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Mario Villa
Apollo and the Muses Watercolor and Pencil on Paper, Circa 2000, 15x20

circa 2000

$2,200
£1,658.66
€1,939.67
CA$3,113.89
A$3,169.94
CHF 1,825.52
MX$38,200.73
NOK 21,189.19
SEK 21,378.59
DKK 14,497.59

About the Item

Watercolor and pencil on paper by New Orleans artist Mario Villa (1953–2021), titled "Apollo and the Muses," created circa 2000. This original work measures 15 x 20 inches and is in excellent condition. The scene is warm, golden, and unmistakably classical — a standing central figure with arms outstretched and laurel branches rising from his head dominates the composition, flanked by two reclining figures in attitudes of contemplation and repose. The ruins of a classical temple sit to the right, partially dissolved into the amber ground. The entire work is suffused in rich ochres and burnt siennas, giving it the quality of a fresco fragment or an archaeological find, something excavated rather than made. It is a quieter, more intimate side of Villa's practice than the metalwork and furniture he was best known for, and all the more revealing for it. Mario Villa was born in Managua, Nicaragua in 1953 and came to New Orleans to complete his education, earning a degree in anthropology from the University of New Orleans and a degree in architecture from Tulane University. He went on to build one of the most distinctive creative practices in the city, working across furniture, sculpture, painting, and jewelry in a style he described as "classical, with an M.V. twist." His work was featured in Architectural Digest and Elle Décor and is held in private collections internationally. He ran his namesake gallery on Magazine Street, one of the first in New Orleans dedicated to contemporary art, for decades until it closed in 2004. Villa passed away in 2021. This work is in excellent condition and is a rare example of Villa's work on paper. A beautiful and historically significant piece from one of New Orleans's most beloved and irreplaceable creative figures.
  • Creator:
    Mario Villa (1953 - 2021, Nicaraguan)
  • Creation Year:
    circa 2000
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 15 in (38.1 cm)Width: 20 in (50.8 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Framing:
    Framing Options Available
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1977218377712

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