I’ve been drawn like a magnet lately to paintings with solid black grounds— so satisfyingly graphic, and amplifying the sense of significance and symbolic weight to the subjects portrayed. And I love any sort of troupe l’oeil, especially with books in it! This one appears to have been painted as a present, marking the occasion of the recipient’s birthday on an April 8.1883. Curiously, the painted text on that page of the book seems first to have read “with loving wishes”, with the wishes then replaced by “greetings”, painted right above it. I especially love the violets, one of them appearing wilted before ever opening.
18” x 12 /4”. Oil on board. Good uncleaned condition, a bit dark, which makes it feel all the more atmospheric. Light craquelure, some spotting to the book laying horizontal at the bottom and a white drip to the top left corner of the open book.
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