Maxfield Parrish, 1870-1966

by Alma Gilbert

Saint Patrick's, 1903, oil on board, , 20 x 16 inches,

Private collection

Many of the images used as book illustrations were also used as covers for such magazines as Collier's, Ladies Home Journal, Hearst, and Century.

Parrish was brought into millions of American homes via his book illustrations, his ads, his calendars and grteeting cards and his famous art prints. In 1925 it was esdtimated that one out of every five American homes had a Parrish print on its wall. He was, and still remains the most reproduced artist in the history of art.

Air Castles, 1904, oil on paper, 29 x 20 inches,

Private collection

One thing is certain: Parrish's works continue to beguile and delight readers and viewers of all ages. He remains the perpetual Pied Piper luring and cajoling us into his special land of make-believe and enchanted fantasy. So, dear collector, enjoy!!

The images for this article were graciously provided by Alma Gilbert and may be found in her book titled Maxfield Parrish: The Masterworks, published by Ten Speed Press.

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This page was originally published in Resource Library Magazine. Please see Resource Library's Overview section for more information. rev. 10/28/11

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