Help Identifying Unusual Surrealist Painting
I am trying to identify the artist behind these two unusual pieces. They came from a collection of paintings by famous German abstract artists. This was the only painting that was unable to be identified due to the illegible signature/monogram which is only two simple lines (possibly HM, NM, HL, NL?).
The painting measures 28 inches high by 26 wide. It is an extremely thick impasto containing an optical illusion. The portrait can be viewed as either a young woman or an old woman with a grotesque face. The painting is unsigned on the front but the back is marked in light red with the artists signature and the date “1964”. There also appears to be a word inscribed into the paint in the woman’s hair.
The sketch is also by the same artist. It is signed in the same illegible signature followed by what appears to be “76” (1976?). The sketch is also titled but is unreadable.
The painting seems to be reminiscent of Frank Auerbach, but clearly this is not his signature. It is in the style and around the same time period as Man Ray, Francis Bacon, etc. I have researched these pieces extensively but due to the very vague signature I am coming up empty.
Would appreciate any info or ideas on this mystery!
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Help Identifying Unusual Surrealist Painting
December 4th, 2011, 05:53 PM
