Rufus Porter Paintings

ABOUT An original 19th century Mexican folk retablo "Veronica's Veil" or "El Divono Rostro" in Spain . Oil paint on tin. The Veil of Veronica, known in Italian as the Volto Santo or Holy Face, is a Roman Catholic Relic which, according to legend, bears the likeness of the Face of Jesus that was imprinted on it prior to Jesus' crucifixion. According to Roman Catholicism, Saint Veronica encountered Jesus in Jeruselum on the way to Calvary. When she paused to wipe the sweat (Latin, suda) off his face with her veil, his image was left on the veil. In the small village of Osa de la Vega in Spain, there lived a couple who led a very pious life. They were Gregorio de la Torre and Isabel Corral. From their father, Juan Montilla, they inherited a picture of the Face of Jesus or the Divino Rostro. A story that is told one day, to the amazement of many who confirmed its veracity, the picture began to perspire with living blood. News of this extraordinary event spread swiftly and widely throughout the land. CREATOR Unknown. DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1880. MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Oil Paint on Tin. CONDITION Good. Wear consistent with age and use. DIMENSIONS H 14 in. W 10 in. HISTORY Retablos, better known as 'laminas' in Mexico, are small oil paintings on tin, wood and sometimes copper which were used in home altars to venerate the almost infinite number of Catholic saints. The literal translation for 'retablo' is 'behind the altar.' This unique genre of art, deeply rooted in European history, was brought to Mexico with the arrival of the Spanish and then ultimately adopted by New World mestizo natives to become what is known today as the Mexican folk retablo. The retablo was an art form that flourished in post conquest Mexico and then ultimately, with the introduction of inexpensive mediums such as tin, reached its pinnacle of popularity in the last quarter of the 19th century. With some exceptions, mostly untrained artists from the provinces worked to produce and reproduce these sacred images; some subjects painted more prolifically than others. A typical "retablero" may have reproduced the same image hundreds, if not thousands of times in his or her career. These oil paintings were sold to devout believers who displayed them in home altars to honor their patron saints. There are virtually hundreds of saints, each invoked to remedy a different situation. "San Ysidro Labrador," the patron saint of farmers, is venerated for good weather...

Oil on canvas, inscribed on the stretcher bar reverse. The painting is presented in a flat black frame that complements it well. Horace Bundy was an it...

Whimsical outsider, Folk Art oil painting by William R. Straly, excellent use of color. Texture and space.

Mid-20th century Balinese painting on silk fabric, framed. Vintage large Balinese art painting, from Ubud, Bali acrylic on silk. Beautiful artwork by the Indonesian artist from Ubud. Painted in Peliatan, Ubud Bali by W. Kurpelir as signed on the bottom left hand corner. Balinese Folk Festival ceremonial procession, Ink and acrylic paint on canvas. Batuan painting evolved in the 1930s after a group of local villagers tested different forms with ink-washed paintings upon black backgrounds. These paintings often reveal Batuan’s cultural life, directly through their elements of line, shape, and tone. Meticulous design, craftsmanship, and strong visual impression are characteristic of the style. The painting comprise individual shapes which are painted in a precise and systematic manner that does not leave any empty space. The complexity of the paintings is inevitable as each of the strokes, lines, gradations, the characters or the subjects forms a delicate unity that finely balances the figure-filled canvas. Various gradations of colors separate different sections of the painting. The landscape is enticing and endless. About Bali Art...

Large Mural sized hindu painting on silk cloth. Measures: 44.5 x 76 x 1.5. Framed in a Gilt wood frame.

Mid 20th Century Balinese Painting on silk fabric, Framed. Vintage large Balinese art painting, from Ubud, Bali acrylic on silk. Beautiful artwork by the Indonesian artist from Ubud. Painted in Peliatan, Ubud Bali by VJ. Kupur as signed on the bottom left hand corner. Balinese Folk Festival ceremonial procession, Ink and acrylic paint on canvas. Batuan painting evolved in the 1930s after a group of local villagers tested different forms with ink-washed paintings upon black backgrounds. These paintings often reveal Batuan’s cultural life, directly through their elements of line, shape, and tone. Meticulous design, craftsmanship, and strong visual impression are characteristic of the style. The painting comprise individual shapes which are painted in a precise and systematic manner that does not leave any empty space. The complexity of the paintings is inevitable as each of the strokes, lines, gradations, the characters or the subjects forms a delicate unity that finely balances the figure-filled canvas. Various gradations of colors separate different sections of the painting. The landscape is enticing and endless. About Bali Art...

A large oil painting on ply board by French artist Roland Gautier. A surreal figurative observation of two forms with floating heads. A bold piece of qui...

Wonderful set of 6 original oil paintings by Endi Poskovic. These works recently acquired from old warehouse space in Buffalo NY, apparently a studio spa...

Large oil painting on canvas. Modernist Abstract, by Jim Bray, circa 1963. Charming image. Child-like. Great use of color, texture, space.

A large oil painting on ply board by French artist Roland Gautier. A surreal figurative observation of the female form facing a male body in the foreground. Colourful and bold with a...

This pair of oil paintings on canvas are done by the well known portrait and landscape Russian artist, Vera Alabaster in circa 1940 in a Folk Art style. The paintings depict a Jamaic...

Abstract mixed-media work by artist Purvis Young. Folk Art portraying bleeding and pregnant figures in a crowd, policemen on horseback and large blue eyes. Young used eyes as symbols...