Mid-Century Portrait of a Woman on Copper Plate

This is a unique folk-art style portrait executed in oil or enamel paint on a rectangular copper plate, likely dating back to the mid-20th century (circa 1940s-1950s). The artwork depicts a seated woman with stylized features, wearing a white blouse with dramatic ruffed shoulders, a black neck ribbon, and a full teal-colored skirt. The copper substrate is highly visible in the background, showing a natural warm patina and vertical brush-like graining from preparing the metal surface. The paint is applied with an impasto-like thickness in the white ruffles, creating a three-dimensional texture against the flat metallic background. The figure's hair is styled in a 'Victory Roll' fashion popular during the WWII era. Notable condition issues include minor chipping of the black paint on the wooden frame, and potential light oxidation on the exposed copper surface. The composition exhibits a charming, naive quality with elongated limbs and flattened perspective characteristic of regionalist or outsider art. There is a discernible red monogram or artist mark located in the lower left background area. The piece is housed in a simple, beveled black wooden frame that appears contemporary to the work. The back of the plate is reported to have a stamp, which often indicates the manufacturer of the copper sheet or a gallery provenance.