Artist:
N.C. Wyeth
(American, 1882 - 1945)
The Scottish Chiefs, title page illustration
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: 1921
Dimensions:
40 × 32 in. (101.6 × 81.3 cm)
Private collection
Accession number: SUPP2000.1414
Research Number: NCW: 1414
ProvenanceThe artist (returned to him from Scribner's, 1/22/1923); Mrs. N. C. Wyeth; (Nicholas Wyeth, 1967)
References
Richard Layton, "Inventory of Paintings in the Wyeth Studio, 1950," unpublished, Wyeth Family Archives, p. 17; Douglas Allen and Douglas Allen, Jr., N. C. Wyeth, The Collected Paintings, Illustrations and Murals (New York: Crown Publishers, 1972), p. 215; Christine B. Podmaniczky, N. C. Wyeth, A Catalogue Raisonné of Paintings (London: Scala, 2008), I.858, p. 422
Curatorial RemarksIn preparation for this commission, Wyeth read an undated edition of The Scottish Chiefs published by Thomas D. Crowell Company, New York, illustrated with photographs of Scottish scenery (Brandywine River Museum NCWS.95.184). He also had in his studio library the 8 volume "Scottish Highlands, Highland Clans and Highland Regiments" pulished by Fullerton & Co. of Edinburgh (BRMA, NCWS.95.232.1-.8).
The book title was typeset at the top of this design; author and illustrator's names were typeset in the ribbon-style banner.
Wyeth was extremely concerned about the quality of the reproductions for this commission--he had generously used blue and green pigments throughout, difficult for printers to duplicate. For this commission, the plates were engraved by the Suffolk Engraving and Electrotyping Company (see Scribner's cards, Brandywine River Museum of Art) and printed by Bowker (NCW to Joseph Hawley Chapin, dated "Tuesday morning, 6:15" probably June, 1921, Archives of Charles Scribner's, Manuscripts Division, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library).
The book title was typeset at the top of this design; author and illustrator's names were typeset in the ribbon-style banner.
Wyeth was extremely concerned about the quality of the reproductions for this commission--he had generously used blue and green pigments throughout, difficult for printers to duplicate. For this commission, the plates were engraved by the Suffolk Engraving and Electrotyping Company (see Scribner's cards, Brandywine River Museum of Art) and printed by Bowker (NCW to Joseph Hawley Chapin, dated "Tuesday morning, 6:15" probably June, 1921, Archives of Charles Scribner's, Manuscripts Division, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library).
Image Source for printed Catalogue Raisonne:Digital photography directly from painting
Photo Credit:1. Michael I. Price Photography, Inc., 1/2007; 2. Rick Echelmeyer, digital photography from printed image (Brandywine River Museum library, tear sheet), 9/7/2006