$1,541
Harold Newton (American, 1932-1994) Landscape with Palm Trees/A Florida View Incised signature "HNEWTON" l. r. Oil on board, 24 x 48 in. (61.0 x 121.9 cm), framed. Condition: Minor surface grime. N.B. Newton was a leading member of the Florida Highwaymen, a group of self-taught African-American artists largely from the Ft. Pierce area who painted idealized Florida scenes from the 1950s through the 1980s. (1) Their works commonly depicted "the essential ingredients with which to imagine the state: wind-swept palm trees, billowing cumulus clouds, the ocean, the setting sun." (2) Many of the painters found commercial success with these "escapist" depictions, selling to both tourists and locals alike. The popularity of the Highwaymens' art can be understood both economically and ideologically--they were filling a market demand for a travel memento, as well as promoting a vision of an unspoiled land not yet threatened by development. (3) (1) Munroe, Gary. The Highwaymen: Florida's African-American Landscape Painters. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2001. Pg. 2. (2) Ibid., pg. 2. (3) Ibid., pg. 3 The work might possibly benefit from a gentle cleaning, otherwise there are no visble condition issues to report. Please note that this work is on canvasboard.
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2008-09-12
