Folk Art of Europe & Rest of World »
Peasant Country Fair in the Meadows by Naive Artist
Ref: 2465
A warm and nostalgic fantasia by a Ukrainian or Serbian modern naive artist, a large scale oil on canvas, depicting on old time country fair or market. A cross section of country society is here. The stern, statuesque men with deep sunken eyes and droopy
moustaches, like "the Brothers", some characters out of a Russian novel, stand aloof from the peasantry, their grey finely attired and their clothes indicating their status as landowners . We see the customary stork, the horse
traders, various peasant characters doing their thing, there is plenty to read as in a Breugel composition and all warmly observed and overlooked by the church on the hillside and the huge sky, as ever symbolising the timeless powers of Nature or God.
The buxom girl with plaited hair and makeup, on a cart of golden wheat, like a pagan vision from Hardy, is presumably on offer to suitors, the shepherds who would hope to find a bride
at such fairs in the old days, but who may think twice in this case if following the adage they consider that the fearsome lady hollering the girl's virtue by her side is "the mother". Then there is the man loafing at the tavern, in modern dress, with white shirt sleeves rolled up and trilby, and consorting with some seriously dodgy looking gypsy types, this is presumably the artist, the master of ceremonies, who declares modestly that he is also
a part of this world.
It's an attractively coloured, intelligent and large decorative piece, painted on thick cloth, plenty of
crackling adding effect of age. It is probably dating to the 1960s. The very competent composition, and quirky stylistic effect such as the way the clouds are represented suggest this is a "naive" artist of some renown, one who has developed a distinctive style, though we don't know who they are. The cyrillic text suggests Serbia, Ukraine, Bulgaria....
Of course at this time in an Eastern Bloc country it would not be possible for an artist to paint about life as "it is" in the present as this would be censored (and worse) - art that looked back to the past with rose tinted spectacles would be permitted and "folk art" art was also permitted and "naive art" too because of its apparent innocence and silliness was popular. Of course any artistic expression directly or indirectly has something to say about the present whatever it says and if we see in this work a celebration of a diverse social spectrum, humanely observed and all encapsulated by the overarching and tolerating power of the Church rather than the State, then we can see with the nostalgia is a gesture towards social and political critique.
An exhibition label to reverse has been torn away leaving only the letters "UA".
Eastern Europe c.1960s
H: 94cm (37.0in)
W: 139cm (54.7in)
D: 4cm (1.6in)
SOLD
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