Back In Black

This oil on canvas painting from the Pantages Portfolio of a woman holding a pet bird is certainly a bit cagey! She's dressed in black, the room is furnished with black table, chair, table settings, and birdcage. Only the tablecloth, fruit basket, and the tiny yellow moon in the background add a spot of color to this pensive piece. What do you think is on her mind?

This work is by artist Bernard Rosenquit (1922-1991) who was born in Romania but grew up in New York City. He is best known for his oil paintings and woodcuts. He studied art in the United States and France, attending the Fontainebleau School of Fine Arts, the Institute of Art and Archeology at the Sorbonne, the Brooklyn Museum School of Fine Art, the Art Students League, and Atelier 17. He had several solo exhibits over his career, which ended abruptly when he was killed in a car accident at age 68. Rosenquit's work is in the permanent collections of important institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum of Fine Art, the New York Public Library, the Smithsonian Institution, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and many others.