A Family Portrait- Oil Painting on Canvas

This unsigned naive painting, depicting a scene of an African family, is imbued with a childlike sensibility that enhances rather than detracts from its artistic value. The work evokes art brut in its features, expressions, and aesthetic choices, and appeals to a form of beauty, purity, and immediacy that only the unfiltered perspective of a child can offer. This lack of embellishment, and visual austerity motivated by a desire for authenticity rather than mere attractiveness, lends the work sincerity and humility.

The painting's composition is characterized by its clarity, with wide spaces defined by fine contours and distinct applications of color, mainly blue and white.

The depiction of dark-skinned faces, with visible legs and hands, is rendered with an economy of detail. The shape of the eyes, the precise location of the pupils, and the orientation of the heads act as focal points, directing our gaze to the drama at play.

On the left-hand side of the painting, and at the heart of the narrative, a young woman shown in profile with a pronounced belly suggests the imminence of new life, indicating pregnancy. On the right, a figure with a bowed head seems to be in a state of remorse or shame, probably the father of the unborn child, grappling with his actions and their repercussions. The central characters, taller and more imposing, anchor the composition with their expressive postures. The wide eyes of one and the raised gaze of the other seem to be searching for answers from above, confronted by an almost unbelievable reality.

This painting captures a moment of family conflict and tension, with a young pregnant girl flanked by her distressed parents or in-laws, and the father-to-be, who avoids the piercing gaze of his elders. Through its naive, authentic style, the artist invites us to reflect on the raw, unvarnished emotions and essential humanity that define our shared experiences.

REFERENCE NUMBER: LU825839732362
PERIOD: Mid-20th Century
CONDITION: Excellent
MEASUREMENTS: Height: 33" Width: 27.33" Depth: 2.5"
COUNT: 1
MATERIAL: Acrylic, Canvas, Painted
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States