Painted Bench

Description

Camperdown, Nova Scotia. C. 1990. Bradford Naugler is well known for his carvings and paintings, but in the 1990s he created a few pieces of furniture, including this bright and fanciful bench entitled “Incoming Fish”. Signed, on the base.

This rare functional artwork by Nova Scotia folk artist Bradford Naugler transforms a humble bench into a storytelling tableau. Rendered in brilliant blues and primaries, “Incoming Fish” captures a coastal ecosystem through a childlike, poetic lens. Whales breach across the seat’s crest, canoes navigate foamy seas, and a red fish truck motors in from the horizon. Along the legs, feathered seagulls, floating fish, and a pattern of bold flora form a rhythmic folk border.

Though Naugler is widely recognized for his whimsical carvings and animal paintings, this bench belongs to a short-lived yet impactful phase in the 1990s when he ventured into sculptural furniture. In this piece, his hand-painted narrative evokes the visual naïveté of Maud Lewis or Howard Finster, while tapping into maritime traditions with sincerity and humour. The work exudes personality, playfulness, and an unpolished charm, making it both a sculptural accent and a collectible artifact of rural Canadian expression.

Condition: Solid and in excellent condition, consistent with age, with some paint shrinkage resulting in cracking where the joints meet and on the top surface.

Vertical
25
Horizontal
39
Depth
9