The Color of Light
Friday, October 1st, 2010
Maxfield Parrish Lull Brook Winter, 1945
I have a stack of prints that I inherited sitting in my flat files at home. Once in awhile I’ll go through them, and consider framing one and putting it up. But I don’t have room, so they stay in the drawer. There are a couple of Maxfield Parrish (1870 – 1966) prints that I love, but can’t get past the image of one hanging in the den at the ranch. It just seems to “little old lady” to put one up. Nevertheless, they are beautiful. I could do without the lounging androgynous characters in Greek temples, but the landscapes are remarkable.
Both Ansel Adams and Maxfield Parrish worked through the beginning of the 20th-century. They shared the idea of creating images that went beyond traditional landscapes. Adams didn’t photograph the landscape; he photographed the weather. Parrish didn’t paint the landscape; he painted the light. The colors are iridescent. I’ve been told that he painted in layers, much like a printer lays one color on top of another, and the translucency of the paint produces a richer, more complex effect. Parrish also had a sense of narrative. The house in New Moon has a warm glow of a light inside, creating a sense of security, comfort, and warmth.
Maxfield Parrish, New Moon, 1958
Ansel Adams, Yosemite Valley Thunderstorm, 1945
Maxfield Parrish, Winter Sunrise, 1949
Maxfield Parrish, White Birches, 1931
Maxfield Parrish, The Country Schoolhouse, 1937
Maxfield Parrish, Afterglow, 1947
Maxfield Parrish, Grand Canyon, 1902
Maxfield Parrish, The Lantern Bearers, 1910
