Lot 137: GEORGE HAND WRIGHT (1872-1951) WATERCOLOR

George Hand Wright (1871-1951 "Road to St. Urbain" Watercolor.Signed and titled below by the artist. Gilt wood frame with acid free mat. Image 5"x8". In frame 18 1/2"x20 1/4"x 1 1/4". Weight 5 pds. PROVENANCE: Gippy Plantation, Berkeley County. Once described as "the undisputed top illustrator in the nation," George Hand Wright was born to a Quaker family in Fox Chase, Pennsylvania. The son of a blacksmith, he studied at the Spring Garden Institute and the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia and in Paris and Munich, before settling in New York City. By the turn of the century, he had established himself there as a genre painter and illustrator. In 1907, Wright moved permanently to Westport, Connecticut and was a founder of the art colony that developed there. From 1900 until his death in 1951, he worked as a freelance illustrator for various publications, including Harper's, The Century, Scribner's and, in later years, The Saturday Evening Post. Simultaneously, he painted genre subjects, primarily outdoor scenes, in Connecticut, New York City, the South and other places, including Canada and Europe on story assignments. Wright was a member of many important art organizations and exhibited at the National Academy of Design, Salmagundi Club, Grand Central Galleries, and other venues. His work was widely admired, especially by his fellow artists, who considered him one of the finest talents of his generation.

good, minor toning, chip to frame