Buffalo Rising Online

Dec 12th 2008, 8:03am By Elena Cala Buscarino

Dana Tillou, whose name is synonymous with fine arts, is offering "The Little Picture Show," an exhibit covering well over a century of regional art.

I have one wall in my gallery dedicated to a Western New York and Niagara historical print collection," Tillou said. "The feature section is just one part of the gallery, and it covers more than 125 years to present of original regional prints with a lot of local appeal."

Highlighting giclée prints of regional compositions and artists, there is a blow-up of an 1888 print of a print that depicts downtown Buffalo from the Lyon Grain Elevator*. "It looks north up into the whole city," Tillou said. "All the early boats are in the river in the foreground, the tugs and such."

Tillou made the 4-foot print from its 18-inch original. "You can see it all - the towers, the steeples. It's a great view - the artist had a bird's-eye view." Though Dana says he's not sure of the original intent, it could have been an advertisement because the bottom of print has the Lyon name on it.

Typically a collector of fine art and furniture, Tillou says, "I'm getting away from big furniture, and gathering more smaller art pieces - WNY historical prints, along with 19th century American and continental prints."

"I have historical Buffalo and Niagara Falls pieces in wonderful oils, local views, all very academic," Tillou said. "I have giclée reprints - and the process reproduces brushwork perfectly. Artists are using it on fine paper now - just look at the Burchfields at the new Burchfield-Penney. They're so perfect you have to look close to see they're not watercolors. I just did the waiting room of Prior Aviation in giclée prints, and they're wonderful."

The price for beautifully framed reproduction prints from originals is $200 to $400. Original oils and drawings range from $200 to $800.

Tillou also offers art restoration and appraisals.

Dana Tillou Fine Arts
Established 1965
Fine Paintings and Antiques of various periods
417 Franklin at Virginia
716.854.5285
Through December 31st
Wed - Sat, 11-5
danatilloufinearts.com

* Unable to find any sort of reference to the Lyon Grain Elevator, we contacted Tim Tielman of the Campaign for Greater Buffalo. Tim informed us that the Lyon sat opposite the foot of Main Street on a peninsula (that was made into a series of islands, with a grain elevator on each one) that is no longer there. According to Tielman, the Lyon would have been nearly beneath the current skyway.