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Lot Essay
Puss-in-Boots is a wonderful example of Maxfield Parrish's celebrated style and the timeless appeal of his paintings. Originally painted as the cover illustration for a 1914 issue of Hearst's Magazine, this fanciful work demonstrates the artist at the height of his abilities and manifests his mastery of light, color and composition. Widely regarded as one of the most popular American illustrators, Parrish received his first magazine commission in 1895 for Harper's Bazaar's Easter cover. This was the start of a blazing career working for publications such as Life, Ladies' Home Journal, Harper's Weekly and Scribner's. "From every newsstand his work would be instantly recognized, sometimes gracing different publications alongside each other." (A. Gilbert, Maxfield Parrish: The Masterworks, Berkeley, California, 1992, p. 63)
The story of Puss in Boots originated as one of eight fairy tales in Charles Perrault's Histoires ou contes du temps passé published in 1697 and continues to be popular today. It chronicles an enterprising feline's quest and subsequent success in making his master a wealthy man and marrying him to a princess. In the present work, the hero is presented speaking to the king with one of his servants in tow. Each of the well-defined and vividly colored figures is presented in profile, silhouetted against a magnificent and fantastical mountain village, which adds to the fanciful narrative of the painting. Parrish's keen attention to detail and design is evident throughout the composition--in the figures' facial expressions, the king's brilliantly colored rings and crown, the various textures and patterns of the figures' clothing and in the crisply defined buildings and rock outcroppings of the background. As with many of his works, Parrish eliminates a middle ground in the painting, creating a shallow pictorial space that is reminiscent of a theater stage and enhances the narrative aspect of the scene.
The magic and spirit of Puss-in-Boots is the result of Parrish's keen eye for composition and narrative as well as his unique and intricate approach to painting. He possessed a calm and patient disposition that was perfectly suited to the arduous and time-consuming work his pictures demanded. This approach included the use of paper cut-outs, photography, props and models constructed in his workshop as well as a meticulous method of painting with glazes. Indeed every detail was manipulated so as to create compositional unity and an effective and appealing design. "His technique and tools for creating--paints, photography, collage--all became his life and his art. Parrish was on a personal quest as much as any creative artist ever was. He did not subscribe to the tone of the techniques of the times...he strove to create a balanced and harmonic beauty in his every detail, every stroke of the brush, and in his images as graphic designs with proportion, balance and grace." (L.S. Cutler, J.Goffman, Maxfield Parrish: A Retrospective, San Francisco, California, 1995, p. 18)
Parrish's approach to his compositions derived from his early training as an architect as well as his interest in the principles of Jay Hambidge's "Dynamic Symmetry"--a theory based on a rediscovery of ancient Roman and Greek formulas to create harmonic proportions in architecture and art. Parrish wrote of his thoughtful compositions, "I lay each painting out on the basis of 'dynamic symmetry' or the mathematical proportion which the ancient Greeks and Egyptians found appealing to the eye. Thus by using 'dynamic rectangles' and 'whirling squares'...I design the dimensions of my pictures and block them off, placing the horizon in just the right place..." (as quoted in Maxfield Parrish: A Retrospective, p. 2)
Once the structure of the composition was laid out, Parrish would take photographs of his costumed models. Instead of spending hours drawing from the actual model, he worked from these photographs. He often used clever methods of reproducing grand components in his studio and for Puss-in-Boots, he built a model of the mountain village in his workshop so that he could study it and experiment with various light sources. He created the effect of natural light and shadows through artificial methods, shining lamps on models and props. Once Parrish determined exactly how he wanted to lay out his painting he would outline the composition using either a photo projection or cut-outs applied to the surface. He usually completed the landscape first and then used a stencil of the silhouette to impose the figure on top. This exacting method allowed Parrish to experiment with a variety of elements, establish a definitive layout for his composition and remove the chance of error and natural variance. This control let him focus on color rather than composition when he began to paint.
