Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 13
Ralph Eugene Della-VolpeAbstract of Woman with Flag1962
1962
About the Item
A unique and uplifting Della-Volpe of a woman with abstracted elements of a flag that speaks of pride in America. Della-Volpe himself had been in the war and when he came home he was part of the New York abstract-expressionist movement. He moved away from this and felt that color and subject matter were his interests within abstraction. He did a series called "The Flagmaker" and while this work is slightly different than those, it still explores the theme of symbols that represent countries and its citizens. This is a large work and he has wonderfully incorporated elements of stars and the red, white and blue colors. There is also an "X" but this is a spatial element of design and he was also interested at this time in putting in 'pop-art" type references to culture as well.
A great painting for a living room or family room or entryway. The canvas measures 50.25 x 48 inches within the frame. IT is in a wonderful, custom designed 22 karat silvered float frame. It is signed by the artist in the upper left. And the provenance is acquired directly from the artist.
Woman with Flag displays the quintessential hallmarks of Ralph Della-Volpe’s signature style: with its bold areas of arbitrary color and graphic sensibility, it speaks to the artist’s mastery of tone and form. The titular woman here appears not unlike Della-Volpe’s other painted figures, simplified in shape and without recognizable facial features. Surrounded by stars and X’s that presumably make up a flag, she blends in with the painting’s background, effectively erasing any concrete sense of depth. As Della-Volpe notes, his work is about “seeing beyond the literal details, [finding] qualities within that initial observation that must be explored and developed further.” In that light, Woman with Flag reads almost as a symbolic work, whose meaning exists in the abstract and can change depending on its viewer’s frame of reference. The painting may allude to the artist’s World War II service in the Army, the woman’s hat a possible reference to a military beret and the surrounding flags representing nations at war. Much of the beauty of Della-Volpe’s composition, however, lies in its ambiguity.
Ralph Della-Volpe's semi-abstract paintings of often simplified beach scenes and anonymous portraits "convey profound awareness of mood and character." Constantly transforming what is on the canvas, the artist is never sure himself of the final composition of each work until completion because, as he says:
Everything I paint is based on my own feelings about life, my own insights, my own observations and my own needs for expression.
Della-Volpe first studied painting at the National Academy of Design before joining the Army during World War II. As a soldier, the artist saw action on Utah Beach, and his experiences undoubtedly affected his later artistic style. Tom Wolf, of Bard College, explained that the paintings Della-Volpe produced after his return from service in World War II “project feelings of melancholy” expressed in the tense expressions in the figures’ faces. The “coloristic exuberance” found in the works beginning in the mid 1960’s, with their vibrant fuchsias and yellows, seem to offset what could be an otherwise solemn tone to many of his works at the time.
Upon his return from military service, Della-Volpe took a teaching position as the first artist-in-residence at Bennett College in Millbrook, New York where he remained for 28 years, serving as chairman of the Art Department for most of that time. Obviously influenced by impressionism's preoccupation with the treatment of light, Volpe's own works have a "faultless tonal quality, with its sense of failing light - the areas of silvery gray deepening into rosy tans". The simplified scenes and portraits express the artist's love of open space and his aim to evoke emotion through each piece rather than recognition of what exactly is painted on the canvas. Della-Volpe has exhibited widely throughout his career and has lectured on art at colleges, universities, and galleries across the country.
- Creator:Ralph Eugene Della-Volpe (1923, American)
- Creation Year:1962
- Dimensions:Height: 53.75 in (136.53 cm)Width: 51.5 in (130.81 cm)Depth: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:Artwork is in good condition - no issues. Frame has some normal wear from time but it is negligible scuffs and is ready to hang without issue.
- Gallery Location:Greenwich, CT
- Reference Number:Seller: 159161stDibs: LU1413210575102
About the Seller
5.0
Recognized Seller
These prestigious sellers are industry leaders and represent the highest echelon for item quality and design.
