Brazilian Dancers Painting Appraisal

Naïve Style Painting of Brazilian Dancers and Village by Pelaggia

This is an original mixed media or gouache painting on a textured substrate, likely canvas or heavy board, executed in a vibrant naïve or 'folk art' style characteristic of Mid-Century Latin American art. The piece features two stylized Afro-Brazilian figures dancing in the foreground: a woman in a traditional white lace blouse and patterned blue floral skirt, and a man in a red striped shirt and green trousers. Behind them is a flat-perspective depiction of a Brazilian 'favela' or village, showcasing rows of brightly multicolored houses topped with terracotta tile roofs, culminating in a white church with a bell tower against a flat blue sky. The figures are rendered with solid black silhouettes, emphasizing form and movement over facial detail. The artwork is signed 'Pelaggia' in the lower right corner, a signature associated with Brazilian folk artists from the mid-to-late 20th century. The piece is house in a layered presentation: an inner dark wood fillet, a wide off-white fabric-textured (possibly linen) mat, and a simple dark wood outer frame. Notable condition issues include visible foxing and age spots on the white matting, particularly in the lower left and right corners. The frame shows minor surface wear. The painting itself appears to have well-preserved color saturation with no obvious flaking or restoration, likely dating from the 1960s or 1970s.