Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5

Will Barnet
The Rattle

1984

About the Item

Oil and charcoal on canvas, 1984. 1220x790 mm; 48x31 inches. Signed and dated in charcoal, upper right recto. Provenance: Babcock Galleries, New York, with the label; estate of the artist. The current work on canvas is of Barnet's (1911-2012) grandchild Todd Randall Barnet and his father Norman husband to her daughter Ona. Will Barnet's painting "The Rattle" is a rich tapestry of emotion and connection, perfectly encapsulating the themes that permeate his body of work. The vertical composition of the piece immediately draws the viewer's eye into the intimate embrace between father and child. The child's elevation on the father's shoulders is not just a playful moment but a powerful symbol of support and intergenerational connection—highlighting Barnet's perennial interest in exploring family dynamics. The style of the painting, with its bold outlines created through a combination of oil and charcoal, reflects Barnet's mastery in handling different mediums to evoke texture and form. The muted color palette, with its subtle grays, blacks, and whites, creates a soothing atmosphere, consistent with Barnet’s stylistic choices during this period. This restrained use of color allows the expressions and forms to take center stage, encouraging the viewer to focus on the emotional undercurrents of the scene. Equally compelling is the composition's triangular structure. The shoulders of the father form a strong base, symbolizing a stable foundation, while the child's head and the raised arm with the rattle form the apex. This triangle not only ensures visual harmony but also reinforces the themes of balance and connection inherent in the painting. By directing the viewer’s gaze upwards, it emphasizes the lively interplay between the figures and underscores the protective and nurturing role of the father. The expressions on both faces add depth to this narrative. The father’s calm demeanor complements the playful nature of the child, who holds a rattle—an emblem of childhood innocence. This interplay offers a window into the dance between stability and youthfulness, highlighting the nurturing relationship between them. The title "The Rattle" is significant, focusing on the child’s toy, a symbol of joy and simplicity, and reflecting the heartbeat of familial relationships that Barnet so often explored. In essence, "The Rattle" stands as a serene portrayal of familial bonds within Barnet’s oeuvre. By capturing the essence of human relationships through minimalism and structure, the painting manifests his profound understanding of everyday life’s poetic nature. The triangular composition, along with the subtle use of color and form, enriches this depiction, offering a timeless perspective on connection and continuity across generations.
  • Creator:
    Will Barnet (1911, American)
  • Creation Year:
    1984
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 48 in (121.92 cm)Width: 31 in (78.74 cm)
  • More Editions & Sizes:
    UniquePrice: $7,500
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Framing:
    Framing Options Available
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU2836215958832

More From This Seller

View All
Flight to Egypt
By Anna Walinska
Located in New York, NY
Oil on paper. Signed and dated 'Walinska 57' (lower left). image size 20 x 13 1/2 in. framed size 28 1/3 x 22 1/2 inches Provenance Martha Jackson Gallery Anderson Gallery, Buffalo...
Category

1950s American Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil

Dialogue in Green
By Will Barnet
Located in New York, NY
In "Dialogue in Green," Will Barnet masterfully employs precision and simplification of forms, showcasing his matured artistic style at the peak of his creative wisdom by 1969. This ...
Category

1960s American Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

Interiør Fra Liselund (Interior from Liselund)
Located in New York, NY
Peter Ilsted's "Dining Room at Liselund Manor" from 1917 is not only a remarkable illustration of the Copenhagen Interior School's aesthetic but also a profound exploration of the co...
Category

1910s Post-Impressionist Interior Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Man Walking Against a Red Wall
By William Theophilus Brown
Located in New York, NY
Oil on paper laid down to board Signed William Brown date 1961 below right Provenance Felix Landau Gallery LA Andre Previn Private Collection Painted in 1961 the year East German ...
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Sleeping Female Nude
By Nathan Oliveira
Located in New York, NY
Nathan Oliveira's "Female Sleeping Nude" is a captivating artwork that elegantly combines style, technique, and layered interpretation, offering a rich and multifaceted experience to...
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Nude Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Graphite

