Maxfield Parrish might be having a moment. Not only is the artist part of an exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum, his work is also on display in The Ethereal Worlds of Maxfield Parrish at the Henry Morrison Flager Museum in Palm Beach, Florida. On view through April 20, the exhibit features 25 original artworks and explores Parrish’s ability to create dreamlike worlds that exist somewhere between fantasy and reality.

He applied his mastery of an ethereal color palette (including the infamous “Parrish blue”) to neo-classical compositions of idealized figures, otherworldly landscapes and fairytales that often incorporated mythological and allegorical elements.

Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966), Reveries, 1913. Oil on canvas. Courtesy of the National Museum of American Illustration.

 

Parrish (1870-1966) is most closely associated with the Golden Age of Illustration, but unlike contemporaries Rockwell and J.C. Leyendecker, who focused on themes of Americana and every day life, Parrish found inspiration in the mystical and imagined. Over the course of his career, Parrish created nearly 1,000 artworks for calendars, greeting cards, advertisements, children’s books, magazine covers, stage sets and murals. By 1925, one out of every four households in America possessed a reproduction of his art in some form.

Flagler Museum curator Campbell Mobley says, “Parrish’s work resonated so deeply with the American public because it reflected key ideals of the Gilded Age…[It] reflects the optimism, escapism, and idealism that characterized much of American life during the early-20th century. The Gilded Age and the early-20th century were periods of rapid industrial growth, but also of social and cultural upheaval. Parrish’s fantastical landscapes and idealized figures offered a reprieve from the complexities of modern life, emphasizing beauty, harmony and transcendence. His work taps into the American desire for an imagined, utopian world, where the impossible could be made real through art.”

Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966), June Skies (A Perfect Day), 1940. Oil on Panel. Courtesy of the National Museum of American Illustration.

 

Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966), Jack and the Giant, 1908. Oil on paper. Courtesy of the National Museum of American Illustration.

 

Mobley continues, “While this exhibition showcases his original works, Parrish is perhaps best known for his widely reproduced prints. The sheer volume of reproductions speaks to his immense popularity; his work adorned countless American homes, making fine art accessible to the masses. If his imagery hadn’t captivated the public, his prints wouldn’t have sold in such staggering numbers—and we wouldn’t be discussing his enduring legacy today.”

Significant works on loan from the National Museum of Illustration span examples from the first book Parrish illustrated, L. Frank Baum’s Mother Goose in Prose in 1897, to one of his last works, Cascades (Quiet Solitude) from 1959. However, it is widely agreed that the star of the exhibition is the 1913 painting Reveries. “Originally intended as a cover for Hearst’s Magazine, the piece was never published, yet it remains one of Parrish’s most evocative works,” says Mobley. 

Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966), Plainfield Town Hall Stage Set, (center stage backdrop study), 1916. Oil on paper on Stretchers. Courtesy of the National Museum of American Illustration.

 

“In Reveries, Parrish showcases his mastery of immersive visual storytelling, capturing a moment of quiet contemplation. Depicting his favored muse, Susan Lewin, seated in solitude against a field of his signature ‘Parrish blue,’ the painting exudes a profound sense of serenity and spiritual reflection. At the same time, it embodies an archetype of youthful innocence and grace. The work’s rich visual language and ethereal composition invite the viewer into a dreamlike world, making Reveries a quintessential example of Parrish’s enduring artistic vision.” —

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