Felix Runcie Kelly (British, 1914-1994), "3604 Spring Hill Avenue", 1967, oil on masonite, signed and dated lower right, signed and inscribed en verso, "Kennedy Galleries, New York, NY" and "The R.W. Norton Art Gallery, Shreveport, LA" labels en verso, 36 in. x 54 in., framed, overall 43 1/4 in. x 64 1/4 in. x 2 3/4 in.Exh.: "Felix Kelly: A Romantic Realist", The R.W. Norton Art Gallery, Shreveport, LA, Apr. 16 - May 14, 1972. Note: Born in New Zealand in 1914, Felix Runcie Kelly moved to London in 1935 and never returned to the place of his birth. In England, Kelly became a graphic artist at an advertising agency until the outbreak of World War II, when he enlisted in the Royal Air Force. Following the war, his artistic focus shifted to book and magazine illustration and painting. Kelly was heavily influenced by the Surrealists early in his painting career, and this impact can be seen in many of his works of the 1940s. Kelly regularly received commissions to paint portraits of grand houses and estates, and he often included small surrealist aspects to add an otherworldly appearance to the subjects. However, Kelly recognized that his commissions were more popular when depicting a home in a romantic and nostalgic manner rather than a surreal one, and he shifted his painting style to accommodate the preference of his patrons, wealthy homeowners from the United States and Great Britian. An exhibit at The R. W. Norton Art Gallery in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1972 included the considerable canvas offered here and was entitled “Felix Kelly: A Romantic Realist,” further alluding to the romantic yet realistic style for which Kelly became most known. “3604 Spring Hill Avenue” of Mobile, Alabama is a masterwork of the artist’s southern scenes with a classic moss-draped oak, inviting lawn chairs and abundant foliage.