Here we have a stunning 1940s painting of a man crouching in an unusual pose, peering directly into your soul. I'll lead off by saying this old artwork haunts me to the point of not being able to shake it. And honestly, I wouldn't if I could. Norman Canedy, the artist, tapped into a cosmic underground that bleeds through the oil on canvas. It's almost like the details were done in reverse, resulting in a huge artwork that doesn't become part of the landscape...it is the landscape. When checking the boxes, this one creates a few more boxes that it checks itself. Expand the pics to fill your screen. It still will not do it justice. What a haunting piece of American underground art history.
Here is some information about Norman Casedy (1926 - 2020) courtesy of his
obituary published in the Star Tribune.
While in high school, it was apparent that Norman had artistic talent and the Chicago Art Institute expressed interest in him as a painter and he attended summer school there. After he graduated from high school in 1944, Norman served in the U.S. Navy Air Corps as a radio gunner. Following his military service, he attended Indiana University on the G.I. Bill and received his BA in Painting and Art Education, graduating in 1950. Norman was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity at Indiana University.
They moved to New York City that year where Norman had received a three-year fellowship to train as a museum curator. He also planned to acquire his Master's degree at Columbia University. However, as he was older than the average student and already recognized as a painter, he determined to work directly for his Ph.D. in art history. He chose as the subject of his dissertation, finding and documenting yet unfound sections of the Sketchbook of Girolamo de Carpi, a 16th century Roman artist.
Here's an
article of memoriam from the University of Minnesota:
The vintage artwork is signed "N. Casedy" and dated '48 in the lower righthand corner. On the reverse there is another signature stating "CASEDY."
The framed painting measures 42" tall x 32" wide x 1 1/2" deep. The frame looks homemade and completely period, likely made by the artist. There is light patina and craquelure throughout the artwork. Please see all pics as they are part of the description.
I ship FedEx to street address in the continental USA only (no PO Boxes please). Free shipping on the 1940s painting. If you're near the Twin Cities area, I'm open to delivery. Just message me.
One of the coolest things you'll ever see come out of the 1940s.
