Helen LaFrance (Kentucky, b. 1919) large oil on canvas folk art / outsider art painting, titled en verso “Circus Parade,” signed lower right and dated ’95. The landscape depicts an elephant- and horse-drawn circus train traveling past a farm as bystanders watch in the distance. 24″ x 47-1/2″ sight, 26″ x 50″ framed. Biography (courtesy “Helen LaFrance Folk Art Memories” by Kathy Moses): Self-taught African American artist Helen LaFrance was born on a Kentucky farm and began painting in her 40s. She is known for her “memory paintings” – drawn from her recollections of life growing up in the rural South. Several museums and private collectors, including Oprah Winfrey, own examples of her work. Now nearly 100 years old, she resides in a Kentucky nursing home. Provenance: the collection of Stephen and Lisa Steiner Small, Nashville, Tennessee. Condition: Excellent condition. Condition: Excellent condition.