Eskimo Fairy Tales Fantasy, 1966

A young Eskimo child is depicted at the precise moment before he/she launches an arrow to the sun. According to Eskimo lore, the concept has deep symbolic meaning. To the viewer, the image has a luminous exoticism with the subject dressed in a traditional costume. It is masterfully rendered in a post-impressionist style, with soft, pulsating, dreamy colors evocative of fantasy. The highly polished composition is eye-catching, based on a strong diagonal movement and precise cropping. It looks better in person.
Unsigned, unframed. Work is executed on thin cardboard glued to a heavier illustration board. It was done on assignment for an Italian book on Eskimo Fairy Tales. The painting's visual look and feel are as magical as its narrative.
And it looks better in person.
Tempera, Watercolor, Pencil on Cardboard
14 1/2 × 8 1/2 in
Gianni Benvenuti - Italian, 1926–2005
US$7,500 Plus Shipping

Giovanni "Gianni" Benvenuti (26 June 1926 – 15 September 2005),[1] commonly known as Benvenuti,[A] was an Italian artist[2][3] whose career spanned multiple decades and diverse art forms, including painting, sculpture, printmaking, illustration, and cartooning.[3][4] His work earned recognition across Europe and the United States.[5] He is best known for his work as an illustrator of children's books, having done illustrations for classics such as Grimms' Fairy Tales,[6] Winnie the Pooh,[7] and Mother Goose.

Benvenuti is recognized as a significant figure in 20th-century Italian art. His work, encompassing painting, sculpture, printmaking, illustration, and cartooning, has been exhibited in major galleries across Italy, France, and the United States.[5] His pieces are held in private collections and museums, including the Museum of Modern Italian Art in Milan.[5] Following his death in 2005, Benvenuti's wife, Elfie Harris, initiated plans to establish a museum in their former studio in Germantown, Philadelphia, to honor his work