Description:

Paul Ninas (American/New Orleans, 1903-1964), "Spanish Colonial Buildings, probably Havana, Cuba", oil and mixed media on masonite, signed lower right, 24 in. x 36 in., framed. Note: Paul Ninas was one of the pioneer modernists of the South, often described as the “Dean of Modern Art” in New Orleans. Active in the city from 1932 until his death, Ninas was extensively well-traveled, having spent time in Europe, Africa and the West Indies. The artist spent the years prior to his arrival in New Orleans living and working on his coconut and lime plantation on the island of Dominica in the West Indies. Each locale he visited influenced Ninas' studies and artistic output. The painting offered here is a beautiful example of a Spanish Colonial streetscape, depicted in a bright Fauvist palette with rectangles of color under an anthropomorphic sky. The influences of Picasso are clear, most likely originating from the artist's visits to the Delgado Museum of Art's major Picasso exhibition organized by the Museum of Modern Art and presented in December 1940. Ninas also incorporated mixed media into the composition, something with which he was continually experimenting during the 1940s and 50s. He chose to delineate the details of the doors and balustrades, which help identify this unique architecture and provide a sense of place and context to the painting. Notebooks by the artist include drawings from his time spent in the Caribbean, and particularly Cuba, in the 1930s, perhaps providing inspiration for this important work. Ref.: Kemp, John R.. “Paul Ninas.” KnowLA Encyclopedia of Louisiana. 2012. Pennington, Estill Curtis. Downriver: Currents of Style in Louisiana Painting 1800-1950. Gretna: Pelican Publishing Co., 1991.

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February 11, 2017 10:00 AM CST
New Orleans, LA, US

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