Ancient Bird and Mummified Bird

Currently not on view

Ancient Bird and Mummified Bird

1945

Leon Kelly (American, 1901–1982)

This painting is a stunning illustration of Leon Kelly's mature Surrealist style. The mysterious composition shows two birds and a cocoon-like figure, their musculature carefully delineated in muted red, green, and blue tones against an almost completely blank yet intriguing background. Kelly's distinctive painting technique reflects his interest in the work of the old masters and his close study of anatomy and dissection. He is the only Philadelphia artist to have been associated and shown with the Surrealists, and Ancient Bird and Mummified Bird is a quintessential example of American Surrealism at its very best.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Ancient Bird and Mummified Bird

Date:

1945

Artist:

Leon Kelly (American, 1901–1982)

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

31 3/8 × 21 11/16 inches (79.7 × 55 cm)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

Purchased with the Edith H. Bell Fund and the J. Stogdell Stokes Fund, 2007

Accession Number:

2007-137-1

Geography:

Made in United States, North and Central America

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Currently not on view