Artist:
N.C. Wyeth
(American, 1882 - 1945)
The Runaway
Alternate Title(s):Roping a Runaway Bronc
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: 1903
Dimensions:
19 × 25 in. (48.3 × 63.5 cm)
Brandywine River Museum of Art, Gift of Frank J. and Doris M. Guest, 2010
Accession number: 2010.11
Label Copy:
The artist's early correspondence usually carried some mention of most of his work; however, there is no direct reference to this painting. The lack might indicate that he painted it on speculation while at home in Needham during the summer of 1903, hoping to place it with a publisher. In a letter written to his mother after his return to Chadds Ford (dated in another hand August 31, 1903, Wyeth Family Archives), Wyeth refers to a work for "Nash." He was concerned about the quality of a reproduction of "that colored drawing," which suggests his mother knew the work in question. Edgar S. Nash, the publisher of both editions of the print, was associated with Leslie's Monthly Magazine.
If the reference cited above is indeed to The Runaway, Wyeth was displeased with the quality of the print "because they used a cheap method of reproduction." It would be a situation that he would encounter again and again as an illustrator.
The artist's early correspondence usually carried some mention of most of his work; however, there is no direct reference to this painting. The lack might indicate that he painted it on speculation while at home in Needham during the summer of 1903, hoping to place it with a publisher. In a letter written to his mother after his return to Chadds Ford (dated in another hand August 31, 1903, Wyeth Family Archives), Wyeth refers to a work for "Nash." He was concerned about the quality of a reproduction of "that colored drawing," which suggests his mother knew the work in question. Edgar S. Nash, the publisher of both editions of the print, was associated with Leslie's Monthly Magazine.
If the reference cited above is indeed to The Runaway, Wyeth was displeased with the quality of the print "because they used a cheap method of reproduction." It would be a situation that he would encounter again and again as an illustrator.
Research Number: NCW: 1346
InscribedLower left: N. C. Wyeth / -03-
ProvenancePossibly Edgar S. Nash; (?); Private collection, NJ, by ca. 1950; Herbert W. Guest, ca. 1950, and descended in family
References
Douglas Allen and Douglas Allen, Jr., N. C. Wyeth, The Collected Paintings, Illustrations and Murals (New York: Crown Publishers, 1972), p. 285; Christine B. Podmaniczky, N. C. Wyeth, A Catalogue Raisonné of Paintings (London: Scala, 2008), I.19, p. 107
Curatorial RemarksThe artist's early correspondence usually carried some mention of most of his work, however, there is no direct reference to this painting. The lack might indicate that he painted it on speculation while at home in Needham during the summer of 1903, hoping to place it somewhere for publication. In a letter written after his return to Chadds Ford (dated in another hand August 31, 1903, WFA), Wyeth refers to a work for "Nash." He was concerned about the quality of a reproduction of "that colored drawing," which suggests his mother knew the work in question. Edgar S. Nash, the publisher of both editions of the print, was associated with Leslie's Monthly Magazine.
If the reference cited above is to The Runaway, Wyeth was displeased "because they used a cheap method of reproduction." He continued, "Rather than have a cheap and poor reproduction I told them to have the plate hand tooled and the extra expense to be taken out of my money."
If the reference cited above is to The Runaway, Wyeth was displeased "because they used a cheap method of reproduction." He continued, "Rather than have a cheap and poor reproduction I told them to have the plate hand tooled and the extra expense to be taken out of my money."
Image Source for printed Catalogue Raisonne:Digital photography directly from painting
Photo Credit:Patrick Cox, Cox Photography LLC, 8/7/2006