Artist:
N.C. Wyeth
(American, 1882 - 1945)
The pledge
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: 1921
Dimensions:
39 1/2 × 32 1/4 in. (100.3 × 81.9 cm)
Brandywine Museum of Art, Gift of the Estate of Louisa d'A. Carpenter, 1976
Accession number: 76.10
Label Copy:
In preparation for this commission, Wyeth read an undated edition of The Scottish Chiefs published by Thomas D. Crowell Company, New York, and illustrated with photographs of Scottish scenery (Brandywine Museum of Art, NCWS.95.184). He also had in his studio reference library the eight volume Scottish Highlands, Highland Clans and Highland Regiments published by Fullerton & Co. of Edinburgh (BRMA, NCWS.95.232.1-.8).
The Scottish Chiefs is a novel set in late 13th and early 14th centuries during the revolt of Scottish nobility against the rule of Edward I of England. With brilliant color and a visually arresting composition based on a myriad of intersecting lines, Wyeth tried to suggest the sound made as Wallace and his men pledged to fight Edward to the death.
In preparation for this commission, Wyeth read an undated edition of The Scottish Chiefs published by Thomas D. Crowell Company, New York, and illustrated with photographs of Scottish scenery (Brandywine Museum of Art, NCWS.95.184). He also had in his studio reference library the eight volume Scottish Highlands, Highland Clans and Highland Regiments published by Fullerton & Co. of Edinburgh (BRMA, NCWS.95.232.1-.8).
The Scottish Chiefs is a novel set in late 13th and early 14th centuries during the revolt of Scottish nobility against the rule of Edward I of England. With brilliant color and a visually arresting composition based on a myriad of intersecting lines, Wyeth tried to suggest the sound made as Wallace and his men pledged to fight Edward to the death.
Research Number: NCW: 306
InscribedLower right: N.C. WYETH (underlined); all four stretcher keys are marked: PATd. / FEB. 13 / 1883 / JUNE 16 / 1885 / A. D. S.
ProvenanceThe artist (returned to him from Scribner's, 10/26/1922); Mrs. N. C. Wyeth to 1956; (Knoedler Galleries, New York, NY, # 54814); Louisa d'A. Carpenter, Palm Beach, FL, 1966-1976
Exhibition HistoryWilmington, DE, 1946, no. 37; New York, NY, 1957, no. 95; Lubbock, TX, 1959, no. 29; Wilmington, DE, 1981
References
______, "N. C. Wyeth," Life Magazine, vol. 20, no. 24 (June 17, 1946), illus. in color p. 81; Richard Layton, "Inventory of Paintings in the Wyeth Studio, 1950," unpublished, Wyeth Family Archives, p. 17; Douglas Allen and Douglas Allen, Jr., N. C. Wyeth, The Collected Paintings, Illustrations and Murals (New York: Crown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, Inc., 1972), p. 215; Brandywine River Museum, Catalogue of the Collection, 1969-1989 (Chadds Ford, PA: Brandywine Conservancy, 1991), p. 211; Jane Porter, The Scottish Chiefs (Beautiful Feet Books, 2007), cover illustration; Christine B. Podmaniczky, N. C. Wyeth, A Catalogue Raisonné of Paintings (London: Scala, 2008), I.860, p. 422, 423
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 (NCWS.95.184, N. C. Wyeth House and Studio Collection, Brandywine River Museum of Art). 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).
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, Annenberg Research Center, 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).
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, Annenberg Research Center, 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:Transparency directly from painting
On view