1990s Hunt Slonem Painting “The Contessa“ - Framed

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This is an original painting, oil on board, with Frame by Hunt Slonem (b.1951), painted in 1996, entitled “The Contessa”.

… Read more This is an original painting, oil on board, with Frame by Hunt Slonem (b.1951), painted in 1996, entitled “The Contessa”.

The Frame was selected by Slonem and incorporated into this piece of fine art by the artist. The overall dimensions are 36“ x 26”approximately.

I acquired the piece of fine art from a long time friend and professional colleague, who purchased the painting directly from Slonem. I have personal knowledge of these facts and can provide an affidavit attesting to its provenance.

Slonem is an important artist in the Neo-Expressionim movement. His work is influenced by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Anselm Keifer, and David Salle.

Neo-Expressionism is a direct response to, and rejection of, the cool detachment of minimalism and conceptual Art of the 1960s and 1970s. It is characterized by a return to figurative subjects; bold structural brushwork, use of intense, vivid color; and expresion of emotion, subjectivity and visceral conection with the subject.

This piece is a quintessential example of Neo-Expersionism. The subject is a a young woman, who Slonem. The intensity of her downword gaze is unnerving, yet alluring.

This young woman is said to be a muse of Hunt Slonem during his time at Tulane University in New Orleans, and connected with his fascination with the plantation Madewood. Slonem would later purchase and restore Madewood. Slonem draws inspiration from the tropical places, spiritual traditions, and Louisiana history that have shaped his life and work.

The Artist is famous for his technique of painting the underlying subject and then cross-hatching the painting to create, in his words, "... texture, a woven tapestry feel, brimming with color and vibrancy!"

Hunt Slonem's paintings are widely represented in important private collections all over the world.

Over fifty museums internationally include Hunt Slonem's paintings in their collections, among them the Smithsonian American Art Museum; the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.;the Brooklyn Museum of Art in Brooklyn, NY; the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts; Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona, Spain; the Würth Museum in Künzelsau, Germany; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum all in New York.

Awards for Mr. Slonem's work include: Elizabeth T. Greenshields Foundation(Grant, 1976), MacDowell Fellowship (1983,1984,1985), Ragdale Foundation (1983), The National Endowment for the Arts (Grant, 1991) and Stars of Design Award (2009). See less