Ralph Fasanella (1914-1997)
Victory and After
26 1/2 x 36 inches
Gouache on paper
Signed, titled and dated 1945 lower left

This work was painted in 1945, the year Fasanella began working as an artist. It’s a powerful work that depicts American sentiments just after WW2.

Fasanella was a self-taught painter who created large, colorful and intricate paintings of working-class culture and American politics. A child of Italian immigrants, he spent his youth delivering ice with his father and enduring the harsh regimen of a Catholic reform school. During the Great Depression, Fasanella worked in garment factories and as a truck driver.

Fasanella acquired a social conscience from his mother. He became active in antifascist and trade union causes. His political beliefs were radicalized by the Depression and he became an organizer for various unions with whom he achieved some major organizing successes.

Fasanella’s paintings are in the Museum of American Immigration at Ellis Island, the American Folk Art Museum, and the Smithsonian. He has been the subject of several books and major retrospective exhibitions.

The painting is been authenticated by the artist’s son.

Additional images and details are available from hello@HeliclineFineArt.com