Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 12

Eugene Hawkins
"Hope : Between Earth and Heaven" Surrealist Acrylic on Canvas by Eugene Hawkins

1961

About the Item

In the "Fantasy/Metaphysical" series by American artist Eugene Hawkins, the convergence of surrealism and metaphysics unfolds as an exploration of existential themes common to all. Creation materializes evidence of immortality. This concept of immortality signifies the persistence of our essence long after the end of physical existence, constructing artworks as a timeless continuum in the systematic progression of ephemeral human epochs. In this painting from the 60s, the ever-changing sky serves as a metaphor for impermanence, echoing the flux of human consciousness caught in the duality of its existence. The intensity of light and colors could certify a rapprochement with the sun and, therefore, a distance from the Earth. A figure in the foreground emerges, beginning his journey dressed in everyday attire. The ground he treads upon resembles a night illuminated by the moon's rays. The surroundings are desert, swept of all structures. He is about to cross a door, perhaps that of a city in ruins. One of the initial thoughts is about transformation and passage from one world to another, from one state to another, from life to death. While he follows another character throughout this process, there is an underlying optimism, a belief in the possibility of growth and redemption. They are two passing through these arches. The nostalgic atmosphere suggests a journey through the stages of existence, each door symbolizing a pivotal moment in life. Acknowledging the unassailable truth of man's mortal condition, yet continuing to place it with the immortality of an absolute in which it alone can find meaning. And where our soul would return to its birthplace. An idea of an airlock, of what happens between two doors, a before and an after, with its infinite possibilities, of a path that remains to be traversed to achieve deliverance whereby all ties to the cycle of rebirth would be severed. Birds soar above the first arch, evoking a sense of guardianship over the ethereal space. As if protecting against any desire to escape, they guide these two silhouettes back to the source. In this work, Hawkins invites us to contemplate the cyclical nature of existence, where each moment holds the potential for renewal and transformation. He crafts a narrative transcending temporal constraints, offering insight into the eternal quest for meaning and liberation. Eugene Hawkins is an American artist who was born in 1933
  • Creator:
    Eugene Hawkins (1933, American)
  • Creation Year:
    1961
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 35.5 in (90.17 cm)Width: 29.5 in (74.93 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Pasadena, CA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU654314174082

More From This Seller

View All
Nude Free Woman in a Rocky Mountain Landscape by Shirl Goedike
Located in Pasadena, CA
The painting reveals a nude woman, her aura exuding self-assurance. She stands upright on the rugged terrain of a rocky mountain. The work is elegant, devoid of any hint of eroticism...
Category

Late 20th Century Barbizon School Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Duck Lake" California Expressionist Oil Landscape by John Mitchell Martin
Located in Pasadena, CA
This oil painting features a calm lake where eleven black ducks swim. The artist painted a water pipe on the lake's left bank while a palm tree stands alone at the center. John Mit...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

French Mid-Century "The Polytechnique Students" Painting by Bernard Cornille
Located in Pasadena, CA
The 14th of July is the National Day in France. That night every high school in Paris have an orchestra playing in the streets. This painting is depicting musicians students expres...
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Naughty Children" on Canvas by Harold Stephenson, Aka Abruzzi
By Harold Stephenson
Located in Pasadena, CA
This painting features two children with big brown eyes peeking behind red-slatted shutters. The innocence on their faces contrasts with some sense of embarrassment, like if they had...
Category

1960s American Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Parisian Street", Cityscape Oil on Canvas by Robert Farrington
Located in Pasadena, CA
This Robert Farrington's painting serves as a visual gateway to a distinct period in post-war France, composed with a deep respect for the elements interwoven into the collective memory of Paris. His work adeptly engages with the archetypal settings and concepts that convey the quintessence of this beloved and frequently visited capital. As the viewer gazes upon this artwork, they are instantly immersed in the ambiance of a food trade street, and especially the familiar historic brasserie “Au Pied de Cochon” - the sole establishment in the painting that still exists nowadays - and its surroundings at the heart of the bustling Halles district. At "6 Rue Coquillère", the act of opening the doors, each adorned with handles that resemble pig's trotters, transports one through a temporal gateway into the quintessential French world of "la cochonnaille"... The renowned "Pied de Cochon" restaurant made its debut in 1947. In its early days, it became the preferred gathering place for the "Forts des Halles" – the diligent laborers who tirelessly transported goods through the pavilions of the old Halles de Paris. From these dedicated workers to the luminaries of the time, this establishment emerged as a symbol of Parisian life. Farrington reconstructs a scene around this restaurant, nourished by her own Parisian experience when he was a young American living in France. An iconic Brigitte Bardot poster...
Category

Late 20th Century Post-Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

" Tricycle and Doll" Oil on Canvas by Edgar Kiechle
Located in Pasadena, CA
This figurative painting by Edgard Kiechle presents the scenario of a doll who is very surprised to have been abandoned into the basket of her mom's tricycle. An interesting factor is the pictorial use of angles. The point of view, a little above the stage, probably that of an adult, offers particular perspectives. This approach adds depth to this painting with distinctive compositional appeal. In contrast to the scene's disorder, a black-and-white tiled floor with a geometric design serves as an antithesis. The careful symmetry of the tiles competing with the surrounding disarray sparks a dialogue about the human need for organization and balance. In composition, absence is a living element. The exclusion of a physical human figure amplifies the feeling of emptiness, creating a human presence perceived imaginatively. Edgar O. Kiechle was born in 1911. He was a film illustrator and a painter. Edgar studied landscape painting with Jean Mannheim and architecture and became an excellent watercolorist. After studying at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles, he interned with leading architects and designers. He worked at most major studios, but his career as an illustrator saw him primarily at the Universal Studio Art department. In 1933, Edgar joined Lwerks as a background artist and worked on many films produced by Animated Picture Corporation through 1935. In the summer of 1941, Edgar Kiechle...
Category

Mid-20th Century Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

You May Also Like

Vagabond (labrador retriever pet dog surrealism animal neutral tones)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
Please note, the whites areas in the painting are trully white as opposed to bluey as shown in the pictures. Painting is signed at the front. COA provided keywords; surrealism, humo...
Category

2010s Surrealist Animal Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Walking Creature, Contemporary Surreal Figurative Abstract
By Michael William Eggleston
Located in Soquel, CA
Walking Creature, Contemporary Surreal Figurative Abstract by Michael William Eggleston Bold and imaginative contemporary figurative abstract by San Francisco artist Michael William...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mr. L (oil painting monochrome vintage old man beard portrait nostalgia flower)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
keywords; surrealism, portrait, oil painting, earth tones, figurative painting, strangeness, contemporary surrealistic, unsettling, contemporary figurative painting, dreams, symbolic...
Category

2010s Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Anxiety
By Valton Tyler
Located in Dallas, TX
In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez wrote of Valton Tyler: Visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined painting...
Category

1980s Surrealist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oil Painting -- Highway Rest
By Gary Masline
Located in Troy, NY
In this oil on canvas painting, there is a tension between the landscape and the figure. A nude figure lies in the road and the viewer wonders what is going on. Is she hurt, or sleep...
Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Last Leaves (young girl yellow shirt fall leave portrait figurative oil painting
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
Rudolf Kosow’s Last Leaves is a hauntingly poetic oil painting that blends contemporary figurative painting with surrealism and symbolic composition. A young girl, her face rendered ...
Category

2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Recently Viewed

View All