American
1960
Oil on board
Height 17" (43.2 cm) x Width 13" (33 cm) image; custom koa wood frame 24" x 19"
Provenance: Private collection, Hilo, HI
Ralph Burke Tyree was an American artist whose engagement with the Pacific began during his service as a Marine posted to Samoa in World War II, an experience that made him a resident Marine base artist and drew him permanently toward the islands as subject matter. After the war he divided his time between California and the Pacific, painting the people and landscapes of Hawai'i and the broader region in oil on board and black velvet. He became associated with the Tiki culture movement that reached its peak in the United States during the 1960s, producing work that addressed island life with a directness and sensuality distinctive within that context.
This oil on board depicts a seated Hawaiian woman, her figure rendered with warm tonal modeling against a plain ground in a manner that emphasizes formal portraiture over decorative effect. Tyree's handling of the figure is assured and unsentimental, with close attention to light on skin and the quiet dignity of the subject's bearing. The work is presented in a heavy custom koa wood frame that anchors its presentation as a finished easel painting rather than a study.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
American
1960
Oil on board
Height 17" (43.2 cm) x Width 13" (33 cm) image; custom koa wood frame 24" x 19"
Provenance: Private collection, Hilo, HI
Ralph Burke Tyree was an American artist whose engagement with the Pacific began during his service as a Marine posted to Samoa in World War II, an experience that made him a resident Marine base artist and drew him permanently toward the islands as subject matter. After the war he divided his time between California and the Pacific, painting the people and landscapes of Hawai'i and the broader region in oil on board and black velvet. He became associated with the Tiki culture movement that reached its peak in the United States during the 1960s, producing work that addressed island life with a directness and sensuality distinctive within that context.
This oil on board depicts a seated Hawaiian woman, her figure rendered with warm tonal modeling against a plain ground in a manner that emphasizes formal portraiture over decorative effect. Tyree's handling of the figure is assured and unsentimental, with close attention to light on skin and the quiet dignity of the subject's bearing. The work is presented in a heavy custom koa wood frame that anchors its presentation as a finished easel painting rather than a study.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
