The Tin Pump House
Artist
Emil Kosa Jr.
(1903 - 1968)
Datec.1955
MediumOil on Masonite
Dimensions24 x 32 in. (61 x 81.3 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineGift of the Hilbert Collection
Object number2019.302
DescriptionEmil Kosa Jr was employed full time as a key artists in the 20th Century Fox Studio, Special Effects Department. He often painted matt shot art for use in films and when he did the material he preferred to paint on was Masonite. It has a hard smooth surface and accepts the paint from the brush very well. This particular painting may or may not have been produced while at work on a film, but either way this is the Kosa style most often used in studio related art.The subject matter reveals it was most likely painted on the 20th Century Fox Studio lot in the Malibu Mountains in the late 1950s or early 1960s. That area was private property with nice weather, beautiful landscape and interesting structures. Being a studio art employee Kosa had total access to the place when he wanted to go on location and produce a painting with this type of subject matter. Although he likely started this painting on location he clearly finished it in the studio as some of the edges of subject matter have been cleaned and sharpened up and others have been softened with a fan brush to give a soft blended effect. That was the approach Kosa used to produce matt shots for films, but also on occasion produced fine art works using that technique. This painting may or may not have been used in a film, but either way he painted it using the techniques he perfected for matt shot art.
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