Folk Art Paintings
FOLK ART STYLE
Folk art is a genre of art that shares the creator’s traditions, offering not just an artistic display but an opportunity to learn about a culture. Antique, new and vintage folk art typically reflects a heritage or location. It can include utilitarian objects and handmade art as diverse as weather vanes, duck decoys, portraiture and paintings, carnival art and quilts.
Quilts are a quintessential part of American folk art but their roots are international, with quilting dating back to Ancient Egypt. The practice spread to Europe and was especially prominent in the Middle Ages, with one of the oldest surviving examples being the Tristan quilt made in Sicily in the 14th century. They were made as bedcovers and clothing, including as a layer for knights to wear beneath their armor. Native American folk art includes functional objects reflecting their heritage, such as baskets, textiles and wooden pieces.
Elsewhere, the vast range of work associated with Mexican folk art includes masks made by Mexican craftspeople for traditional celebrations and ceremonial dances. Mexican masks are part of the country’s folk-art traditions that go back thousands of years and play a role in festivals and theater.
Works in the folk art tradition are valuable because of the skills involved, like weaving, hand-carving wood and even stonework. Many folk artists are self-taught, while some train as apprentices within their community. By using available materials and taking a personal approach to their creations, artists ensure each piece is unique and conveys a story.
During the Great Depression, artistic materials in America were hard to come by, so artisans used discarded wood from cigar boxes and shipping crates to make highly stylized, notched pieces — most often picture frames and boxes — that are today sought after by collectors. This folk art style is called tramp art and was popular from roughly 1870 until the 1940s.
Folk art brings vibrant culture and traditions into your home. Browse an extensive collection of antique, new and vintage folk art on 1stDibs.
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Style: Folk Art
Returnable Items Only
Folk Art Animal Painting Brown and White Cats and Mouse Oil on Panel
Located in Munich, DE
This charming naive painting of two cats, one with a white fur, one with a reddish brown tiger fur, has been painted on a wooden panel using oil paints. It was painted around the las...
Category
1890s French Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Wood
Bali Hindu Textile Framed 'Kamasan' Painting, Indonesia, circa 1900
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
A Mid-20th Century 'Kamasan' cotton textile painting from Bali, Indonesia. The hand painted image has great detail and depicts Balinese Hindu mythology. This textile painting is stre...
Category
Early 1900s Balinese Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Cotton, Paint
Large Vintage Framed Pichhavai Painting of Krishna Playing His Flute
Located in Morristown, NJ
Vintage Pichhavai painting on fabric of Krishna playing is flute with Radha and female Gopis gathered by his side. The colors, details and facial ex...
Category
1970s Indian Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Fabric, Wood, Paint
Antique Pair of Folk Art Collages Paintings of Partridges in Tramp Art Frames
Located in Munich, DE
This charming pair of collages of a male and a female partridge has been skilfully made out of feathers. The game birds have been set in a colourful landscape surround painted in watercolours. The paintings have been mounted by the last owners in oat coloured passe - partouts with white boardes...
Category
1880s Austrian Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Feathers
Tamar Markova Folk Art Painting, 1970s
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Tamar Markova Folk Art painting, 1970s.
Category
20th Century Unknown Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Paint
19th Century Painting of Island Lighthouse in Maine, Signed E. Chase
Located in Nantucket, MA
19th Century Painting of Island Lighthouse in Maine, signed E. Chase, an oil on board folk art painting of what appears to be Nash Island Light in Maine with square light tower...
Category
1870s American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Other
Martin Jonas "Peasant Primitive" Painting D. 1962
Located in Peabody, MA
An early Slavic folk school oil by the artist and farmer Martin Jonas (1924-1996), who is considered one of the founders of the world famous naive “peasan...
Category
1960s Serbian Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paint
Reverse Glass Painting of Saint George and the Dragon
Located in Stamford, CT
Verre églomisé, or reverse glass painting with gilding of Saint George and the Dragon. St George shown riding his steed, slaying the dragon...
Category
Early 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Glass
19th Century American Folk Art Oil Painting Landscape Sailboats On River
Located in Stamford, CT
A 19th century American folk art oil painting on canvas depicting a river scene at dawn with a horse and rider on a bridge over a waterfall. A castle in the distance and sailboats on...
