'Portrait of a Feline' by Ross (circa 1960s)

'Portrait of a Feline' by unknown artist, Ross, oil on board (circa 1960s). Without a doubt inspired by the works of the Cubists, particularly Picasso, this is a warm hearted portrait of a friendly feline in repose. Picasso himself painted stylised cats in more than a dozen of his works as he was intrigued with their presence and certainly their elegance. His portraits of a cat eating a bird (1939) and later works of cats with lobsters in the mid-sixties as well as the presence of cats in many portraits, attest to his love of the grace of these animals. In this case, the artist uses that inspiration to create this wonderful cubist feline depiction. There is a simple charm about the work and at once, a surprising sophistication. The colours chosen by the artist are vibrant, separated by bold lines and forming individual geometric shapes creating the whole. It is a whimsical piece and an inspired choice for your home or office. The artwork is in fair-to-good vintage condition in a new frame with linen slip insert. The colours remain vibrant with some minor blemishing apparent in one of the centre geometric forms (please see the many photos accompanying the listing) yet not detracting from the overall impression of the piece. It is signed 'Ross' in the lower right hand corner. Upon request a video may be provided.

About the Artist: Our gallery has access to a cache of paintings from the 1940s to the 1970s attributed to an art collective whose traces start with Germany. Berlin to start, but also Dresden, along the Saale, Weimar, Brera in Milan and Brussels. From the post-war period and onwards, they hosted young people who experimented with different painting techniques with exceptionally creative results. Over the years, dedicated art-seekers managed to unearth a treasure trove of these works from forgotten repositories. Once examined, the paintings were presented first to the Italian art market and then beyond, to art lovers in Europe and the United States.

Quietly, but surely, word of mouth scattered the news of the existence of these found artworks: cubist, expressionist, futurist and avant-garde. Trying to label these pieces doesn’t do them justice truly, but to call them studies, sketches, or simply, creations, would be more accurate.

It is interesting to note the artworks were very often unsigned, but often as not, initialled or monogrammed. Often using known masterpieces as reference, their mentors suggested a particular style with which to experiment. Regrettably, this makes it impossible to pinpoint who amongst these bright creatives ‘made it’ in the world of art. But it really doesn’t matter. Each piece we've selected is extraordinary and therein lies the interest in these works. Notwithstanding that, several galleries have acquired and are now selling these works. This clearly speaks to the widespread assessment of the quality and interest of the art.

Today, the artists’ creations hang on the walls of art lovers in London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Miami and Los Angeles. Galleries scramble to acquire the works having recognised the outstanding potential in the international art markets for these pieces with such fascinating origins.

Dimensions with frame:

H 30.5 cm / 12"

W 36.5 cm / 14.4"

Dimensions without frame:

H 17.5 cm / 6.9"

W 23 cm / 9.1"