Domenico Gnoli

Gnoli (1933–1970) may or not be one of those little-known artists worthy of rediscovery, but his backstory is compelling. A successful illustrator and set designer, Gnoli turned to painting full time late in his career, creating large canvases that featured close-up details of dress and hairstyles: Pearl buttons on a woman’s chemise, the pocket of a man’s trouser, long raven locks. He also made black-and-white renderings of chimerical beasts in everyday settings—sitting on a sofa, or in the back of a limo. His work had vague connections to Pop Art, but the vibe was mostly surreal, and though he had a smash show at the famed Sidney Janis gallery in 1969, he died the following year. This revival is his first show since then, and includes 15 of the 83 compositions he painted in his lifetime.