Life of Riley
Artist
Emil Kosa Jr.
(1903 - 1968)
Date1940s
MediumOil on canvas
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineThe Hilbert Collection
Object numberKos-33
DescriptionIn this painting, Emil Kosa Jr. uses all of his considerable skills to portray an idyllic California landscape, complete with a chuffing train, horse and wagon, fields of plenty and peaceful ranch buildings in the sun. The composition is complex and masterfully handled, with interesting curves and virtuoso use of light, shadow and brushwork – all leading the eye to the intersection where the train will cross the road.“The Life of Riley” was an old saying meaning a comfortable, happy and carefree lifestyle with very few worries. No one knows exactly where the saying came from, but it’s probably of Irish origin and could refer to the lucky hero of some venerable Irish folk songs. In any case, by the 1940s the phrase was thoroughly entrenched in American slang, and “The Life of Riley” was also the name of a popular radio comedy of the period.
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