Gouache on paper. Featuring a portrait of a man. Signed Toffoli on the lower right corner. Inscribed Louis Toffoli and 92, stamped A.F. on verso. Attributed to Louis Toffoli (1907-1999, French). 26.6 x 18.6 cm (10.5 x 7.25 in). PROVENANCE: Southern Ontario estate

Louis Toffoli (1907-1999) was a French painter, best known for his colorful, fractural figural and landscape paintings. Toffoli's work is concerned with transparency, often breaking his faceless figures down into various overlapping parts to facilitate a ghostly, dream-like appearance that addresses the transitory quality of life. Born on October 16, 1907 in Trieste, Italy, the artist spent his early life in World War II-era Italy, which had a marked impact on his work and outlook. He began producing Constructivist paintings and exhibited several of these early works at the 1928 Trieste Biennale, which subsequently garnered attention from the Fascist regime. Fearing for his safety, Toffoli fled to Paris, where he attained significant popularity in artistic and intellectual circles, and regularly exhibited at the Salon d'Automne and the Salon des Independants. After his death in Paris, France on February 18, 1999, he was awarded the Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1996.

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American, 19th century : This work was executed by an unknown hand, and can only be identified by origin (i.e., region, period).