Maxfield Parrish "Dream Castle in the Sky"


     This week as we end another year, I chose a painting about dreams, looking into the future.  As with all Art, we, as viewers, are allowed to take what the artist has presented to us and make our own decisions about its meaning.  And, each day, those opinions may change depending on the trials and joys of our own life.
    This week's artist is Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966).  He is remembered today as primarily a commercial artist and illustrator.  He was an artist whose work was so well accepted he financially profited, so after 1920 his focus was mainly painting.  It is known that at the height of his career one in four American homes owned some type of Parrish's work.  It could have been a print, an illustrated book, or a magazine cover.  Today it is possible in an antique or collectable store to find an old frame preserving a Parrish illustration once removed from a magazine or calendar.  

   "Dream Castle in the Sky" is large and the painting was created as a mural for a certain location above an arched space.  The black area seen above is not part of the painting.   The subject is the woman relaxing on the rock as she gazes out across a large body of water to the dreamy castle in the distance.  It is very possible to see the rocks, water, castle as symbols or enjoy just as presented. 
   Technically I enjoy the light.  Notice how the figure, rocks and trees in the foreground seem to be lit in a warm glow of sunlight coming from our right.  But gazing out over the lake it appears the sun is behind the clouds and castle, either rising or setting.   Confusing?  Sure, but so what....Parrish has composed a beautiful, romantic scene easy to dive into and enjoy.  
   One of the reasons why Parrish was so successful because he developed a layering process of glazes one on top of another to create luminous, beautiful color, especially in his blues and greens, as we can see above.
   Maxfield Parrish was an American artist from Philadelphia.  He created over 900 pieces of art including calendars, greeting cards, magazine illustrations and covers, and paintings. Our painting this week was created in 1908.   It is an oil on canvas and measures 70 inches by 129 inches.  It is in the permanent collection of the Minnesota Institute of Art, in Minneapolis.  
   Make Art a part of your life, it's a beautiful thing to do.     

Comments

  1. Char HarguthDecember 29, 2021 at 8:28 AM

    Looking at other works of his, I notice how the contrast of dark and light make his paintings so stunning. He often includes a strong tree image, which gives his humas forms a more delicate look in comparison. Everything is realistic but the setting leaves us to imagine. It is very quiet and romantic even though there is movement in the water. His process sounds very involved, but certainly successful. I see a magical daydream!!

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