Established in 1857
1stDibs seller since 2020
42 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 10 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Stamford, CT
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllCelestial Sky in Reds
Located in Greenwich, CT
This Celestial Sky painting is what Michael Forster is most celebrated for in his highly interesting career spanning working in Mexico and Canada.
The brushwork creates a reverberati...
Category
1980s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Soaring II
By Robert Arthur Goodnough
Located in Greenwich, CT
Robert Goodnough was a well known artist in New York during the Post-War era and represented by important dealers. This tall graceful panel has a mate in case someone needs a pair o...
Category
1990s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Soaring I , abstract
By Robert Arthur Goodnough
Located in Greenwich, CT
An amazing and graceful panel that has an elevating sense of movement and nature as described by its title "Soaring". Intricate taping off of triangles in this work in varying sizes...
Category
1990s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Red Gray #5
By Carl Holty
Located in Greenwich, CT
Holty did a series of works that explored the use of varying tones of Gray with other colors. This was done during his Colorfield foray as he pioneered this movement along with such...
Category
1960s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$55,000
Composition Abstract in Blues
By Jacques Germain
Located in Greenwich, CT
Germain's composition is a great example of abstract expressionism on the French front and they called the movement Lyricism. Startling blue movements mixed with myriad of other col...
Category
1960s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Beach Patterns Abstract
By Ralph Eugene Della-Volpe
Located in Greenwich, CT
Della-Volpe early abstractions are rare and good. Even at this early time he abstracted off "beach" elements such as shapes and colors. With minimal shapes here he creates a compos...
Category
1970s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
You May Also Like
Oil on Canvas “A58”
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
"A58" is 72” x 66”. The electric blues on black stand out from the figure on a mixed background of medium earth tones and heavy textures. Frank Arnold’s paintings exhibit the highest...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Oil on Canvas “Cabo Azul 3”
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
“Cabo Azul 3” is 43” x 36”. Frank Arnold’s paintings exhibit the highest quality materials for a truly archival piece, created to last generations. Much of Frank Arnold’s work is so...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Mod 7
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
“Mod 7” is 20”x 16”. The heavy handed application of pigment renders an impasto portrait from another place in the deeper mind of the artist. Frank Arnold is one of the foremost abst...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$6,800
Fresh
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
“Fresh” is 60”x48” The impasto surface stages multiple shades of green enveloping the central figure. Frank Arnold’s paintings exhibit the highest quality materials for a truly archival piece, created to last generations.
Frank Arnold is viewed as one of the foremost abstract figurative painters and sculptors of our time. He is a living master guided by a personal mission to “turn on a light in the human soul,” through his passionate creation of “Messengers” from his deeper mind connection with Carl Jung's archetypal images, the collective unconscious, and Jungian Synchronicity. These unconscious forms from his deeper mind resonate as personal messages of universal acceptance, reaching out to the viewer.
Arnold has been honored as IAD Artist of the year 2018 by International Artist Day, and 2013 FAC Horizon Artist Award. He has exhibited his artwork in numerous galleries and museums, and is in collections worldwide. Arnold divides his working days between oil painting in San Jose del Cabo, Baja Sur...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
$42,800
Oil on Canvas “Arroyo 14”
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
" Arroyo 14" is 72” x 60”. A rich sienna and ochre figure centered on a textured field of light yellows and beige. Frank Arnold’s paintings exhibit the highest quality materials for ...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Oil on Canvas "Azul Arroyo"
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
“Azul Arroyo” is 60”x48”. Central figure in blue with white accents on a background ranging from white to deep blue/black. The foreground exhibits heavy strokes and Arnold’s “8” fig...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Vintage Flag Flags
Beach Woman Painting
American Flag Painting
Abstract Woman Face
Vintage Beach Woman
Vintage Army Canvas
Framed American Flag Art
Painting Of Woman In Hat
Vintage World Flags
Large American Flag
World War Flag
Oil Woman 1960s
Vintage Beach Hat
Vintage Country Flags
Woman In Red Hat
Blue And Fuchsia Art
Vintage Beret
Pop Art Utah