Painting
Artist
Stanley Freborg
(American, 1906 - 1991)
CultureAmerican
Date1958-1959
MediumMixed media on canvas
DimensionsOverall: 66 x 150 in. (167.6 x 381 cm)
SignedLower right corner: "Stan Freborg"
Also signed on verso of each panel (3 total).
InscribedVerso: "Provincetown / 1958-59 / Panel #1 / Stan Freborg / "Boa Fortuna" "
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number71.3631
Not on view
DescriptionMixed media on canvas painting.Label TextStan Freborg American, 1906–1991 Boa Fortuna, 1958–59 Mixed media on canvas The title of Stanley Freborg’s painting, Boa Fortuna, meaning “good fortune” in Portuguese, may reference the centuries-long ancestry of the Portuguese community in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Freborg lived in the city for several years, as it was a much a sea-faring, port city as it was a retreat for local, national, and international artists. Freborg learned gestural, abstract painting methods from the famous artist/teacher Hans Hoffman, who had a summer school located in Provincetown. It is not clear why the artist titled the work a phrase in Portuguese, though perhaps he felt living in the city brought him good fortune. Much like a bustling, artistic city, Freborg’s composition seems to thump and pound as if preparing to elbow its way off its canvas and onto the gallery walls. The broadly brushed areas of red, blue, and mint green suggest the brick and stone buildings situated along the ocean. The whimsical black splashes and tangled strokes dancing over the entire surface mimic the energy of a thriving cityscape. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.3631 Exhibition History"Action Paintings," Waitzer Community Gallery, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., October 17, 2009 - May 23, 2010.
