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RALPH FASANELLA (AMERICAN 1914-1997) Nocturne , 1947 oil on canvas 102 x 77 cm (40 1/8 x 30 1/4 in.) framed dimensions: 111.2 x 85.7 x 5 cm (43 3/4 x 33 3/4 x 2 in.) signed and dated lower right PROVENANCE Private Collection, New York (acquired from the family of the artist) EXHIBITED ACA Galleries, New York (label on verso) Ruffed Grouse Gallery, Narrowsburg, NY (label on verso) LOT NOTES Pulsating with raw sexuality, Nocturne manifests the psychological depth of the early works by the celebrated folk artist Ralph Fasanella. His was an emotional and visceral art, reflecting the city in all of its moods. Nocturne shows the garish, and seedy side of the city, especially as it transforms at night. Ralph Fasanella was born in 1914 in the Bronx, New York, to Italian immigrant parents. His father, an ice delivery man, and his mother, a garment worker and union activist, instilled in him a profound respect for labor and community - values that would define his life’s work. After leaving school at a young age, Fasanella worked various jobs, including as a truck driver and union organizer, before discovering painting as a form of self-expression and social reflection in the mid-1940s. Entirely self-taught, Fasanella developed a distinctive style characterized by dense compositions, bold color, and a tapestry-like treatment of urban space. His paintings - depicting picket lines, tenement neighborhoods, factories, baseball games, and city celebrations - became visual chronicles of mid-20th-century working-class life. He aligned himself with America’s populist and social realist traditions, echoing the spirit of artists like Ben Shahn and Jacob Lawrence, but with a uniquely personal and communal perspective. By the 1970s, Fasanella had achieved national recognition as a voice of “people’s art.” His work was championed by labor organizations and exhibited in major institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the American Folk Art Museum, affirming his legacy as one of the most important self-taught painters of the 20th century. CONDITION Observed in frame, the work is in good condition. Overall craquelure. UV light inspection showed a small restored area along the upper edge and thin lines of restoration along the right and upper edge. N.B. Condition reports are available upon request. All lots are sold in as-is condition at the time of sale. Please note that any condition statement regarding works of art is given as a courtesy to our clients in order to assist them in assessing the condition. The report is a genuine opinion held by Shapiro Auctions and should not be treated as a statement of fact. The absence of a condition report or a photograph does not preclude the absence of defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others. Shapiro Auctions, LLC., including its consultants and agents, shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. Keywords: Outsider art, folk art painting, self-taught Artist, New York City, Manhattan