Original Primitive Folk Art Painting These little treasures are on staple free canvas with the sides painted black so there is no need to frame. This collection of "Literary Greats" paintings are perfect for book shelves, desks or just about anywhere Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) “A man’s got to take a lot of punishment to write a really funny book.” Hemingway was recognized at an early age for his unique literary voice and his terse style. In Our Time, a book of short stories about youth in Illinois and his experience in World War I, established his reputation with critics. The Sun Also Rises, his depiction of the “Lost Generation” became a bestseller. But by his early 50s, Hemingway was in decline. A lifetime of adventure had left him with numerous injuries. He was overweight and drinking heavily. His writing had declined as well. Then, in 1950, in an amazing eight weeks, he penned what would be his last book, based on a story he’d heard about an old Cuban fisherman who fought a swordfish for four days and four nights, only to have it eaten by sharks on the way home. He called The Old Man and the Sea “an epilogue to all my writing and what I learned…while writing and trying to live.” It was a triumph. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1952 and helped bring him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954.