Diver with Grouper under a Boat – Mid-20th Century. Cm 99 x 74

Diver with Grouper under a Boat – Mid-20th Century

Oil on canvas

Framed size: 99 × 74 cm

Unframed size: 80 × 56 cm

20th-century wooden frame

The painting depicts a diver working under a boat, accompanied in the foreground by a large grouper. The dating to the mid-20th century is supported by the equipment: compressed-air tanks and a rubber diving suit typical of the early autonomous systems introduced in the 1950s.

The work employs a surreal, magical yet figurative language, maintaining clear readability while introducing a subtle sense of visual play. The grouper has a deliberately ironic quality, reminiscent of illustration or early animation, giving the scene a distinctive tone.

A partially legible signature, “Bondi (?)”, appears in one corner of the canvas.

20th-century wooden frame.