Untitled
By John Harrison Levee
Located in New York, NY
John Levee, an American abstract expressionist, served as a pilot in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Following the war, he harnessed the educational opportunit...
Category

1950s Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Gouache

You May Also Like

"Portrait of Millen Brand"
By Nahum Tschacbasov
Located in Southampton, NY
Here for your consideration is a museum exhibited oil on canvas work by the Russian/American artist, Nahum Tschacbasov. Signed lower left and dated 1975. The border of this painting...
Category

1970s American Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Attune - Woman in the Jungle - Mother Nature by Marc
By Marc Zimmerman
Located in Carmel, CA
Primal woman of the jungle with a headress of vibrant tropical plants. Deeply imbedded in natures floral bounty, she meditates in peacefulrepose witnessing life and tasting the divin...
Category

2010s American Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Modern Surrealist Winter Painting by Richard Ericson
By Richard Ericson
Located in New York, NY
Richard Joseph Ericson (American, 1922-2010) Untitled, 1962 Oil on canvas 18 x 16 in. Framed: 20 x 18 in. Signed lower left: RJE '62 Richard Joseph Ericson (b. October 22, 1922-d. November 21, 2010), born in Chicago, Illinois. Son of Claire (b. 1899) and Arthur Ericson (b. 1899). His father was an accountant for a food products company and the family moved to Mount Vernon, Westchester County, New York, when he was a young child. Ericson, a twin, first began to draw at age five and took up painting in oils at age twelve. He studied at the Art Students League in New York City in 1941, where he received an honorable mention during the annual scholarship competition held that year. During this period he worked as a commercial artist. After America's entry in World War II Ericson enlisted in the Army in 1942, where he served as a warrant officer. He saw service in North Africa, France, and Germany. While overseas, he did many drawings of the places in which he was stationed. He eventually found himself guarding Italian prisoners of war who had been captured in Sicily and southern Italy. While performing his duties during 1943 and 1944 he found time to paint several important, large scale portraits of the prisoners who were happy to pose for him. As the war concluded he was able to visit Holland to study. After nearly three years overseas, Ericson returned to America and traveled back to his home town of Chicago where he furthered his studies at the Art Institute of Chicago. He married in 1948 and moved his young family to Mexico, where he attended Mexico City College. He studied art and exhibited while living there, receiving his Master of Arts degree, cum laude, in 1953. For a time after his return to the United States he taught art in Dutchess County, New York, where he and his wife built their own house by hand. Eventually the family, which would come to include seven sons, settled in Hicksville, Long Island, New York. Ericson joined the staff of Hicksville High School as the art teacher in 1962, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1983. As a teacher, Ericson was open to all fields and styles of art, constantly experimenting and experiencing new forms and styles. He had started printmaking in the late 1940's and continued to work in this medium for many years, producing mezzotints, etchings, and wood block prints. He also continued to paint, creating portraits, scenes in southern Dutchess County, and Long Island landscapes - for which he would become well known. Ericson grew to love the area in which he lived, and depicted it quite often in his paintings. He became enamored with the historic village of Cold Spring...
Category

1960s American Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Signed Anthony Triano Dancer Painting
Located in New York, NY
Anthony Triano (American, 1928-1997) Untitled, 20th Century Oil on canvas 14 1/8 x 18 in. Framed: 17 3/8 x 21 3/8 in. Signed lower right: Triano Proven...
Category

20th Century American Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Charming Mid-Century Modern 1950s Portrait of a Young Girl by Francis Chapin
By Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A charming, beautifully painted, Mid-Century Modern portrait of a young girl by noted Chicago artist, Francis Chapin. Dating from the 1950s, the painting was exhibited at the famed ...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Distinctive Mid-Century Modern Portrait of a Man with Red Necktie, Joe Muldoon
By Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A distinctive Mid-Century Modern portrait of a man with red necktie by noted Chicago painter, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Chapin's estate records list the sitter as named Joe Mu...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Recently Viewed

View All