Recurrent Theme in Red 1943

This painting by O. Louis Guglielmi has a certain dreamlike quality and tells a story open to interpretation. The palette is muted and earthy, with a dominant presence of red that feels both somber and striking. I imagine Guglielmi layering the paint, building up the surface with deliberate strokes. Look how the red boxy wagon and building juxtapose against the curves of the old blue car. It is like the artist wanted to explore the tensions between organic and geometric forms. You can feel that the artist is trying to get something across but you can't quite put your finger on it. The figures are mysterious, engaging in some kind of silent exchange that leaves you wondering what's going on. It reminds me of the work of Edward Hopper, in that the artist uses the mundane to convey a larger unsettling truth. The horse drawn fish cart is like a symbol. I feel that O. Louis Guglielmi, like all artists, was in an ongoing conversation, drawing from the past while contributing something entirely new.