May 2022

  April Showers Bring May Flowers

Hello, friends and devotees of Maxfield Parrish!

When we were children we learned that the “Merry Merry Month of May” as the song went, always brought with it singing, dancing and merriment celebrating the return of warm spring and summer days. They were the days that brought the youth of the country out to celebrate the school year endings, the summer days that brought feelings of happiness, warm breezes, summer clouds, and flowers everywhere. 

Many artists, including of course Parrish, felt called to celebrate these rites of spring. And our Mr. Parrish did just that, starting in 1909 when he proposed the initial designs for the theme of what would become the most famous and best known of his mural works, the decorative panels showing the gatherings of youthful people having a good time among the flowering walls of luxurious estates.

Perhaps no where else is there a finer example of this artistic theme the the twin panels which Parrish completed in 1914 and which were installed flanking the tall window on the East wall of Mrs. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney’s private studio in Old Westbury, Long Island.

It is the stuff of legend that the artist chose to make his important client, the imperious Gertrude Vanderbilt, wife of Harry Payne Whitney, wait  5 years for the work she originally commissioned in 1909 from Parrish for her studio on Long Island

In those days, no one dared to keep the imperious Mrs.Vanderbilt waiting for a year, let alone 5 years!.…That is to say no one until Maxfield Parrish did so while he finished the commission for the 17 or so murals in the same theme for the women’s dining room of the Curtis Publishing headquarters in Philadelphia.

 

 

This preliminary rendition of the Curtis Murals was shown to Cyrus Bok, publisher of the “Ladies Home Journal”, in 1910. When it was finished and installed, the study shown here was given the name “A Call To Joy”.

 

 AGS 

 

 

 

 

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In regards to our 2022 exhibit of Parrish originals currently for sale, please view all the paintings, watercolors, and drawings by clicking on the Art for Sale link above.

Contact Alma Gilbert for the full catalogue and price list: agilbert@almagilbert.com