Mystery behind who painted Wrigley Field painting is solved
Retired Buffalo Grove chiropractor Daniel Kamen finally has an answer in his quest to find the artist who painted what appeared to be a vintage Wrigley Field bleacher scene. And the creator has a strong connection with Chicago lore.
Nearly 20 years ago, a patient paid his bill with what looked like an older 4-foot by 4-foot painting. Kamen thought there might be a connection with 1950s Chicago Cubs outfielder Tommy Brown because of a clue in the ivy, a baseball glove bearing the legend “Tommy 05.” Brown was known to wear the No. 5 in honor of his baseball hero, Joe DiMaggio.
Kamen went so far as to contact Brown, now in his 90s, but the outfielder had no knowledge of the painting.
“I had nowhere else to go to,” Kamen said. “At that point, I was grasping at straws.”
The hunt reached a happy conclusion after the Daily Herald published a story about Kamen’s search and a subsequent report appeared on WGN-TV. The artist saw the TV piece, which led to a meeting at the artist’s Oak Park home.
The “Tommy,” it turns out is the artist ,Tom Palazzolo, a noted filmmaker whose works, including “The Tattooed Lady of Riverview" and ”Jerry’s Deli,“ capture classic moments of Chicago lore.
“It was something I did for an Art Institute school fundraiser,” Palazzolo recalled of his Wrigley painting.
A group of artists had exhibited their works, which were scooped up by bidders. Palazzolo’s painting was sold to a friend, after which Palazzolo lost track of it.
He believes the “05” refers to the year it was painted, 2005.
The painting, Palazzolo said, is called “Bums,” referring to the famous Bleacher Bums of Wrigley Field. The characters depicted include a policeman arresting one of the bums in the stands, while other characters are from old comic books.
When he first learned of the artist’s identity, Kamen thought someone was pulling his leg.
“I never thought I would find the creator of it,” Kamen said. “And it turns out to be a Chicago legend.”
Others had ventured opinions, including one who thought the artist was Harold Gray, the creator of the comic strip “Little Orphan Annie.”
Kamen said he rented a U-Haul truck - the painting wouldn’t fit in his Toyota or his wife’s Honda - and lugged it to Palazzolo’s home, where the artist signed his last name in the ivy on the painting.
The painting now is back in Kamen's home. He said he plans to create and sell prints of the work and hopes Palazzolo will sign each.
Meanwhile, Palazzolo said he has a similar Cubs-themed painting he intends to sell. It depicts Steve Bartman trying to catch a ball, while Harry Caray spills a beer. Other iconic Cubs figures appear, among them Ronnie Woo Woo and the infamous goat.