"Whispering and Smoking 1950's Women"18" x 24" |
"Whispering and Smoking 1980's Women"20" x 26" |
Thanks to Jim Higgins at the newly re-christened Higgins Gallery for this pair of (pair of) beauties. Jim may have some classy stuff now, but don't let the gold-framed masterpieces fool you; he's just as much a fan of the offbeat as the rest of us, and he has a whole backroom storage space of "anonymous artist" treasures to prove it !!!
I'm a sucker for matched sets anyway, but I don't think I've ever seen this type of chronological progression or relationship between two paintings by the same artist. Pay close attention to the hairstyles, jewelry, and makeup when comparing the two pieces, not to mention the cool sepia tone effect used for the first work. That must be a Lucky Strike I see silently smoking at left (L.S.M.F.T.), and my guess would be a Marlboro Light burning to the right ....