28.25 x 20.5

American. Fourth quarter, 20th C. This is a self portrait of the artist with crutches made in the late 1980s by American "Outsider" master Moses Ernest Tolliver. 28.25 x 20.5". From the Marty Osler Collection. $1500/2000. Moses Tolliver (1918/20-2006) spent most of his life in Montgomery, Alabama. In the late 1960s, Tolliver was working at his job in a furniture factory when a half-ton load of marble shifted and fell from a forklift, crushing his legs. He began painting as a way to combat boredom, pain, and long hours of idle time. Tolliver often signed his works 'Mose T', with a backwards 'S' and he became known by this pen name. His paintings often depicted scenes of nature, animals and sometimes self-portraits. He worked with house paint on plywood, and other objects such as door frames and table tops. His themes were often whimsical, and sometimes even erotic. His style was described as flat, full frontal or straight profile with a muted palette. Tolliver's work has been featured in museums across North America, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum.