Henry Lawrence Faulkner Oil and Casein, "Alice, Cherubs and Roses"

Item Details

Henry Lawrence Faulkner (American/Kentucky, 1924-1981)
oil and casein on masonite
signed to the right center
ostensibly titled in literature

An oval oil and casein on masonite depicting roses, cherub and ‘Alice’, Faulkner’s pet goat, the work contains many of the very best elements of the artist’s work. The work is hypothesized to be the last painting he ever made of his beloved companion Alice, which depicts her ascending to heaven aided by the cherubs. The ‘found’ antique frame, often picked up by Faulkner as he meandered through the antique shops in Lexington, is splashed with the azure blues and other hues from his work. He often executed works within their frame, and they were as much a part of the charm of his work as the subjects themselves.

This example is a creative oval in form. Faulkner most likely cut the masonite board to fit the frame. Depictions of Alice in such a way are among Faulkner’s most charming and desirable work today. He was no stranger to religious manifestations as well, materializing themselves in the form of cherubs here. Faulkner’s time in Italy and especially Taormina were a source of these angelic figures. For added interest, there is a mention of Alice by Tennessee Williams in the hand-written note to Henry Faulkner of lot 18LEX034-004.

Henry Lawrence Faulkner (American/Kentucky, 1924-1981) was born in rural Egypt, Kentucky in 1924. An orphan, and listless wanderer, the artist lived a Bohemian lifestyle and eventually arrived in Lexington, Kentucky, where he was primarily known. A lifetime of travel took him to Key West, Taormina, Italy, New York, California where he befriended the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Ezra Pound, and many other literary and artistic dignitaries. Anecdotes abound of his pet goat and oft recurring subject in his work Alice, with whom he drove to Florida, took to his gallery openings, and elsewhere. He is remembered as a complicated modernist, who left a body of work in paintings and poetry, and a fond impression by most who met him.

LITERATURE

The Gift of Color- Henry Lawrence Faulkner (2018, Hockensmith). Link to the book – ‘The Gift of Color’:https://www.finearteditions.net/the-gift-of-color-henry-faulkner-look-inside-limited-edition/

Dimensions

SIght size 29 × 17 in.

Item #

18LEX034-003