Fred Maxfield Parrish was born July 25, 1870 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of an etcher and painter. His father was his first teacher and took him to Europe when he was ten years old. There they painted and sketched together throughout Europe. Parrish studied at Haverford College and the Pennsylvania Academy of Arts. He first began illustrating magazine covers for Harper's, Ladies Home Jo
...see more »urnal, Collier's and Life, some of the top magazines of the time.
In 1895 Parrish painted a mural 'Old King Cole' for the Mask and Wig Club, a thespian society, and his work began to be exhibited and published. He and his wife moved to Windsor, VT in the early 1920s where he was to reside for most of his life. Parrish began doing oil paintings, one of which, 'Daybreak', became one of the most reproduced paintings in American art. He left illustrations behind when he accepted a commission for a mural from the wealthy Du Pont family in 1918.
Parrish's fame grew between 1904 and 1935 and he never lacked for work. He was known for his landscapes that combined naturalism, fantasy and romanticism. His paintings were reproduced on greeting cards, playing cards, and calendars. He continued to gain commissions for illustrations from magazines and books, as well as an annual calendar contract from Edison Mazda, the man who started what is now General Electric. Due to his success, he built an estate called The Oaks in New Hampshire that attracted many fellow artists. The estate became an artists' colony and President Woodrow Wilson resided there in the summer.
The remainder of his career was spent painting the gorgeous scenes used for his landscapes and several murals. He continued painting until he was 90 and died in1966 at age 95 at his New Hampshire home. His art can be seen in museums and galleries throughout the United States and Europe and in private, public and corporate collections and can be found at retailers worldwide.« see less
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