Category
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Canvas
Early 20th Century Southern American Folk Art Painting
Located in Chicago, IL
A captivating and intriguing early 20th century Southern American folk art panel, found in Mississippi, depicting a figure with what appears to be African tribal headgear, and wearing a white collared shirt with black suit jacket. The line work and attention to detail is extraordinary and mysterious, with the artist choosing to incorporate a natural knot in the board to form the mouth of the figure, and the left half of the drawing showing shading, but seemingly left unfinished. The frame is not terribly old, and is constructed from splatter-painted boards...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Wood, Paint
Seascape with Ship Racing a Barkentine, by C.A.S. Orne, 1920
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique Seascape with square-rigged ship racing a Barkentine, by C.A.S. Orne, 1920, a watercolor on paper stormy seascape with two square-riggers running before the wind, with choppy...
Category
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paper
Fantastic 19th Century American Pair of Folk Art Still Life Paintings
Located in Wiscasset, ME
Each panel measures approximately 18" x 18". Very rare to see a pair of this quality. They have a great folk art appeal with watermelons, peaches, grapes, etc. Dating to the first ha...
Category
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Wood, Paint
Charles Saül Framed Haitian Vintage Village Scene Acrylic on Canvas Painting
Located in Miami, FL
An original framed acrylic on canvas painting of a Haitian village scene with people going back and forth, huts, and tall foliage and palm trees.
Signe...
Category
Late 20th Century Haitian Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Canvas
19th Century Seascape with Lighthouse
Located in Nantucket, MA
19th Century seascape with lighthouse, circa 1890, an oil on canvas view of a white-washed lighthouse tower on a small offshore rocky ledge, most...
Category
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Canvas
19th Century American Folk Art Oil Painting Landscape with Horses and River
Located in Stamford, CT
A 19th century oil painting on artist board depicting four horses in a bucolic setting on the banks of a river. The primitive style and naive perspective give this piece of Americana a real charm. In the original carved and painted frame. With the label of the renowned 19th century New York City purveyor of paints and art supplies...
Category
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paint
Rare Late 19th Century Oil Well Derrick Painting
Located in Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Presenting a captivating and historically significant folk art painting from the late 19th century: an oil rig scene believed to date circa 1892. This remarkable artwork, executed in oil on board, offers a rare glimpse into the early depictions of the burgeoning oil industry...
Category
1890s American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Wood
Bali Hindu Textile Framed 'Kamasan' Painting, Indonesia, Early 20th Century
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
An early 20th century 'Kamasan' cotton textile painting from Bali, Indonesia. The hand-painted image has great detail and depicts Balinese Hindu mythology. It has been framed with a ...
Category
Early 20th Century Balinese Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Cotton, Paint
19th Century Watercolor Seascape with Shipwreck
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique seascape with shipwreck on a rocky shore, mid-19th century, a watercolor on paper seascape with a shipwrecked brig on the rocks, with another squall rolling in on horizon, un...
Category
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paper
Vintage Folk Art Winter Snow Landscape Long Format Painting
Located in Seguin, TX
Antique circa 1915 oil on wood board folk art winter forest scene painting, wood is from an old tobacco crate . Signed Rozella D'Hizar. Unframed, edge wear.
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Wood, Paint
Maxwell Mays Folk Art Oil on Canvas, Cascade Springs Colorado, 1983
By Maxwell Mays
Located in Morristown, NJ
Maxwell Mays (1918-2009) Painter and Illustrator. Signed and dated 1983, this large scale framed oil on canvas is a charming and detailed depiction of life in Cascade Springs, Colorado on a snowy day.
Maxwell Mays was born in Rhode Island in 1918, and focused his art on celebrating the landscapes of his home state. Known for their birds-eye perspectives and nostalgic style, Mays' prints have appeared multiple times on the cover of Yankee Magazine. His paintings hang in many establishments, including the University of Rhode Island, and are particular favorites of Rhode Island residents. Mays' artwork often depicts scenes from throughout Rhode Island and the surrounding areas of New England but he did produce works depicting communities from across America . Featuring town squares, farm lands, and harbors, Maxwell Mays' prints celebrate the Americana found in small towns.
A graduate of RISD, he began painting seriously while serving in the US Air Force in Brazil during WWII. His first one-man commercial show was at the Ferargil Gallery in New York in 1948. In the ensuing years he became notable for a number of highly successful art shows and magazine covers, and was a highly sought-after speaker and storyteller. As a successful businessman, he was Treasurer of Mays Manufacturing Company, a family business until its sale in the mid-1980s. He was Past President and Director Emeritus of the Providence Art...
