June 2nd, 2019 : Daybreak

[xoxoxoBruce]

Maxfield Parrish (his real name was Fred) was born in Philly, and his father was an artist, who took Max on a tour of Europe
when he was 10. Max went the Pennsylvania College of Arts then shared a studio with his Dad in Gloucester, MA.
Max had a wildly successful career as an illustrator along with Norman Rockwell and N.C. Wyeth when the demand was at it’s peak.
He was making $100,000 a year doing mostly calendars and ads by 1910, which is $2.7 million today. Not bad for a guy in his 20’s.
Then in 1922 Max created Daybreak, we looked upon it, and said it was good.



Some snooty experts called it pedestrian art, but we pedestrians loved it.
I read in the following years 25%, 1 in 4 families, had a copy in their home.
And why not, it’s calm, sort of dreamy, kind of classic/classy, and the nymphs are kind of sexy.
It’s something you can stare at while drinking a cup of coffee or a beer, and drift off lost in your thoughts.

Then I looked at Google images I see all these picture of the same thing but very different.

Parrish eventually moved out of The Oaks and into the studio with Susan Lewin. His wife began to take long trips with their four children. The arrangement scandalized Plainfield, but Parrish and Lewin claimed to have only a Platonic friendship.

He hadn't finished with Susan Lewin, though. Their arrangement continued for 55 years until Lydia Parrish died in 1960. Maxfield Parrish was 90, Susan Lewin was 71, and they could finally marry. He declined, and she left him to marry someone else.

Ha ha ha, you go girl.

Here is a discussion by seemingly knowledgeable people about his painting technique and it’s possible effect on the
great variation in the copies out there.



Now don’t you feel more knowledgeable on fine art? How about pedestrian art?


link