Vintage Constantine Pougialis (1894–1985) Seated Reclining Female Nude Modernist Oil Painting 

Made in USA 1930s-1950s.

Artwork Approximately 24 1/2" High × 20" Wide × 1/4" Deep.

Framed Approximately 30 1/2" High × 26 3/4" Wide × 2 1/4" Diameter.

A striking original figurative oil by Constantine Pougialis, the Greek-born American modernist painter closely associated with Chicago and the Art Institute of Chicago. 

The composition depicts an almost fully nude female figure in a compact, seated, folded pose, modeled with broad planes of muted pink, green, ochre and gray. 

The handling reflects the modernist approach to the figure found throughout Pougialis’s career and the influence of European modernism, particularly Cézanne.

Signature lower right:  C. Pougialis.

The painting is presented in a substantial ornate carved/ornamented wood frame with distressed silver-gray and gilt decoration, giving the work considerable architectural presence.

The brown paper backing bears a handwritten family gift inscription dated July 14, 1990, documenting private family ownership by that date. The inscription does not date the painting itself.

Pougialis was born in Greece in 1894 and immigrated to the United States in 1913. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and later taught there for many years. His work was exhibited at major American institutions, including the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum and Corcoran Gallery. Figurative subjects, including female figures, dancers and nudes, form an important part of his documented body of work.

Excellent vintage condition consistent with age. Painting and frame show age-related surface and finish characteristics visible in the photographs. The original/older paper backing remains in place and bears the 1990 family inscription. No restoration history is known. Please review photographs carefully as part of the condition description.