"The Invisible Eye”

Circa 1955 original acrylic and watercolor mixed media painting by the Canadian/American artist Rolph Scarlett. Signed lower left. Condition is very good. Great, bold colors typical of the artist’s work. Framed in a contemporary one and a half inch mirrored front frame with silver leaf trim. Brilliant white mat. Both frame and artwork in very good, ready to hang condition. Overall 19 by 22.75 inches.

Rolph Scarlett (American, 1891–1984) was an Abstract artist best known for his geometric, abstract paintings, and avant-garde jewelry. Born in Ontario, Canada, Scarlett learned to paint from his grandmother’s instruction and his studies at the Art Sudents League. While he was working for his uncle’s jewelry business, Scarlett became interested in Modern and Abstract Art during a visit to New York in 1913, when he saw the work of Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866–1944) at The Armory Show. In 1923, while traveling on business, Scarlett met the painter Paul Klee (Swiss, 1879–1940), who encouraged him to try executing abstract drawings. While Scarlett was working on his geometric abstractions, he was a set designer for the Pasadena Playhouse while living in California from 1928 to 1936. When he moved back to New York, he designed sets for productions such as the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, and worked as an industrial designer during the 1930s. His later work focuses on silver jewelry and drip paintings similar to those of Jackson Pollock (American, 1912–1956). Scarlett rarely signed or dated his paintings. His work is held in several public collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, NY, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.