Mary Tillman Smith (American/Mississippi, 1904-1995) house paint on plywood plank painting in shades of pink and blue, depicting a figure with halo or corona, possibly the Virgin Mary. Signed en verso in marker: "Mary T. Smith". 34"H x 24"W. Circa 1970s. Provenance: Private Nashville collection; acquired mid 1980s. Biography: Mary Tillman was born into a farming family in Copiah County in Southern Mississippi, the third of thirteen children. Although highly intelligent, she suffered from an early age from a hearing impairment, which made oral communication difficult, and she found an outlet in art. After working as a domestic servant and enduring two unsuccessful marriages, she began filling her Hazelhurst, Mississippi yard with art in the 1970s, using found materials such as tin and plywood. Many of Smith's paintings exhibited an abstracted religious iconography inspired by her deep faith. She also produced many portraits of family and friends. After a stroke in 1985, she is said to have slowed down to "only" producing two pieces of work a day, and she is believed to have painted very few if any pieces between 1991 and her death in 1995, when she died at the age of 91. (Source: Souls Grown Deep Foundation and Maresca, Frank; Ricco, Roger, eds. (1993). American Self-Taught. New York: Alfred A. Knopf).

Overall very good condition. 3/4" loss to wood and paint at lower left corner. A couple of possible extraneous streaks center right, near edge.