McClelland, Portrait of a Nun with Cornette, Large Oil Painting on Board, 1969

A tall and captivating mid-century expressionist oil painting portrait of a cornette-wearing nun, signed “McClelland”. Viewed in profile against a rich emerald green background, with just a hint of her plain face peeking out from under an enormous white cornette that dominates the top half of the painting. The crisp shape of the broad white collar on her habit provides a nice visual balance, and contrasts strikingly with the deep cobalt blue of her blouse that trails off into long, blood red-tinged drips. Interesting textures are on display throughout, provided by the artist’s varying brushstrokes, thickly applied paint, and the underlying board—which is likely plywood—upon which the work was done. Signed and dated 1969 at bottom right. In a custom giltwood frame that we would guess dates from the 1980s. Made famous in American popular culture by Sally Field as Sister Bertrille in the beloved 1967 televising show “The Flying Nun”, heavily starched cornettes—a type of wimple—were a signature piece of clothing worn by the Daughters of Charity, a Roman Catholic society of apostolic life founded by St. Vincent de Paul in the mid-17th century. In the United States, the Daughters of Charity wore them from 1850 to 1964, at which time their nun habits were modernized at the direction of the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican. Dimensions overall; Height: 50.88 in Width: 27 in Depth: 1.25 in Sight is H 47.5 in. x W 23.5 in. Condition: Good Wear consistent with age and use. Art is in great vintage condition, with only a small hole at top right in the wood upon which it’s painted that was present at the time of the work’s creation. Frame has a tiny nail hole at top center, and only a few tiny and inconsequential nicks.