Category
1980s American Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Bernard Watercolor Columbian Woman Carries Fruit Basket Folk Art Ornated Frame
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Bernard Watercolor Framed behind Glass Columbian Young Woman carries a Fruit Basket on her Head.
Signed on Bernard, Copyright.
Wood Frame is whitewashed and ornate.
In vi...
Category
Late 20th Century Colombian Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
Folk Art Reverse Glass Tinsel Painting - Original Frame - U.S. - Circa 1850's
Located in Chatham, ON
Exceptional Folk Art reverse painting on glass with foil/tinsel back (églomisé) - original hand made wood frame with carved and painted details - unsigned - United States - circa 185...
Category
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Glass, Softwood, Paint
Unique Two-Headed Horse Abstract Expressionist Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Immerse yourself in the extraordinary allure of our unique Expressionist painting on canvas, capturing a one-of-a-kind scene. This abstract artwork presents a captivating horse-like ...
Category
Early 2000s American Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Wood, Paint, Canvas
Naive Ethiopian Painting, Greatest Scenes of Religion, Society and History 1970s
Located in Budapest, HU
Naive Ethiopian painting, The Greatest Scenes of Religion, Society and History.
Oil on Canvas
Measures: 100 x 190 cm
s.b.r.
with Ge'ez language ...
Category
1970s Ethiopian Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Canvas
Vintage Folk Art Ship on River Landscape Long Format Painting
Located in Seguin, TX
Antique circa 1915 oil on wood board folk art river scene with ship flying American flag painting, wood is from an old tobacco crate. Unsigned. ...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Wood, Paint
Naive Ethiopian Painting Circle of Life 'Scene of the Year', 1970s
Located in Budapest, HU
The upper two lines show Months of Year form September to February and March to August, below the scenes of life.
with Ge'ez language inscriptions.
Category
1970s Ethiopian Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Canvas
Naive Ethiopian Genre Painting, 1970s
Located in Budapest, HU
Naive Ethiopian Genre painting, 1970s
oil on canvas
with Ge'ez language inscriptions.
Category
1970s Ethiopian Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Canvas
JOHN R. WATTS, Folk Art Watercolor & Gouache Landscape Painting, U.S., C.1889
Located in Chatham, ON
JOHN R. WATTS (Unknown/Unidentified Artist) - Folk art watercolor and gouache landscape painting on paper - graphite highlights and shading - unframed - signed and dated lower right ...
Category
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paint, Paper
Naive Ethiopian Painting for the 79th Anniversary Italo-Ethiopian War in 1975
Located in Budapest, HU
Mengistu Haile Mariam and other Generals looking at the celebrators
oil on canvas painting, 90 x 190 cm
with Ge'ez language inscriptions.
Category
1970s Ethiopian Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Canvas
JOHN R. WATTS, Folk Art Watercolor & Gouache Landscape Painting, U.S., C.1890
Located in Chatham, ON
JOHN R. WATTS (Unknown/Unidentified Artist) - Folk art watercolor and gouache landscape painting on paper - unframed - twice signed and dated lower right (one with applied paper stam...
Category
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paint, Paper
Naive Ethiopian Painting, Traffic in Addis Ababa, 1970s
Located in Budapest, HU
Naive Ethiopian painting, Traffic in Addis Ababa, 1970s.
with Ge'ez language inscriptions.
Category
1970s Ethiopian Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Canvas
Folk Art Maine Rocky Coast Seascape, by D. A. Fisher, circa 1900
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique Folk Art Maine rocky coast seascape, by D. A. Fisher (1867 - 1940), circa 1900, an oil on board seascape with gentle combers breaking on rocks on the foreground, with two sloops sailing in the background, signed lower right. The reverse retaining the label for Frost & Adams Academy Boards, Artists' Tube Colors, etc. , dealers in fine art materials in Boston from 1869 to 1921. There is also a label from The Thomas Co, Picture Framing, Washington D.C.
D.A. Fisher lived in Portland Maine and was a prolific painter of primarily marine landscapes, with subjects focused primarily in southern Maine, but also Massachusetts and New Hampshire. While his work is quite similar and sympathetic with "The Brushians," a group of about 16 artist from Portland that painted on outings around Casco Bay...
