PASQUALE (PATSY) SANTO (American, 1893-1975) The Fisherman's Wife 26 x 23 1/2 in (66.1 x 59.7 cm...

PASQUALE (PATSY) SANTO (American, 1893-1975) The Fisherman's Wife Hold for possible RTC titled and signed 'P. SANTO' (lower center and lower right) oil on board 26 x 23 1/2 in (66.1 x 59.7 cm). framed 30 1/4 x 28 x 3 in (76.8 x 71.1 x 7.6 cm). Footnotes: N.B Pasquale (Patsy) Santo (1893-1975) was a self-taught painter and lifelong resident of Bennington, Vermont. Born in Corsano, Italy, he came to the United States in 1913. Four years later, after working in the Northeast as a laborer on the Delaware and Hudson Railroad along with other jobs, he married and moved to Bennington, where he made a life-long profession as a housepainter. Self-taught, Santo began painting in 1923, making designs and decorations for family and friends. His first commission was a mural in a local shoe repair shop. In 1937 he agreed to show at the Rutland State Fair, where he was seen and encouraged by the prominent painter Walt Kuhn, one of the principal organizers of the Armory Show. In 1939 he was included in the groundbreaking exhibition 'Unknown American Artists' at the Museum of Modern Art, in New York, organized by gallerist Sidney Janis and the museum's founding director, Alfred Barr. Santo lent three works, one of which was bought by the museum. From 1940 on Patsy Santo exhibited his work widely. Private collectors who sought out his work included Averell Harriman, Mrs. Vincent Astor, Mrs. Paul Mellon and Mrs. Payne Whitney, as well as the writer Lillian Hellman, actresses Helen Hayes and Hedy Lemarr, and the important designer Raymond Loewy. Reviews, illustrations and articles about his paintings appeared in Time, Newsweek, Art Digest and the New York Times, among many other publications, and were often reproduced as calendars, cards and prints. Santo was listed in World Biography and Who's Who in America. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing