Five Enthroned Figures / The Council
Painting on horizontal canvas • Attributed to a Contemporary Neo-Expressionist or Outsider artist; echoes styles of artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat or the COBRA movement.
Style & Movement
Neo-Expressionism / Primitivism
Medium & Technique
Oil and mixed media on canvas; utilizes impasto, heavy scratching (sgraffito), and gestural brushwork with dark out-glazing for depth.
Creation Period
Late 20th to early 21st Century (circa 1990-2015)
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 120 x 40 cm; panoramic landscape format.
Subject Description
Five abstracted, totemic figures seated in a row on red throne-like chairs against a magenta background. A horizontal yellow band with cryptic, barbed-wire-like symbols connects the figures across the composition, suggesting a shared narrative or mechanical link between the entities.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent; the paint film looks stable and the colors remain vibrant with no visible craquelure.
Estimated Market Value
$2,000 - $5,000 USD (assuming decorative contemporary attribution)
Auction Estimate
$1,500 - $3,500 USD
Provenance History
Likely acquired via a contemporary art gallery or private collection; modern silver-beaded frame suggests recent professional exhibition or framing.
Art Historical Significance
Represents the late 20th-century trend of merging tribal iconography with modern urban angst; typical of post-war European or American expressionist traditions focusing on the human condition through abstraction.
Notable Features
The use of the horizontal 'link' across the five figures creates a sense of rhythmic movement that contrasts with the static, frontal poses of the subjects.
Condition Issues
No major structural damage; minor surface dust and slight scuffing on the frame edges.
Conservation Recommendations
Keep away from direct UV sunlight to prevent fading of the magenta pigments; use pH-neutral mounting if re-framed.