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Original painting by celebrated songwriter Irving Berlin, accomplished in acrylic and ink on 13.5 x 8 board, signed in the lower right corner in black ink, "I.B., 1975." This bold, stylized painting shows two stark white faces in profile against a vivid red background, their opposing expressions suggesting emotional tension or dialogue. Their stark white composition evokes the iconic 'Comedy' and 'Tragedy' masks of drama, enhanced by the rough brushwork and expressive, folk-art feel. Matted and framed without glass to an overall size of 16.5 x 11. In fine condition.
Provenance: From the collection of Irving Berlin's best friend, Irving Hoffman, a Hollywood press agent, drama critic, and columnist for the Hollywood Reporter.
Although Irving Berlin is remembered above all as one of America’s defining songwriters, archival evidence reveals a quieter visual-art side to his creativity. In a 1976 letter to playwright and lyricist Leonard Gershe, Berlin joked self-deprecatingly: 'I demonstrate that as a painter—I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.' The Library of Congress’s Irving Berlin Collection further supports this side of his life, noting an 'Original Artwork' series that includes photographed reproductions of original paintings. Seen alongside his vast musical legacy, this hobby shows Berlin as an artist whose imagination extended beyond words and melody into visual expression as well.
