Dan Atkinson

Muscular Gay Men Mardi Gras - Daring Interracial Love Mid-Century - Gay Interest

1949

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. The 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.
 t'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...

Excellent Mid-century nude by famous illustrator/ artist Walter Charles Klett. The work is masterfully painted with a sound understanding of the basic academic principles guiding t...

A glamorous nude female of ideal proportions stands side-by-side with her partially clothed counterpart. They are intertwined with seasonal foliage to symbolize the painting's title, "Summer into Spring." Iconic American Illustrator/Artist Bob Peak integrates the sinuous curves of plants, flowers, and color to indicate a seamless seasonal transition. On the left, the figure is bathed in a soft, dreamy green that subtly transitions into a delicate blue. The painting is large in scale and exhibits a deep knowledge of academic painting, with two female portraits masterfully rendered. Peak also exhibits his skills as a colorist. He harmoniously fuses human flesh tones into a fantasy land of lush floral elements. Drawing inspiration from Art Nouveau, Peak makes a statement about the universal theme of beauty in nature. As a sight to behold, joy ripples through one's body, looking at "Summer into Spring". It is a late work in the artist's career but also one of his best. Signed lower left. Unframed. Provenance: The Estate of the Artist. Color may vary depending on light source. Best viewed with top gallery-style lighting. Bob Peak was the Norman Rockwell of American Illustration from the 1960's to the 1980's. He was as in demand as he was technically and creativley innovative. Regular Clients were, Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated, TV Guide and Esquire and Major Ad Agencies. He has been dubbed Master of the Modern Movie Poster. Fate of a Man, movie poster illustration (U.S. release), 1959 West Side Story, movie poster illustration, 1961 Birdman of Alcatraz, 1962 The Leopard, movie poster illustration (U.S. release), 1963 My Fair Lady, movie poster illustration, 1964 The Cincinnati Kid, movie poster illustration, 1965 The Liquidator, movie poster illustration, 1965 Lord Jim, movie poster illustration, 1965 Kaleidoscope, movie poster illustration, 1966 Modesty Blaise, movie poster illustration, 1966 Our Man Flint, movie poster illustration, 1966 Camelot, movie poster illustration, 1967 In Like Flint, movie poster illustration, 1967 Thoroughly Modern Millie, movie poster illustration, 1967 The Wanderer, movie poster illustration (U.S. release), 1967 For Love of Ivy, movie poster illustration, 1968 A Dream of Kings, movie poster illustration, 1969 Funny Girl, movie poster illustration, 1969 Lions Love (... and Lies), movie poster illustration (alternate poster), 1969 The Secret of Santa Vittoria, movie poster illustration, 1969 There Was a Crooked Man..., movie poster illustration, 1970 Cesar & Rosalie, movie poster illustration (U.S. release), 1972 The Great Waltz, movie poster illustration, 1972 Enter the Dragon, 1973 Mame, movie poster illustration, 1974 The Voyage, movie poster illustration (U.S. release), 1974 The Yakuza, movie poster illustration, 1974 Rollerball, movie poster illustration, 1975 That's Entertainment, Part II, movie poster illustration, 1975 The Missouri Breaks, movie poster illustration, 1976 Equus, movie poster illustration, 1977 Islands in the Stream, movie poster illustration, 1977 The Spy Who Loved Me, movie poster illustration, 1977 Every Which Way But Loose, movie poster illustration, 1978 Superman, movie poster illustration, 1978 The Wiz, movie poster illustration (alternate poster), 1978 Hair, movie poster illustration (alternate poster), 1979 Apocalypse Now...

Jacqueline Marval was close friends with Kees van Dongen and her work is of the same school as, Matisse and Marie Laurencin. Les Odalisques is quite contemporary looking with it's main figure having joyful life and vitality to her. Some refer to her as a Fauve and some as a post-impressionist. Clearly, she is an overlooked female artist. This work is over...

The Cosmic Dream - Visionary Figurative Nude Composition in Acrylic on Masonite Flowing and stylized figurative work by Kimberlee Kuwica (American, b. 1967). A figure is dancing tho...

Alkyd-oil on Masonite board, 102cm x 83cm, (124cm x 104cm framed). The painting comes directly from the artist. Michael Leonard is most probably most famous for his portrait of HM ...

Kierstin Young's (US based) "Symbiosis" is an oil painting that depicts branches and foliage emerging from a female figures nude back and hands with a bright pink background Artist ...

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 Owavino(1997-1998) [meaning last minute] held in Illinois—perhaps the pinnacle of media mastery—garnered Beam numerous reviews, attacks and responses, even after the exhibiton had closed, for his work Turkish Medal (1996-1997-2013). The painting combines a comparatively altered version of one of Pulitzer-Prize winning illustrator Bill Mauldin...