William Gropper

The Whip - Social Realism

Circa 1960

Gahan Wilson was the Master of the macabre, and most of his work is associated with Charles Addams. The beauty of a Gahan Wilson is that is a payoff pu...

This sexy joke cartoon with thought balloons and some bathroom humor was done by the brilliant humorist cartoonist for Mad Magazine, Al Jaffee. The joke's...

Klett was an in-demand illustrator in the post-war period of the late 1940's and 1950's. and . His work appeared in many of the newsstand magazines at the time. This work is a pers...

Klett was an in-demand illustrator in the post-war period of the late 1940's and 1950's. and . His work appeared in many of the newsstand magazines at the time. This work is a pers...

The Mid-Century mindset As expected, 65 years ago.. people looked at art/painting a little differently. Back then, many artists were concerned with depicting simple and beautiful t...

A young man at a crowded upper-class Haitian swimming pool attracts attention. We see him only from the back in a Magritte like pose. Transfixed expressions of some of the nubile bare-breasted bathing beauties and one man with his hands down his pants give us a clue that the mystery man is special. This is a fascinating work packed with drama and overflowing with pent-up emotion.
Bigaud's narrative is as complex as his figural composition of lookers and swimmers. Notice the sight lines of the lookers go back to front while the two swimmers go from left to right. The twenty-two figures are contained in the rectangular shape of the pool, which is pushed to the front of the picture plane. The cars of the pool partygoers are seen in the background with one witness. He is fully clothed and is most likely a chauffeur. The fully clothed female at the pool offering food is a servant. A boxy-looking radio with a pack of cigarettes and the style of the cars give glue to the date. Most Haitian art depicts average working people. The pool party departs from that tradition and shows life of the Haitian upper class. Most likely, this was painted in Petion-Ville. The higher the elevation in Port-au-Prince the more wealthy the homes. Although the artist's painting technique may be described as naive or lacking polish.
It's one of the reasons why the work radiates charm and interest. The painting is oversized with huge dimensions of 55 x 48 and will be a statement in any room. Wilson Bigaud is considered to be a Haitian master. The condition is good. Three repaired one-inch issues on the extreme center and upper right edge. Visible only on close inspection. Otherwise presents very well and is elegantly framed, ______________________________________ Haitian master Wilson Bigaud is renowned for works portraying everyday life and rites of passage—vodou rituals, fortune-tellers, weddings, cockfights, and carnivals—with voluminous figures and lucid colors. Born in Port-au-Prince, in 1946 Bigaud was among the first to attend DeWitt Peters’s Le Centre d’Art d’Haïti, where he studied with Hector Hyppolite...

Beam recognizes that a successful work of art “must develop its own personality…It must empower, engage or provoke the public’s attention.” One exhibition in particular, titled Owavi...

Lourdes Rivera was born in New York City in 1989, where she currently lives and works. She is a first generation Dominican-American. Lourdes considers herself bi-cultural, but unco...

Lourdes Rivera was born in New York City in 1989, where she currently lives and works. She is a first generation Dominican-American. Lourdes considers herself bi-cultural, but unco...

Lourdes Rivera was born in New York City in 1989, where she currently lives and works. She is a first generation Dominican-American. Lourdes considers herself bi-cultural, but unco...

Lourdes Rivera was born in New York City in 1989, where she currently lives and works. She is a first generation Dominican-American. Lourdes considers herself bi-cultural, but unco...

Lourdes Rivera was born in New York City in 1989, where she currently lives and works. She is a first generation Dominican-American. Lourdes considers herself bi-cultural, but unco...