Russell Kraus
St. Louis, (1918-2009)
Adoration, 1982
oil on masonite with gold leaf
signed lower right, and again with date on the reverse, in a handmade wooden frame by Kraus.

An image of this painting was used as the Christmas card for Saint Louis University by Father Lawrence Biondi S.J. (who served as president of SLU from 1987 to 2013 and who remains President Emeritus and Trustee Emeritus). A copy of Biondi's 1980s Christmas card is taped on the back of the painting.

Born in St. Louis to struggling German immigrants, at a young age Russell W. M. Kraus (1918-2009) became interested the arts, eventually practicing and excelling in a wide range of media and styles. He trained at Washington University, and his masterful body of work grew to reflect the changing times of the 20th century and could be placed in many categories: regionalism of the 1930s, dreamlike surrealism, cubism, WW2 posters (as part of his WPA job), commercial graphic design/ advertising of the 1950s, a series of self-portraits in costume (much like those created by Rembrandt), stained glass windows for churches in conjunction with Jacobi Studios, portraits of children made for his wife, mosaics with the Ravenna Mosaic Company, tapestries and jewellery; and after many decades of production, when he could no longer create material art, he turned to write poetry. For years Kraus worked inside a famous work of architecture (the 1891 St. Louis Wainwright Building by Adler and Sullivan, featuring red brick and terracotta designs); and Kraus commissioned a work of art as his home that became known as ?The Kraus Haus,? designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for him and his wife Ruth Goetz Kraus, an attorney at law.

Russell?s Annunciation painting of exceptional detail was created when the artist was 64 years old in 1948 (and as per the artist?s writing on the reverse, the portrait was covered in two coats of Damar varnish, a natural picture varnish that provides gloss and increases the brilliance of colors). The scene focuses on a detail of the Annunciation: the face, hands, and upper body of a tall slender winged angel Gabriel gazing into the distance toward Mary to whom he has just announced the incredible news that she will be bearing a child (to be named Jesus) who will be the son of God. Kraus? unusually focused version of the Annunciation does not include Mary, white lilies, a dove or depictions of the words spoken to Mary?the traditional elements of this well-known ancient scene. Kraus instead chose to focus on other details of the story: Gabriel?s elegance and solemn facial expression, the enormous white feathers on the angel?s wings, the 3D abstract details of the gold-leaf halo above and around the angel?s head, an architectural outline of part of a nearby building or arch (probably where Mary is sitting), and the intricately painted details of Gabriel?s attire?especially the tiny lace detailing painted around Gabriel's neckline.
16 3/8 x 16 inches