Category
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Other
Naive Ethiopian Painting Hospital Scene, 1970s
Located in Budapest, HU
Naive Ethiopian Painting Hospital scene, 1970s
with Ge'ez language inscriptions.
Category
1970s Ethiopian Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Canvas
Antique Victorian P. Hackett Americana Watercolor Painting School Boy with Horn
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique Victorian Americana watercolor portrait of a young boy dressed in blue and holding a horn. Signed P. Hackett on the back of the frame.
Category
19th Century Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paint, Paper
Framed Korean Folk Painting of General Guan Gong
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Korean folk Shamanism watercolor on textile matted with woven brocade and presented in a wood frame with an oriental style metal hanging hardware. The painting was estimated to be from early 20th century circa 1910-1930s. It depicts Guan Yu (160-220AD), a legendary Chinese warrior and general from Eastern Han Dynasty. Long worshiped in China as a deity, across all three major religions, Guan Gong...
Category
Early 20th Century Korean Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Textile, Brocade
"Harness Racer at Belmont Park 1884, Philadelphia" by Agustus Kollner
Located in Wiscasset, ME
Watercolor on paper, signed lower right Agustus Knoller and dated 1884. Inscribed on the reverse in pencil "This trotting came off Aug 15th 1884 at Belmont Park near Manayunk." This ...
Category
1880s American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paint, Paper
Antique Folk Art Watercolor Painting Children with Cat Instruments Framed
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique folk art style watercolor painting of a pair of children with instruments and a cat walking down a road lined with a white fence.
Measures: 9.375” x 1” x 8” / Sans Frame -...
Category
Early 20th Century Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paint
19th C. Mexican Retablo, C.1880
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT
An original 19th century Mexican folk retablo. Oil paint on tin. Subject unknown.
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...
Category
19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Tin
1950s German Oil Painting on Wood in an Old Gilded Frame by Josef Hofbauer
Located in Berlin, DE
This beautiful 1950s German Oil Painting on Wood in an old gilded Frame by Josef Hofbauer.
A unique piece which is a great eye-catcher for your anti...
Category
1950s German Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Hardwood, Fruitwood, Paint
19th C. Silk Embroidered and Hand Painted Seascape by Thomas Willis
Located in Nantucket, MA
19th century silk embroidered and hand painted oil on canvas seascape by Thomas Willis (1850 - 1925), depicting the schooner-rigged racing yacht MARION W...
Category
1880s American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Silk
Vintage Folk Art Cabin in Winter Snow Landscape Long Format Painting
Located in Seguin, TX
Antique circa 1915 oil on wood board folk art winter forest cabin scene painting, wood is from an old tobacco crate. Unsigned. Unframed, edge wear.
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Wood, Paint
Chinese Yangliuqing New Year Painting of Peace & Prosperity
Located in Chicago, IL
Chinese New Year paintings (nian hua) are colorful folk paintings created to celebrate the annual Spring Festival. Drawn or printed by folk artists in regional studios, nian hua pain...
Category
1920s Chinese Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paper
Portrait of the Clipper Ship Oriental by Lucius A. Briggs, 1925
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique Seascape Portrait of the Clipper Ship ORIENTAL by Lucius A. Briggs, (Boston and New Bedford: 1852 - 1931), 1925, a watercolor seascape with the tea clipper under rosy sky, si...
Category
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paper
WPA Painting Featuring Visitors to the Zoo
Located in Wiscasset, ME
Great WPA period painting featuring visitors to the zoo with aviaries in the background, possibly NYC. Some of the visitors have a very Botero feel. Oil on canvas, unframed measuring...
Category
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paint
Chinese Yangliuqing New Year Painting of Beauty and Baby, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
Chinese New Year paintings (nian hua) are colorful folk paintings created to celebrate the annual Spring Festival. Drawn or printed by folk artists in regional studios, nian hua pain...
Category
1920s Chinese Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paper
Surreal Painting, Roland Gautier
Located in London, GB
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...
Category
Late 20th Century French Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Plywood, Paint
Surreal Figurative Painting, Roland Gautier
Located in London, GB
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...
Category
Late 20th Century French Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Plywood, Paint
Chinese Yangliuqing New Year Painting of Beauty and Baby, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
Chinese New Year paintings (nian hua) are colorful folk paintings created to celebrate the annual Spring Festival. Drawn or printed by folk artists in regional studios, nian hua pain...
