Titled, "La Paraise", depicts a fantasy scene of a boat with two Haitian female figures, a small child-like figure, a lion and two chickens, oil on canvas, signed lower right. Nearly identical to the one sold at Doyles w same composition very similar size, the boat and the fish all the same but the title of ship is different.
Orville Bulman is known for fantasy, genre, portrait, and coastal view painting. A self-taught artist, Bulman was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After graduating high school, he worked as a newspaper cartoonist before assisting in running the family business.
In the late 1940s, Bulman was painting Social Realist paintings as well as dark, haunting pictures of old barns and churches. During the early 1950s, while painting regionalist scenes of American country and southern life, Bulman happened to see pictures of Haiti and admired the island's style, verve and gracefully trimmed houses with lacy appliqu? carved wood. Painting seven imaginative works inspired by photographs, he subsequently visited Haiti for the first time in March of 1952, and traveled to other Caribbean islands during the 1950s as well. Bulman loved Haiti and its people and felt that they were the best inspiration for further work. He lived with the islanders in the rustic hills for a time and felt like he was a part of their village, deeply experiencing their religion, humor and lifestyle and respecting their way of life far better than other Americans.
Overall size: 23 7/8 x 27 1/4 in.
Sight size: 18 1/2 x 21 3/4 in.