You can't rush artLaval, QC
August 2009
This painting graced the living room of my parents' old house when I was growing up. Like so many other choices they made in interior decoration, I often wondered about this one. Mind you, I'm not one to judge, as I'm sure my own home isn't going to be featured on the cover of any magazine anytime soon, and I'm sure our kids have already come to their own conclusions about my decidedly limited sense of design.
Still, this particular work always haunted me, especially if I happened to glance up just before bedtime. I'm not sure what it was about him that gave me pause, but he always seemed to be watching me as I trundled around the big room.
The old man survived the move to my parents' condo and now casts glances on an entirely new generation of Levys. Whoever the artist is, I wish he/she knew how deeply ingrained this one work has become in the fabric of my life, and that of my family.
Funny how that works, isn't it?
This just in: My mom confirms that this painting was/is by an artist named David Pelbam (1932-2004). He was originally from Rhode Island, and specialized in paintings of sea captains, dockworkers and rabbis. According to his very sparse biography on AskArt.com, he did most of his work between 1950 and 1960.
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11 comments:
It looks like a classic. I like the look in his eyes.
There's wisdom in those eyes.
I have a framed picture of an angel/cherub/putti - I've never know what he is supposed to be - that hung on the wall of my grandmother's living room. I simply cannot part with it, since it reminds me so much of my beloved mammaw.
Since he has been from your parents and now yours. Maybe he's your guardian angel?
U should take it to a reputable gallery, bet they might know what era and who it could be.
Is it a print or an actual painting? It has elements of the style of Rembrandt (look at the lighting and the subject matter), but the details are much clearer than he liked to paint them. The eyes and the elongated face make me think of El Greco, but the skin coloring isn't like his favorite shades (his people all tend to have grey, zombie-like skin). Perhaps it's done in the style of one of the other Dutch masters at roughly Rembrandt's time.
Surely at least one of your many readers has had more art history classes than I!!
Y'know, the coloring looks a bit like Velazquez's work. Maybe it's done in his style.....
Great. Now this is going to bug me.
It reminds me a lot of the paintings of Caravaggio... really.
@Paperback: I googled both artists and to me it looks more like an El Greco... The stark hollow look in the eyes as well as the elongated neck...
Kalei-- it's just that El Greco doesn't often use such a healthy skin tone..... But the elongated features look like El Greco's stuff.
I think it's a wonderful classical looking painting excellently done, but more important it seems to be something that your parents loved and you have come to love if for no other reason than your parents loved it. I have a small wooden chest with much the same meaning to me. My personal philosophy is you should decorate with love and you have given me an idea for a post on my blog- Thanks-
We had a painting of an old native American on a grape drying rack. No idea where we got that (it finally fell to pieces)
ANYWAY... our daughters said that the old man's eyes followed them around the room. They were all quite afraid of him.
My father's an artist, so I have PLENTY of oils, watercolors, and acrylics to decorate my walls. And I always know who the artist is -- so will future generations, since Dad signs his work. :)
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