Maxfield Parrish : romance and fantasy

Maxfield Parrish studied the techniques of the Old Masters and then, using pure bold colors, particularly lapis lazuli (cobalt blue is frequently called 'Parrish Blue'), achieved an unsurpassed radiant quality in his work. His idealized women adorned in classical gowns with backgrounds of electric violets, radiant reds and rich earthy pigments, created an idyllic world indeed. Other images depicted scenes embellished with billowing clouds in a fairy tale ambiance of maidens and knights. We all thought that his paintings were of real places and that these extraordinary people and fire-breathing dragons actually lived and coexisted peacefully. Their stark beauty and superb execution were too realistic not to be believed.

Parrish later influenced the work of Vasarely, with images bordering on Op Art; Andy Warhol (who collected his work) with repetitive, reproducible Pop Art prototypes; and the great American illustrator Norman Rockwell, who once said that Parrish was his 'idol.' The Realist, Photorealist and Superrealist movements all owe their unique directions to his legacy.

Maxfield Parrish died in 1966 at 'The Oaks,' his homestead in the Cornish Hills of New Hampshire. A year before he died, at 95 years of age, the Metropolitan Museum of Art purchased one of his paintings, which pleased him immensely. Despite his artistic importance however, very few of Parrish's original paintings have been seen by contemporary art audiences.

The AMERICAN ILLUSTRATORS GALLERY is proud to announce the only American venue of Maxfield Parrish: A Retrospective, the first major retrospective of the artist's works, and the first Parrish international exhibition having just returned from a six month tour of Japan. It opens at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts on November 11, 1995, and will run through January 28, 1996.

This exhibition is the most comprehensive assemblage of Parrish's works ever, spanning his seventy year career with over 100 original paintings. All major areas of Parrish's work are well represented.

Included is Parrish's magnum opus, "Daybreak', the most reproduced artwork in history. This painting, considered the proverbial "Mona Lisa" of American Art, has rarely been exhibited. "Interlude," the seven-foot-tall mural which has never left its walls before, has been recently restored and is traveling with this exhibition. Pivotal paintings such as "Hilltop," "Stars," "Morning" and "Ecstasy" are on view as well, along with many celebrated book illustrations for Dream Days and The Knave of Hearts.

Commemorating the 125th anniversary of Parrish's birth, this milestone exhibition is the first ever to be authorized by the Maxfield Parrish Family Trust. Never before has the Parrish family loaned any of its private collection for exhibition. Also on display for the first time is Parrish's photography of both his models and landscapes, used in the design of his paintings.

With such a long List of 'firsts,' this exhibition is truly an historic event, and a uniquely American celebration. The American Illustrators Gallery is proud to have assembled and curated this exhibition under the direction of Judy Goffman Cutler, Executive Director. The exhibition has been organized and produced by Laurence S. Cutler of ARTShows and Products of Holderness, New Hampshire.