Mid-Century Surrealist Coastal Village Painting

This is an original mid-century surrealist landscape painting, executed in a mixed media style likely featuring oil or gouache on a high-texture substrate. The composition depicts a densely packed European-style coastal village, dominated by a prominent twin-towered basilica or cathedral at the peak. The aesthetic is heavily influenced by the Naïve art movement and mid-century modernism, utilizing a dark, moody palette of deep Prussian blue, earthy ochre, and warm browns. A distinguishing surrealist element is the integration of marine imagery into the sky, featuring floating jellyfish with elongated tentacles and schools of fish swimming above the rooftops, suggesting a sub-aquatic or dreamlike atmosphere. The artist uses heavy impasto and sgraffito-like white outlines to define the architecture, giving the piece a graphic, dimensional quality. Small white fish-like strokes populate the bottom foreground, creating a sense of movement. There is a visible artist signature in the lower-left corner, though it is stylized. Given the year 1969 provided, the work is a prime example of late 1960s avant-garde illustration. The condition appears fair to good; there is some noticeable edge wear, slight pigment darkening, and what appears to be minor craquelure consistent with 50-plus years of age. The brushwork shows confident, rhythmic application, indicating an experienced hand with a clear stylistic vision.