Robert Wright Figural Acrylic Painting on Wooden Cigar Box

Item Details

Robert Wright (Pennsylvania, 1943 – 2006)
Untitled (face), late 20th century
Acrylic painting on wooden cigar box
Signed to the underside

Born a seventh son of a seventh son, Robert Wright was deeply influenced by his Roman Catholic faith and local Pittsburgh neighborhoods. His paintings often highlight the South Side Pittsburgh slopes, religious motifs, faces, and birds. He was a self-taught artist who exhibited at a few local Pittsburgh galleries and the Three Rivers Arts Festival. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Wright never finished high school and eventually worked as a landscaper and a janitor at a daycare center. His mother, Catherine, fostered his artistic interests and he eventually found success with his work at a social service agency in Oakland. Wright’s work was championed by collector of folk and outsider art Pat McArdle.

Condition

- box painted shut; minor abrasions and chips and paint loss particularly along the edges.

Dimensions

Item #

ITMG876960