J.A. Van de Velde 'Jongedame' Charcoal on Paper Belgium 1950s

Jacques van Loock Portrait of a Sitting Woman Oil on Canvas, Belgium, 1950s. A highly remarkable work, this oil painting by Belgian painter, designer and illustrator Jacques van Loo...

Gordon Lillford, Landscape with Pond, Oil on Board, United Kingdom, 1950s. This impressionist painting by English artist Gordon Lillford (1918-1992) is a tranquil symphony of color ...

ART NOUVEAU France 1899 Very rare gouache depicting flowers in the full Art Nouveau spirit. Very close and typical to Henry Van De Velde Works H.25"1/2 x w.23"1/2 with mat H.20...

Chicago-based fine art painter Bruno A. Surdo is classically trained in drawing and oil painting in the tradition of Renaissance masters. With strong command of the human form, Surdo creates dynamic compositions of people and places that communicate a rich commentary on the world around him. Depicting trees from personal encounters, Surdo’s latest body of work entitled “Tree Spirits” takes us on a foray into the forest, where leaves, branches and burls express something deeply personal. Applying his mastery of figurative realism to the natural world, he experiments with form and texture to uncover the intangible spirits of trees. This charcoal drawing entitled “Memory of Leaves” beautifully illustrates the branching form of a mature birch tree. Loosely drawn with informal, sketch-like linework, the tree is shown in the middle of winter, bare of leaves and white with frost. Surdo’s skillful placement of shadow illustrates the forking branches with incredible texture and effortless realism. The intricate play of light and dark is accentuated by the stark white background, a negative space that isolates the tree in space and time. Restricting the composition to only a portion of the tree trunk, Surdo accentuates the tree’s abstract form, lingering on areas of unusual shape or texture. Seeking to convey the strong emotional response elicited by his initial encounter with the tree, Surdo focuses on the tree’s sculptural form, contrasting the strong trunk...