Artist:
N.C. Wyeth
(American, 1882 - 1945)
The Mysterious Island, title page illustration
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: 1918
Dimensions:
25 3/16 × 24 5/8 in. (64 × 62.5 cm)
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gift of Franklyn L. Rodgers, 2018
Accession number: SUPP2000.842
Research Number: NCW: 842
Inscribedfragment of brown paper adhered to backing paper: stamped within box: GEO. F. OF / PICTURE FRAMER / Established 1873 / MADISON AVE. / NEW YORK; inscribed below in pen: Original Wyeth Title page of "The Mysterious Island" by Jules Verne / Providence Island Carribian (sic) Sea
ProvenanceCharles Scribners's Sons, New York, NY; Collection of George McKay Schieffelin to 1983; gift to Franklyn L. Rodgers, President of Scibner's, to 2018; Gift to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2018
Exhibition History[Note that title page is listed in curatorial files as having been exhibited in Chadds Ford, PA, 1976(1) and Chadds Ford, PA, 1978, however a search of records indicates that in both cases the actual painting exhibited was probably S. H. duPont's cover painting which had been on permanent loan to the Museum since 1975]
References
Douglas Allen and Douglas Allen, Jr., N. C. Wyeth, The Collected Paintings, Illustrations and Murals (New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1972), p. 221; Christine B. Podmaniczky, N. C. Wyeth, A Catalogue Raisonné of Paintings (London: Scala, 2008), I.711, p. 367
Curatorial RemarksScribner's records indicate that this painting was sold (for the "special" price of $75.00) to "Mr. Schiefflin (sic) / 5th floor Scribner's" (Brandywine River Museum, Scribner's Archives, # B13917), a reference to George McKay Schieffelin, a grandson of Charles Scribner II and ultimately chairman of the board of Scribner's (courtesy of John Delaney, Princeton University Library).
Image Source for printed Catalogue Raisonne:Digital scan from printed source (Brandywine River Museum library)
Photo Credit:web: BRM staff, 12/2005; hardcover: Rick Echelmeyer, in box 8/23/2006