Sylvia Spicuzza

Woman in Dress & Fancy Hat #403, c.1940s - 1950s
Color crayon drawing w/stamped signature
6 x 3.50 in
SKU: 10890g
$1,700
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In this drawing, Sylvia Spicuzza takes influence from the Fauvist works of Henri Matisse, especially his famous 1904 composition "Luxe, calme et volupté." This influence is more pronounced in other drawings from the same sketchbook (see 10886g) where she composes a combination of clothed and nude women, but here we nonetheless see a figure on the same beach-side landscape. The vibrant use of color and playful line is also derived from the coloration of the Fauve painters, using these for expressive purposes rather than to create a naturalistic image. The costume of the elegant woman in this drawing could be compared to Matisse's 1905 'La femme au chapeau,' now at the SFMoMA, but it also has the flair of mid-century Broadway musicals such as "Hello, Dolly!". By borrowing elements from art history and popular culture, we can see the education and creativity of Spicuzza and thus how effective she must have been as an art educator.

6 x 3.5 inches, artwork
13.75 x 11.25 inches, frame
Stamped with artist's signature, lower right
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