St. Andrew's School mural, presentation painting
In 1936, Wyeth was commissioned by Mrs. Irenee du Pont to create a mural for the commons room of the newly founded St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware. This canvas was prepared to show du Pont what the final mural would look like and includes the architectural setting (i.e., woodwork and doors) on the wall where the mural would be placed. Two subjects are divided by the double door: the planning of St. Andrew's by the trustees and headmaster (viewer's right) and students of Saint Andrew's surrounding an allegorical figure of Alma Mater (viewer's left).
The presentation painting was used to transfer the design to the larger support. Tacks, with small pieces of string still attached, remain in place in uniform intervals where the artist squared off the image for transfer. Lantern slides made from each square (Brandywine River Museum of Art, NCWS.95.1825.18-26) were then projected onto the final support which had been squared off into the same number of larger squares.
