Supermarket (after Hals)
Pairing:
The Laughing Cavalier by Franz Hals
Image from a supermarket advertising circular
Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 46" x 48"
Artist's Insights:
Q. You have spoken about your visual heritage amassed principally at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Has there been a line-up of figures waiting in the wings for you to eventually get to them?
A. I have always loved The Laughing Cavalier and knew he would make his way into one of my paintings at some point. That point came one day when I spotted a supermarket circular in the mail. It contained the kind of items that are dear to my heart such as boxes of ziti macaroni and jars of spaghetti sauce. This is one of the paintings that came together before any projections were done. It was enjoyable to paint and I was sorry when it was finished.
I submitted the painting to Artspan, the online art marketplace, for one of their contests that occurred during the height of the Covid pandemic. The theme was "Abundance" and I thought Supermarket (after Hals) would be appropriate. It was â since I won the grand prize! This is how Artspan described the painting as related to their theme:
"Franz Hals' Laughing Cavalier suggests abundance. He's portly and satisfied, his clothes are festooned with extravagant embroidery, his fabulous moustache emphasizes his mysterious smile, and he's wearing acres of lace. The image is also steeped in layers of symbolism. Gulino's wry re-interpretation of the smiling cavalier against a bright, bountiful, pop-art-inspired background of supermarket products projects a different sort of abundance. Supermarkets have always suggested a uniquely American idea of wealth and plenty, and in the last eight months the fear of quarantine-provoked food shortages has made this idea more acutely pertinent than ever. Gulino's painting uses layers of history and humor to subtly question the meaning of abundance."
Original for sale. Print options available.
The Laughing Cavalier by Franz Hals
Image from a supermarket advertising circular
Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 46" x 48"
Artist's Insights:
Q. You have spoken about your visual heritage amassed principally at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Has there been a line-up of figures waiting in the wings for you to eventually get to them?
A. I have always loved The Laughing Cavalier and knew he would make his way into one of my paintings at some point. That point came one day when I spotted a supermarket circular in the mail. It contained the kind of items that are dear to my heart such as boxes of ziti macaroni and jars of spaghetti sauce. This is one of the paintings that came together before any projections were done. It was enjoyable to paint and I was sorry when it was finished.
I submitted the painting to Artspan, the online art marketplace, for one of their contests that occurred during the height of the Covid pandemic. The theme was "Abundance" and I thought Supermarket (after Hals) would be appropriate. It was â since I won the grand prize! This is how Artspan described the painting as related to their theme:
"Franz Hals' Laughing Cavalier suggests abundance. He's portly and satisfied, his clothes are festooned with extravagant embroidery, his fabulous moustache emphasizes his mysterious smile, and he's wearing acres of lace. The image is also steeped in layers of symbolism. Gulino's wry re-interpretation of the smiling cavalier against a bright, bountiful, pop-art-inspired background of supermarket products projects a different sort of abundance. Supermarkets have always suggested a uniquely American idea of wealth and plenty, and in the last eight months the fear of quarantine-provoked food shortages has made this idea more acutely pertinent than ever. Gulino's painting uses layers of history and humor to subtly question the meaning of abundance."
Original for sale. Print options available.