors.

Dimensions: 41"W × 32"H framed
Artist: Howard Connolly (American, 1903–1990)
Title: Red Barn
Date: 1979
Medium: Original painting on textured artist's board
Period: 1970s
Style: American / Regionalist / Traditional
Subject: Winter Landscape / Barn / Americana
Orientation: Landscape


Condition
Good vintage condition consistent with age. The painted surface retains strong color and presents very well overall, with scattered age-related surface wear and minor marks visible upon close inspection.
The reverse artist's board retains its original handwritten identifying inscriptions along with expected studio and age-related marks. The vintage decorative frame exhibits scattered rubbing, scratches, small finish losses and other wear consistent with age and use and the painting itself does not sit secure inside it, as it moves around and would benefit from being repositioned in the frame.
Please review all photographs, including images of the signature and verso inscriptions, for complete condition details. See less