Artist:
N.C. Wyeth
(American, 1882 - 1945)
New Story Magazine, cover illustration
Alternate Title(s):On the Wings of Evening; Gun fight: Man Protecting Woman
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: 1912
Dimensions:
48 × 33 in. (121.9 × 83.8 cm)
Collection of B. Clyde Cohen
Accession number: SUPP2000.871
Research Number: NCW: 871
InscribedLower right: N. C. WYETH (underlined)
ProvenanceStreet & Smith, New York, NY, through 1961; Conde Nast Publications, Inc., New York, NY, 1962-1964; (Graham Gallery, New York, NY, 1964-1977); (with La Galeria, San Mateo, CA, 1977); Private collection, Belvedere, CA and Collection of B. Clyde Cohen, 1977
Exhibition HistoryNew York, NY, 1964, no. 8 as "Gun fight: Man Protecting Woman"; San Mateo, CA, La Galeria, "Wyeth / N. C. Andrew James," May 1 - June 16, 1977, as "Gunfight";
References
Douglas Allen and Douglas Allen, Jr., N. C. Wyeth, The Collected Paintings, Illustrations and Murals (New York: Crown Publishers, 1972), p. 267; Christine B. Podmaniczky, N. C. Wyeth, A Catalogue Raisonné of Paintings (London: Scala, 2008), I.442, p. 261
Curatorial Remarks"On the Wings of the Evening" was written by an author using the nom du plume of Wright Beach Paulhun. Aviator Fred Connover brings his plane down in a valley after experiencing technical trouble. On the ground he determines that his gas tank was empty, sabotaged by his mechanic. He finds a farmhouse, but upon approach realizes the deceitful mechanic has joined forces with an unwelcome suitor to kidnap the woman he loves. This painting depicts Connover defending Alice from an attack by the mechanic: “She had thrown the door open. A ghastly figure bounded in, brandishing an ugly, curved-edge dirk. With a snarl it leapt at the aviator. / He whirled Alice behind him….Two shots rang out from his coat pocket. The mechanic stopped short…he fell easily sidewise, and moved no more.”
Image Source for printed Catalogue Raisonne:Transparency directly from painting
Photo Credit:Ian Reeves, 7/2004