Italian artist Duilio Barnabé (1914-1961) reduced all subject matter in his paintings to their purist form and removed all clues to place and time through the use of monochromatic backgrounds. I believe in understated simplicity in design and art, so it goes without saying that I am a fan of Barnabé's work.
Sadly, Duilio took his life while in his prime. On October 7, 1960, the night of his 46th birthday, he drove his car off the side of a mountain in the French Alps; miraculously, he escaped without injury. At the time, many questioned if it was just an accident. That question was answered when exactly one year to the day, at the same time of night and on the very same corner, he drove his car off the road once again, killing himself.
Pierrot with a Mandolin, oil on canvas, 48.75 x 39.25 in. Christie's 2010
Seated Figure with Book, oil on canvas, 39.37 x 32 in. Freeman's Auctioneers
Seated Figure Holding Bowl of Eggs, oil on canvas, 39.5 x 28.75 in. Christie's 2008
Seated Figure, c. 1960. R. S. Johnson Fine Art, Chicago
The Cardinal, 1961, oil on canvas, 51 x 36.12 in. Stair Galleries Auctions
Femme Assise, 1961, oil on canvas board, 45.37 x 35 in. Christie's 2010
Pierrot, c. 1960, oil on canvas, 51.2 x 34.5 in. Piasa Auctions, France
Standing Pierrot with Child and Hat, lithograph, 22.24 x 17.25 in. Leslie Hindman Auctions
Still Life, oil on canvas, 31.75 x 39.25 in. Christie's 2010
Vase of Flowers, oil on canvas, 25.5 x 18 in. Christie's 2010
Still Life, oil on canvas, 36.12 x 28.62 in. Christie's 2010
Vase of Flowers, oil on canvas, 32 x 21 in. Christie's 2010
Still Life with Fruit and Oranges, oil on canvas, 19.62 x 28.75 in. Doyle, New York 2011
For more information on the life and work of Duilio Barnabé go to R. S. Johnson Fine Art.
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