Paul Rabut
27 1/2 × 34 1/2 × 2 in | 69.9 × 87.6 × 5.1 cm
Further images
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 1
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 2
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 3
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 4
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 5
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 6
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 7
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 8
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 9
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 10
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 11
)
What
makes this artwork special is not the narrative. It's the artist's
unique approach to depicting it. He does it the hard way. Instead of
showing the moment of an altercation between a break-in thief and a
homeowner in the expected way, Rabut chooses to view the action from
outside the house, looking in. He surrounds the exterior with an
abstraction of winding vines to symbolize the scene's squeezing tension.
With a spotlight on the subjects, his lighting and composition are a
masterclass in narrative art. The painting has an unmistakable cinematic
quality as the viewer enters the scene at a dramatic peak. Add its
high-contrast chiaroscuro lighting, moody atmospheres, and thematic
elements of mystery, cynicism, and crime... the work is a Film Noir
movie in a single image. So who is this artist? He was important in the
1940's and 1950s but has since been off the radar. The present painting
puts Paul Rabut front and center as one of the most creative
illustrators of the Golden Age of Illustration. Signed lower right,
The present work is published on page 22 of the January 22, 1949, Saturday Evening Post.
Condition Report
Very
minor diagonal abrasion at center left near extreme edge. Wear and
markings to the margins of the board in keeping with the illustration
and publishing process. Framed under acrylic, not examined outside of
frame. Plexi has few scuffs.
Framed Dimensions 27.5 X 34.5 Inches