"The Coming of Lancaster," 1908 Howard Pyle (1853-1911) Oil on canvas, 35 1/2 x 23 1/4 inches.In celebration of the centenary of the death of American illustrator and storyteller Howard Pyle and the lasting influence of the his work, Norman Rockwell Museum will present the new exhibition, "Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered" through Oct. 28.
A celebrity in his lifetime, Pyle's widely circulated images of pirates, knights and historical figures were featured in publications like Harper's Monthly and were admired by such artists and authors as Vincent Van Gogh, Mark Twain and Norman Rockwell. He was considered the grandfather of American illustration.
"When Howard Pyle died in 1911, he left behind an extensive body of over 3,000 works of art and a lasting legacy of inspired teaching," said Stephanie Plunkett, chief curator at Norman Rockwell Museum. "This exhibition features an outstanding selection of the artist's best known and rarely seen paintings, drawings, prints and archival materials that shed light on the artist's career as a painter and a consummate storyteller in a changing world at the cusp of the 20th century."
Organized by the Delaware Art Museum, in Wilmington, "Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered" features 79 original paintings and drawings created by Pyle between 1876 and 1910, on loan from the Delaware Art Museum, which was founded in 1912 to preserve and exhibit his work after his death. The exhibition presents a fresh perspective on Pyle's imagery, exploring his interaction with the art and culture of 19th-century art.
The exhibition will include Pyle's paintings alongside related works by contemporary American and European artists as well as selected paintings by Norman Rockwell to show the cross currents in both fine and commercial art.
Exhibition themes include visions of the past, fairytale and fantasy and America past and present.
Pyle's "extraordinary skill was strengthened by his conviction that illustration was an act of self revelation, and he encouraged students like N.C. Wyeth, Jessie Willcox Smith and Frank Schoonover to understand their subjects by imagining themselves in them," commented Dr. Joyce K. Schiller, curator of the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies at Norman Rockwell Museum. "The artist's powerful paintings of pirates and historical and literary themes continue to spark the imagination, as reflected in the works on view."
She worked on the original concept for the show as a curator of American art at the Delaware Art Museum.
Pyle was born, raised and lived his adult life in Wilmington, Del.
"When Howard Pyle began illustrating in the 19th century, there was no training for it; you learned on the job," Schiller explained. "He realized there was a need to train more illustrators as the book and magazine publishing industry exploded."
He created the Howard Pyle School of Art in Wilmington, and many of his students became prominent artists or teachers.
"People like Norman Rockwell hoped to become as famous and as good as Howard Pyle," Schiller said.
Norman Rockwell Museum is located at 9 Route 183 in Stockbridge. It is open daily through October, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and until 7 p.m. on Thursdays in July and August.
For more information, call (413) 298-4100 or go to www.nrm.org