C. Munoz Still Life, Oil Lamp and Yarn with Knitting Needles, Signed Impasto Oil on Sears Canvas Board, 1967
Viridian Eclection
The Piece
A white oil lamp stands against a mottled olive-green ground, its chimney and font built up in thick, ridged paint that catches light the way milk glass does. To the left, a shallow woven basket holds skeins of white, red, ochre and slate wool, with two knitting needles pushed into the red ball as if the work was set down mid-row. A loose red skein has rolled onto the table, trailing its yarn across the dark wood.
The painter built every object out of texture. The yarn is scored in coiled strands, the basket rim is beaded with raised dots, and the brass collar of the lamp is worked in knotted relief. Against that, the background stays thin and brushed, so the objects sit forward off the board. It's a quiet evening picture, a lamp and the handwork it was lit for.
Signed "C. Munoz" at lower right on the front.
History & Provenance
The reverse carries the original printed label of a Sears, Roebuck and Co. Artists' Canvas Board, 16 x 20 inches, bearing Vincent Price's facsimile signature and portrait medallion. From 1962 to 1971 the actor and collector served as the face of Sears's fine-art program, and the store's art supplies carried his name in those years. This board was bought blank and painted at home.
The painter filled in the label's printed blanks in blue ballpoint: a title on the Name line that reads as "Lamplight," a date that reads as October 1967, and the signature "C. Munoz" written across the Sears imprint. That handwritten record, made by the artist at the time of painting, is the work's only documentation. No recorded artist has been identified under this signature.
The board is housed in a Spanish Revival frame, chip-carved in repeating lozenge and fan motifs, finished in gilt over dark stain with the warm red ground showing through at the high points, and fitted with a linen liner.
Product Details
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Object | Still life painting, oil lamp and basket of yarn with knitting needles |
| Origin | United States |
| Form | Framed painting on canvas board; board 16 x 20 in. |
| Material | Oil, heavily textured impasto, on Sears Artists' Canvas Board; carved and gilt wood frame with linen liner |
| Marks | Signed "C. Munoz" lower right. Reverse: Sears Artists' Canvas Board label with Vincent Price facsimile signature, inscribed in blue ballpoint with title ("Lamplight"), date (Oct. 1967) and signature |
| Era | Dated October 1967 |
| Condition | Very good. Paint surface sound with full impasto intact and no losses observed. Frame shows gilt wear at the carved high points, exposing the red ground, consistent with age. Condition Guaranteed. |
| Availability | One of a Kind — 1 Available |
Why It Belongs in Your Home
This is the kind of painting that makes a room feel lived in. The palette of olive, oxblood and ochre sits easily in a kitchen, a reading corner or a dining room, and the carved gilt frame gives a modest subject real presence on the wall. It also pairs naturally with a gallery wall of other mid-century amateur work, where its handwritten label makes a good story.
Hang it out of direct sun and away from heat sources. Dust the impasto with a soft, dry brush rather than a cloth, which can snag on the raised paint.
Every piece is packed with professional-grade materials: multiple foam layers, double-boxing, directional and fragile handling labels. For large furniture we use custom timber crating. We photograph packing before dispatch and can provide images on request.
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