Pastel Squares by Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra
1915-1998 | American

Pastel Squares

Signed and dated "F. Sinatra 87" (lower right)
Oil on canvas

A study in pastel, this original oil on canvas was composed by the great American crooner Frank Sinatra. While many are familiar with his best-selling records and Hollywood films, fewer know that Sinatra was also a painter of talent. Many of his works take their inspiration from the legacy of American abstract art, and this composition is no exception. It is an exceptional example of American minimalist painting, a movement that celebrated color and form over subject.

A lifetime lover of art, Sinatra first picked up the paintbrush late in his career. It soon became a beloved hobby for the crooner, who painted for the pure pleasure of putting paint on canvas. He gifted many of his works to close friends, while others he proudly displayed in his own home. Sinatra's paintings were almost always influenced by an artist who he admired; this particular work is reminiscent of the minimalist canvases of Frank Stella with its vibrant hues and geometric design. 

Born in 1915 to Italian immigrants in New Jersey, Frank Sinatra rose to fame in the early 1940s, singing first with the famed "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" Tommy Dorsey, and later striking out on his own as a solo artist. His career blossomed in the mid-1940s thanks to a series of successful, chart-topping singles when his baritone earned him the moniker "The Sultan of Swoon." He made his debut as an actor in 1943 with the film Reveille with Beverley, and in 1945, he won an Academy Award for the short film The House I Live In.

By the mid-1960s, Sinatra was an icon. He famously became the founding member of the "Rat Pack," an informal group of Las Vegas entertainers that also included Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and others. Sinatra briefly retired from his long-standing gig at Caesars Palace in the early 1970s, and it was during this period away from the stage when he painted the present work. Yet, he eventually returned and would continue to perform until 1995, when he played his last show at the age of 79. He died just three years later of a heart attack at the age of 82. Today, Sinatra memorabilia, particularly such personal objects as his paintings, are highly prized by both lovers of his music and lovers of fine art.

Dated 1987

Canvas: 34 1/2" high x 46 1/2" wide
Frame: 37 1/2" high x 49 1/2" wide