Nice For The Price

Sometimes I find the strangest things in thrift shops. I picked this up. It's not a masterpiece. It is well done. 18" x 24", sitting there. No one even looked at it because it has a religious theme. I'm not religious. But, it'll go nicely with my thrift art.

There are A LOT of Martin artists. Does this ring a bell via the technique which Martin it might be?

 

That appears to be an amateur work. Would/could you post a photograph of the painting including its frame? And a photograph of the back with same. And in what part of the world did you find it?

Debora

 

I see a touch of surrealism . I like it.

 

The Surrealism may be unintentional. The work has a dreamlike quality because the artist hasn't successfully anchored the objects in space.

Debora

 

Only one of the crosses casts a shadow, an' it lacks true perspective.

 

This is the back. There is no frame. The wood came from Glendale NY. Morilla is stamped on there also. There appears to be a $265 stamped in the wood. It's not the price of the piece. It seems to be for the wood. But, there isn't a piece of wood worth that. It sure isn't on this painting. I found it in a Goodwill in Pennsylvania. I think it came from Long Island or upstate NY. Glendale is probably upstate.

 

Reading this, I see what you mean. I see so many awful pieces of art. This stood out amongst the usual garbage.

 

The crown of thorns, hammer and water vase don't cast shadows either. I'm not hanging this next to my Dali's Divine Comedy prints.

 

What do you mean "The wood came from Glendale NY"? That's stamped on the frame? Could/would you post close-up photographs of all the frame's markings? And, fyi, given the surname of the artist, $265 may well be in Mexican pesos or another Latin American currency that uses the dollar sign.

Debora

 

Wow Tough crowd ! The sky isnt badly done and I think the unanchored feel was their intention. I like how the glass jugs are almost invisible . And the candle looks like its standing on legs .

 

I find it quite meaningful.......

 

I think that is intentional. The foreboding cross. Only the central cross is intended for Jesus. The utensils of the crucifixion are laid out on the table, the candle snuffed (no life). Events centred around the cross cast their shadow ahead.

 

Yes, think the mirrored cross is a deliberate foreshadowing. I'd suspect the work is a copy.

Debora

 

That hadn't occurred to me, Debora...an' I think you have a good point.

 

These are the stampings. This isn't old. I'd say from the stampings, the 80s forward. I don't think it's new (2010 forward). But, the tacks, the makeshift way to hang it, probably late 20th century.

It's a shame it ended up in a thrift shop. I've gotten a couple of not great, but interesting pieces.

I did an image search, and nothing even remotely close came up. Some excellent fruit bowls did. But, nothing with a religious theme. I also asked GROK (it's really the best AI chat I've tried) describing the piece and it couldn't find anything that didn't include Jesus in the painting.