Frank Whipple (American, 1923-2016), Snow Bunnies

Oil on board, signed at lower right, presented in a period frame with velvet liner.

Board 5 x 5 in.; Frame dimensions 11 1/2 x 11 1/2 in.

Frank Whipple was a self-taught American artist best known for his whimsical “Whipple’s Wimples” series of tiny, humorous paintings featuring nuns in playful and surreal scenarios. Inspired by the calm presence of the Daughters of Charity he encountered while serving as an Army journalist in Italy during World War II, Whipple went on to create thousands of these works over five decades. Whipple opened a gallery at the corner of Sunset and Vine in Los Angeles and was a favorite among the Hollywood set. Collectors of his paintings included Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant, Phyllis Diller, and Lady Bird Johnson, among many others.

Slight yellowing to varnish.