Artist:
N.C. Wyeth
(American, 1882 - 1945)
Magua Captures Alice He hesitated a moment; and then catching the light and senseless form of Alice in his arms, the subtle Indian moved swiftly across the plain toward the woods
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: 1919
Dimensions:
39 7/8 × 32 1/8 in. (101.3 × 81.6 cm)
Brandywine River Museum of Art, Gift of Richard S. du Pont, 1976
Accession number: 76.14.1
Label Copy:
In preparation for this commission, Wyeth read and marked an edition of The Last of the Mohicans published by A. L. Burt (Brandywine River Museum of Art, NCWS.95.4334). He also visited Glens Falls, New York, the setting of the story. In addition to photographs he took of the locale, he also may have used stereoscope cards as image resources; six cards depicting scenery in Glens Falls were found in his studio. But Wyeth used his experiences and visual resources as a reference for color and atmosphere only. He eschewed a depiction of the actual massacre itself and chose to focus on the abduction of Alice, her crowning blonde hair the one light in the actual and metaphorical darkness of the forest.
In preparation for this commission, Wyeth read and marked an edition of The Last of the Mohicans published by A. L. Burt (Brandywine River Museum of Art, NCWS.95.4334). He also visited Glens Falls, New York, the setting of the story. In addition to photographs he took of the locale, he also may have used stereoscope cards as image resources; six cards depicting scenery in Glens Falls were found in his studio. But Wyeth used his experiences and visual resources as a reference for color and atmosphere only. He eschewed a depiction of the actual massacre itself and chose to focus on the abduction of Alice, her crowning blonde hair the one light in the actual and metaphorical darkness of the forest.
Research Number: NCW: 35
InscribedLower left: N. C. WYETH (underlined); on reverse on stretcher, remnants of Scribner's label
ProvenanceCharles Scribner's Sons, New York, NY; [?]; Clifton Waller Barrett, Charlottesville, VA, ?-1971; Richard S. du Pont, Greenville, DE, 1971-1976
Exhibition HistoryChadds Ford, PA, 1972, no. 22; Brookings, SD, 1973, no. 19; Bridgeport, CT, 1974, no. NC 3; Chadds Ford, PA, 1976(1); Princeton, NJ, 1977, no. 29; Greenville, SC, 1979, no. 72; Santa Barbara, CA, Museum of Art, "Enchanted Images, American Children's Illustration, 1850-1925," Dec. 9, 1980- Feb. 1, 1981, no. 80, illus. p. 38; Wilmington, DE, 1981; Elmira, NY, 1985, p. 28; Cedar Rapids, IA, 1990; Rockland, ME, 1998, no. 86 p. 166, illus. in color p. 86; Lubbock, TX, 1999
References
Douglas Allen and Douglas Allen, Jr., N. C. Wyeth The Collected Paintings, Illustrations and Murals (New York: Crown Publishers, 1972), p. 202; Brandywine River Museum, Catalogue of the Collection, 1969-1989 (Chadds Ford, PA: Brandywine Conservancy, 1991), p. 210, illus. b/w p. 203; Christine B. Podmaniczky, N. C. Wyeth, A Catalogue Raisonné of Paintings (London: Scala, 2008), I.755, p. 385
Curatorial RemarksIn preparation for this commission, the artist read and marked an edition published by A. L. Burt (NCWS.95.4334, N. C. Wyeth House and Studio Collection, Brandywine River Museum of Art). Wyeth visited Glens Falls, and in addition to photographs he took of the locale, he also may have used stereoption cards as image resources. Six cards depicting scenery in Glens Falls were found in his studio.
Image Source for printed Catalogue Raisonne:transparency directly from painting
Photo Credit:Rick Echelmeyer, 1997