'Woman Bearing Fruit' by Orla Muff; Mid-Century Polynesian Figural, Tropical Jungle, Pacific Islands

Description

Signed lower right 'Muff' for Orla Muff (Danish, nd painted circa 1940.

Orla Muff received his first formal instruction at … more Signed lower right 'Muff' for Orla Muff (Danish, nd painted circa 1940.

Orla Muff received his first formal instruction at the Copenhagen Technical School from 1917-21, where he studied with the theatrical painter, Carl Lund. He subsequently traveled and studied throughout Europe including in France, Sweden and Holland.

In the early years of his career, Muff became well-known for designing theatrical sets, decorations and costumes for prominent theaters, both in Denmark and abroad. From the beginning of the 1930s, however, he began to focus on easel painting, creating portraits and figural works as well as abstract paintings composed in a predominantly light color scale. His figures from this period are often mythologically derived, with a high degree of art deco stylization contrasted against essentially abstract backgrounds. Throughout his career, Orla Muff exhibited widely and with success and was the recipient of numerous medals, prizes and juried awards. We are pleased to offer this exotic figural work painted when the artist was in his late thirties.

Artworks Exhibited:
Horse and Naked Women (1928); Woman with Golden Hair (1931); Leda and the Swan (exhibit 1940); Mountains by night (exhibit 1940); Midsummer Night's Dream (exhibit 1940); Landscape, Tisvilde (exhibit 1944); H.C. Andersen figures (wooden sculptures, 1947); H.C Andersen figures (ceramics, 1950s, for fa. Søholm); ill. with motifs from the Bible, intended for use in school films (from 1957); Triptych (1962-64); endv. ill. by H.C. Andersen's fairy tales, posters, theater decorations and costumes for the Mayol Theater, Oslo (1921-22); to Ernst Rolf's revues, Sth. (1923-28); to Max Reinhardt's Theater, Berlin (including sketches for Faust, 1930); to Folketeatret, Copenhagen. (Värmländingene, 1934); to Wintergarten, Berlin (1939).

Reference:
Weilbach, Dansk Kunstnerleksikon, the Castle and Cultural Agency, Copenhagen; Extrabl. 4/13/1940; 17.7.1940; Berl. Time. 7/29/1957; Day. Nyh. 9/22/1957; et al. less