Category
1920s Chinese Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paper
Late 19th Century Wood Framed Folk Art Painting Depicting Hound Dogs by River
Located in Middleburg, VA
Late 19th Century Wood Framed Folk Art Painting Depicting Hound Dogs by River. The two dogs are hunting water fowl. Wood framing is modern. United States, 1...
Category
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Paint
Vintage Reverse Glass Mythical Seascape Painting from Madura Island, Indonesia
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
A framed reverse glass painting from the island of Madura, off the Northeastern coast of Java. The painting depicts a mythical seascape with a bright array of colours. The painter wo...
Category
1980s Indonesian Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Glass, Wood
Large Vintage Balinese Painting on Silk from Ubud Bali 1960's
Located in North Hollywood, CA
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...
Category
Mid-20th Century Balinese Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Silk
Korean Jakhodo Minhwa Folk Scroll Painting
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Korean Folk Art painting mounted as a hanging scroll. The watercolor on paper was likely dated from 1930s-1940s. The work depicts a "Jakhodo" theme (...
Category
1930s Korean Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paper
Pichhavai Hindu Painting of Radha and Krishna with Female Gopis
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Large Pichhavai Hindu Painting of Radha and Krishna with Female Gopis.
Pichhwai Hindu Painting of Krishna and Radha framed under glass.
Kris...
Category
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Silk, Glass, Wood
African Ethiopian Tribal Folk Art Painting 20th Century
Located in Milan, IT
Ancient Ethiopian painting imported to Italy by a diplomat during the Italian occupation of Ethiopia, in the late 1930s. This genre scene painting is divided into eighteen squares bordered by a black frame and divided into three lines. The scene depicts the story of a couple with three children through the stories of their domestic life and their rural activity; each box has a caption written in the Amharic language. In the first line: they grind; they drink; …illegible… while they spin; they bring water.
In the second line: comb, cut your hair; treats your teeth; grind; they bring the wood; they bring water.
In the third section: they prepare beer; they prepare bread; they cook bread; they prepare lunch; while they eat; while they drink. This canvas is painted in shades of ocher and is mounteed on a ebonized frame. Dates back to the late 1930s. The canvas show minimal tears and signs of wear but we can customize a restoration.
The human figures are characterized by unrealistic proportions of the head and body and depicted in static positions. This sense of fixity and the narration in successive chapters in domestic environments make the paintings easily intelligible and suggestive.
A particularly fascinating aspect of Ethiopian art...
Category
Mid-20th Century Ethiopian Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Canvas
19th c. Mexican Retablo "Veronica's Veil" c.1880
Located in San Francisco, CA
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...
Category
19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Tin
Fantastic Highly Detailed Large Painting by Julian Rockmore
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Incredibly detailed whimsical large canvas of a circus coming to an old American town, by artist Jullian Rockmore, signed lower left. Rockmore came from a family of artists and his w...
Category
1980s North American Vintage Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Canvas
Deep Design Nine Little Art Histories by Libby Lumpkin Art Book
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Deep Design: Nine Little Art Histories by Libby Lumpkin.
January 1, 1995
In nine ambitious essays of uncommon erudition, art historian Libby Lumpkin constructs quirky condensed his...
Category
20th Century American Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Paper
19th C. Mexican Retablo Saint Francis c.1880
Located in San Francisco, CA
About
An original 19th century Mexican folk retablo of Saint Francis. Oil paint on tin.
St. Francis of Assisi, Italian San Francesco d’Assisi was born 1181-1182 in Assisi, duchy of Spoleto, Italy and died October 3, 1226. He was canonized July 16, 1228. He founded the Franciscan orders of the Friars Minor and the lay Third Order. He was also a leader of the movement of evangelical poverty in the early 13th century. His evangelical zeal, consecration to poverty, charity, and personal charisma drew thousands of followers. Francis’s devotion to the human Jesus and his desire to follow Jesus’ example reflected and reinforced important developments in medieval spirituality.
Cretor 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...
Category
19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Paintings
Materials
Tin
Folk Art paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique folk art paintings for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage paintings created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include folk art, wall decorations and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with canvas, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Folk Art paintings made in a specific country, there are North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original paintings, popular names associated with this style include Purvis Young, Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo, M J Myers, and A. Tamme. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for paintings differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,380 and tops out at $2,600 while the average work can sell for $2,490.
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