Artist:
N.C. Wyeth
(American, 1882 - 1945)
Helen descends the Glen of Stones
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: 1921
Dimensions:
45 3/8 × 37 5/8 in. (115.3 × 95.6 cm)
Brandywine Museum of Art, Bequest of Ruth A. Yerion, 1990
Accession number: 90.12.15
Label Copy:
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) in preparation for this commission. He also had in his studio library the eight volume "Scottish Highlands, Highland Clans and Highland Regiments" published by Fullerton & Co. of Edinburgh (BRMA, NCWS.95.232.1-.8) which he no doubt consulted.
Wyeth was extremely concerned about the quality of the reproductions for this commission; he had generously used blue and green pigments throughout which were notoriously difficult for printers to duplicate. He expected the printers to faithfully reproduce his paintings and was disappointed when the technology or the printers’ skill failed to do so.
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) in preparation for this commission. He also had in his studio library the eight volume "Scottish Highlands, Highland Clans and Highland Regiments" published by Fullerton & Co. of Edinburgh (BRMA, NCWS.95.232.1-.8) which he no doubt consulted.
Wyeth was extremely concerned about the quality of the reproductions for this commission; he had generously used blue and green pigments throughout which were notoriously difficult for printers to duplicate. He expected the printers to faithfully reproduce his paintings and was disappointed when the technology or the printers’ skill failed to do so.
Research Number: NCW: 377
InscribedLower right: N. C. WYETH (underlined); on reverse, on stretcher, two labels, 1: COLUMBUS GALLERY / OF FINE ARTS / (in pencil) 139.58; 2: (KNOEDLER'S LABEL) No.. 54820 / picture; label adhered to canvas: (handwritten) B17391 vol. 1 Page 105 (crossed out, with "94" written over) / Wyeth N. C. / "Scottish Chiefs" Helen
Exhibition HistoryNew York, NY, 1957, no. 94; Southampton, NY, 1966, no numbers; New York, NY, Coe Kerr Gallery, "A Tribute to American Realism, The Collection of Amanda K. Berls and Ruth A. Yerion," Jan. 7-31, 1976, illus., unpaginated;
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Richard Layton, "Inventory of Paintings in the Wyeth Studio, 1950," unpublished, Wyeth Family Archives, p. 17; Douglas Allen and Douglas Allen, Jr., N. C. Wyeth, The Collected Paintings, Illustrations and Murals (New York: Crown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, Inc., 1972), p. 215; Christine B. Podmaniczky, N. C. Wyeth, A Catalogue Raisonné of Paintings (London: Scala, 2008), I.861, p. 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 (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).
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).
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:transparency directly from painting