Maxfield Parrish, by Coy Ludwig (oversized HC, 1975, $4.50)
I remember a print of a Maxfield Parrish painting at my grandma's. Might it have been "The Garden of Allah"? I don't know. I do remember I thought it beautiful, and like nothing else I had ever seen. It was certainly like nothing else at Mom Mom's. I also remember thinking it was very strange.
I still think his works are beautiful, and that some of them are strange, but now having looked through this book I realize sometimes his paintings make me laugh! He had a sense of beauty, but he also had a sense of humor.
Strangely after the 1930s Parrish only painted landscapes. Well, as a painter he could decide what he would paint, but people didn't have to like it, and they didn't. I doubt it bothered him much. He had been a professional illustrator ever since 1894. His works still sold, just not as well as before. He would continue to paint his beloved landscapes until early in 1962 when he turned 91. This book includes prints of some of his landscapes, and though I too did not like them as much as his earlier works, they still are amazing.
Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L-art)
