Black Velvet Paintings available at Duplantier

Commission an artist for a custom Black Velvet painting at Duplantier!

For so many, paintings on black velvet were the epitome of tackiness. You might remember the images of Elvis, matadors, tigers and Christ to name a few, and the stands set up along the side of the road to sell them? In those days, I imaged people who purchased such a painting must have also purchased the black china leopard that sat on top of a cabinet or black & white television set.

Today there is a resurgence among millennials who view the paintings as affordable folk art. Last week, a young couple commissioned a black velvet painting of their dog to be framed. Bright gold was the only way to go due to the vivid paint colors against the striking textured velvet. An affordable 4.5” Louis XV ready-made frame complimented the colors emphasized in the painting.

As for a bit of history, black velvet paintings originated in ancient Kashmir, the homeland of velvet. Russian Orthodox priests painted on  velvet to accentuate the religious icons of the Caucasus region. Marco Polo and others introduced black velvet paintings to Western Europe, and some of the early works still hang in the Vatican Museums.

I find the resurgence exciting and am welcoming their re-emergence. I look forward to seeing more of both vintage and commissioned paintings.

For more great information and history, check out this great Wikipedia article!