19th Anniversary

2019 Antiques & Fine Art 153 1940s into the 1970s. It was in the 1940s, however, where he was recognized for a style of painting that defined Surrealism. Indeed, he was indebted to the liberating influence of Surrealism, a vehicle by which to express his unique style. A reclusive, he would not be defined or restricted by the prescribed dictum of the society and critics around him. Kelly experimented with imagery that seemed exaggerated in both scale and shape. The visual illusions the artist created presented an alternate reality. His depiction of large, anthropomorphic insect- like creatures and unearthly figures seemed illogical but were rendered in such detail and clarity that they seemed to really exist. Kelly had the ability to bring into being a pure symphony of shapes and colors. In his works of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, he excelled with relentless passion the architectural execution of his journey into Surrealism. The compositions of his late Surrealist works were the culmination of a life-long quest to share his vision with the world. He is known today as the American Surrealist. Kelly died in 1982, in Loveladies, New Jersey, at the age of 81. His works are in the permanent collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of Art, and MoMA, among others, and in many major private collections. Carl David is director of the David David Gallery, Philadelphia, and author of Collecting and Care of Fine Art (2016). Leon Kelly (1901–1982), Maya with Mallorcan Fan, 1962. Oil on canvas, 36 x 49 inches. Leon Kelly (1901–1982) The Cascade of Souls, 1958 Oil on canvas, 50 x 40 inches Leon Kelly (1901–1982) Paysage En Pollensa, 1960 Oil on canvas, 30 x 36 inches

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