Ruth Laakso

Ancient Land

Circa 1965

This sophisiticated oil on canvas work was realized by the esteemed Bay Area artist Tom Holland circa 1961, and boasts a prestigious provenance from the Stanford Museum of Art. Combining elements of futurism, Art Brut and Art Naif, with inspiration from his Bay Area contemporaries (such as Richard Diebenkorn), Holland has achieved both critical and commercial success over the last five plus decades of his career. He is currently represented by galleries in Dallas, Santa Fe and San Francisco and his prints are exhibited by Crown Point Press in San Francisco and Cirrus Editions in Los Angeles. This piece represents an exceptional example of his early practice. It offers a wealth of organic and geometric forms in coffee and chocolate brown, rendered in thick impasto, with cobalt blue peaking out from beneath. There are two orbital forms in the lower half of the canvas painted in a burnt umber hue. With its sophisticated palette and painterly aesthetic, this piece would be a winning acquisition for any avid collector of first-rate Mid Century Modern fine art...

This beautiful oil on linen canvas painting, entitled "Rail Crossing: Middletown, was executed by the esteemed artist Jules Halfant (American, 1909-2001)...