Oil on canvas painting, featuring a hawk gazing out into the sky. Signed and attr. Antonio Ligabue (Italian 1899-1965) on bottom right corner. 17 x 19.5 inch (43.18 x 49.53 cm). Antonio Ligabue (18 December 1899 – 27 May 1965) (Real name: Antonio Laccabue) was an Italian painter, one of the most important Naïve artists of the 20th century.. A self-taught painter and sculptor, Ligabue lived most of his life in a rude hut beside the Po River, not emerging from obscurity until the 1950s when articles and reviews began appearing in Italy. In 1961 he was awarded Grand Prize at the National Art Exhibit. Known as the "Van Gogh of Italy", Capra is pleased to present a lively telling of the life of this enigmatic artist who worked purely by passion and instinct. As he said, "Sometimes they ask me why I use such strong colors, but how can you explain that you feel fire in your arms?" Ligabue was a true "outsider", not only in how we might categorize his art, but in the unfortunate facts of his life. All but ostracized by human society because of mental, physical, and emotional "deficiencies", Ligabue lived isolated in his hut, where he sculpted his animals from the river clay. Eventually he acquired oils and painted on canvas his fantastic, mysterious visions of animals, insects, birds, and landscapes, but also, and most dramatically, his tortured self-portraits. Critics have labeled him Naif, Expressionist, Primitive, Fauvist, and Visionary. He is all these things; as one critic put it, "We are dealing with an alchemistic mixture, full of that magical quality we call poetry because we haven't got a better way of defining it". Ligabue's life and art form a whole, reflecting not only the beauty and genius of the human spirit, but its agony and sorrow as well. A permanent collection of his works is at the Ligabue Institute in Parma. PROVENANCE: Southern Ontario Estate

All authorship of items in this catalog are described according to the following terms:

By [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work is by the artist.

Attributed to [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work may be ascribed to the artist on the basis of style, but there may be some question as to actual authorship.

In the manner of [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work was executed by an unknown hand, but was designed deliberately to emulate the style of the artist.

After [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work was executed by an unknown hand, but is a deliberate copy of a known work by the artist.

Circle of [Artist Name] : In our opinion, a work of the period of the artist showing his influence, closely associated with the artist but not necessarily his pupil.

Follower of [Artist Name]: In our opinion, a work by a pupil or a follower of the artist (not necessarily a pupil).

American, 19th century : In our opinion, this work was executed by an unknown hand, and can only be identified by origin (i.e., region, period).

Bears signature : In our opinion, the signature on the artwork may be spurious.
Apocryphal : Of doubtful authenticity.