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Maurice Sullins Art

American, 1910-1995

Legend has it a dream about a water fountain in France first compelled Maurice Sullins to paint at the age of sixty. The year was 1970, and Sullins was an airplane waxer at the municipal airport in Joliet, Illinois. Armed with an insatiable appetite for reading and a vivid imagination, he began to paint obsessively and produced some 1,200 paintings, most of which have never been seen before.

Entirely self-taught, Sullins became a true master of his craft and developed a total command of color, composition and technique. Over the course of his short career spanning 15 years (1970–85), Sullins worked in near isolation and never showed his paintings. He died on March 21, 1995, at 84 years old. Sullins’s family placed the paintings in storage, where they remained out of sight for 22 years.

In 2017, Hana Pietri Gallery became the Sullins estate dealer and presented the artist’s first exhibition since 1995 in Chicago that same year. Produced in partnership with the French Consulate General of Chicago, the show attracted major attention and marked the beginning of a series of events reintroducing his works to the public.

Maurice Sullins was undeniably one of America’s great self-taught artists. He was at the cusp of receiving major attention when he died, leaving behind an exceptional body of work yet to be discovered. After decades away from the public eye, the Maurice Sullins collection is being unveiled by Hana Pietri Gallery through a series of exhibitions, offering an unprecedented opportunity to witness the extent of his strikingly original talent.

Find original Maurice Sullins paintings and other art on 1stDibs.

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Artist: Maurice Sullins
Matisse's Three Oranges - Calder's Three Oranges
By Maurice Sullins
Located in Chicago, IL
This painting is from the Matisse series created by Maurice Sullins in the late 1970s. Sullins' works, set in brilliantly imagined scenes in Tahiti, F...
Category

1970s Folk Art Maurice Sullins Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Reclining Etienne de Silhouette with Mona Lisa Eyes
By Maurice Sullins
Located in Chicago, IL
This exquisite painting titled Reclining Etienne de Silhouette with Mona Lisa Eyes is a perfect example of Sullins’ ability to construct an original painting while manipulating ideas...
Category

1970s Folk Art Maurice Sullins Art

Materials

Acrylic

Great Dark Cloud Over Tahiti Nui
By Maurice Sullins
Located in Chicago, IL
This painting is from the Tahiti series, created in the early years of Maurice Sullins' painting career.
Category

1970s Folk Art Maurice Sullins Art

Materials

Acrylic

Untitled
By Maurice Sullins
Located in Chicago, IL
Sullins largely worked with 1½ inch and 2 ½ inch brushes and only used acrylic on canvas or canvas board. He never sketched before painting and he employed many original techniques. ...
Category

1970s Folk Art Maurice Sullins Art

Materials

Acrylic

Venus Victrix
By Maurice Sullins
Located in Chicago, IL
This exquisite painting was presented at Hana Pietri's May 2022 Chicago exhibition titled: Maurice Sullins: Force of Nature (May 20 - June 30, 2022). T...
Category

1970s Folk Art Maurice Sullins Art

Materials

Acrylic

Matisse's Seated Figure
By Maurice Sullins
Located in Chicago, IL
This painting is from the Matisse series created by Maurice Sullins in the 1970s. Sullins' works, set in brilliantly imagined scenes in Tahiti, France...
Category

1970s Folk Art Maurice Sullins Art

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

Black Leaf From Matisse's Swimming Pool
By Maurice Sullins
Located in Chicago, IL
This painting is from the Matisse series created by Maurice Sullins in the late 1970s. Sullins' works, set in brilliantly imagined scenes in Tahiti, F...
Category

1980s Folk Art Maurice Sullins Art

Materials

Acrylic

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Maurice Sullins art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Maurice Sullins art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of yellow and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Maurice Sullins in acrylic paint, paint, synthetic resin paint and more. Not every interior allows for large Maurice Sullins art, so small editions measuring 36 inches across are available. Maurice Sullins art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,500 and tops out at $4,300, while the average work can sell for $3,680.

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