South Sea Joy

Hernando Villa
South Sea Joy
Watercolor on board, 1939
23 1/4 x 19 1/2 inches
Gift of the Carl S. Dentzel Estate
1984.025.065

South Sea Joy, from 1939, could have been a preparatory painting for a work used to advertise travel to the South Pacific. Executed in graphite and watercolor, the painting is carefully rendered, typical of commercial illustration. In recent years, Hernando Villa’s paintings of Spanish dancers have become sought after by collectors, commanding high prices at auction.