Maxfield Parrish
Maxfield Parrish
1870 - 1966
American painter, illustrator, and designer. He received early training in painting and etching from his father, the painter and printmaker Stephen Parrish (1846–1938). Parrish studied architecture at Haverford College, PA (1888–91), but changed to painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia; he simultaneously attended classes given by American illustrator Howard Pyle at the Drexel Institute, Philadelphia (although he was not registered there). Inspired by the graphic style of such artists as Alphonse Mucha, he created posters, cover designs, and illustrations for popular American periodicals, including Harper’s Weekly, The Century, Collier’s, and Scribner’s Magazine (e.g. lithograph, cover for Scribner’s Mag., August 1897; New York, Columbia U. Col.). The dominant influence, however, on most American illustrators of the era, including Parrish, was Pre-Raphaelite painting. Parrish’s characteristic subject-matter included woodland scenes, populated by fairies, medieval maidens, and knights in armour (e.g. Daybreak, 1922). Working from photographs, he developed a richly coloured palette, becoming noted for his ‘Maxfield Parrish blue’ and his meticulous attention to detail. He illustrated calendars and books, including The Golden Age (London, 1895) and Dream Days (London, 1898) by Kenneth Grahame. In 1898 he moved permanently to New Hampshire, where, in Plainfield, he designed and built his home, The Oaks (1898–1906), architectural features of which frequently appeared in his work. He exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris (1900) and at the Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, NY (1901). He also executed a number of large murals for hotels and clubs in New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, the most celebrated of which was Old King Cole (1.12×3.35 m, 1906; New York, St Regis Hotel). Coloured prints and calendars adapted from his paintings sold in millions during his lifetime. ["Parrish, Maxfield." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press, accessed September 10, 2014, http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T065582.]
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