Central to the success and timeless appeal of Puss-in-Boots is Parrish's meticulous and time-consuming process of painting with glazes. Influenced by the Old Master painters, this was a slow, meticulous process that resulted in magnificent luminosity and intensity of color. Parrish began with a white base which served to light the canvas from the first layer up through the last. Then, using a stipple brush, he applied paint directly from the tube as he felt strongly about the purity of color and the resulting effect it made on the picture as a whole. The artist expressed his aims concerning color, "Probably that which has a greater hold on me than any other quality is color. I feel it is a language but little understood; much less so than it used to be. To be a great colorist that is my modest ambition. I hope someday to express the child's attitude towards nature and things; for that is the purest and most unconscious." (as quoted in Maxfield Parrish Papers, Hanover, New Hampshire) Parrish subsequently layered pure pigment and varnish over and over to achieve a heightened vibrancy of colors resulting in a smooth, rich luminosity. Puss-in-Boots's enamel-like surface and richly saturated hues are trademarks of Parrish's work.
Parrish's glazing technique accounts for not only the bold colors of Puss-in-Boots, but also the soft, variegated light that bathes the majestic background and imbues the work with a sense of wonder. Here he magically captures both the gentle and dramatic effects of light on the figures and landscape as the hazy atmosphere cloaks the mountains farthest in the background, while those in the front are in sharp focus, vibrantly colored and dappled with purple shadows. The contrast between the partially shadowed figures, rendered with soft, curvilinear forms, and the more rectilinear architectural elements and craggy terrain adds complexity to the composition as well as visual appeal.
Puss-in-Boots splendidly demonstrates Parrish's ability to blend Pre-Raphaelite sentiment, Old Master technique and a commercial sensitivity into a beautiful and enduring painting. It is a portal into a fantastical world which demonstrates all the tenets of the artist's best work, and is a testament to the statement that "Maxfield Parrish's magazine art was, among all else, unmistakably American. He loved doing it and the public loved seeing it. Magazines were an outlet made in heaven for his talent and his business acumen." (Maxfield Parrish: A Retrospective, p. 7)
CAPTIONS:
Parrish in the machine shop, ca. 1920s. Photo courtesy of the archives of Alma Gilbert-Smith.
Castle model. Photo courtesy of the archives of Alma Gilbert-Smith.
The story of Puss in Boots originated as one of eight fairy tales in Charles Perrault's Histoires ou contes du temps passé published in 1697 and continues to be popular today. It chronicles an enterprising feline's quest and subsequent success in making his master a wealthy man and marrying him to a princess. In the present work, the hero is presented speaking to the king with one of his servants in tow. Each of the well-defined and vividly colored figures is presented in profile, silhouetted against a magnificent and fantastical mountain village, which adds to the fanciful narrative of the painting. Parrish's keen attention to detail and design is evident throughout the composition--in the figures' facial expressions, the king's brilliantly colored rings and crown, the various textures and patterns of the figures' clothing and in the crisply defined buildings and rock outcroppings of the background. As with many of his works, Parrish eliminates a middle ground in the painting, creating a shallow pictorial space that is reminiscent of a theater stage and enhances the narrative aspect of the scene.
The magic and spirit of Puss-in-Boots is the result of Parrish's keen eye for composition and narrative as well as his unique and intricate approach to painting. He possessed a calm and patient disposition that was perfectly suited to the arduous and time-consuming work his pictures demanded. This approach included the use of paper cut-outs, photography, props and models constructed in his workshop as well as a meticulous method of painting with glazes. Indeed every detail was manipulated so as to create compositional unity and an effective and appealing design. "His technique and tools for creating--paints, photography, collage--all became his life and his art. Parrish was on a personal quest as much as any creative artist ever was. He did not subscribe to the tone of the techniques of the times...he strove to create a balanced and harmonic beauty in his every detail, every stroke of the brush, and in his images as graphic designs with proportion, balance and grace." (L.S. Cutler, J.Goffman, Maxfield Parrish: A Retrospective, San Francisco, California, 1995, p. 18)
Parrish's approach to his compositions derived from his early training as an architect as well as his interest in the principles of Jay Hambidge's "Dynamic Symmetry"--a theory based on a rediscovery of ancient Roman and Greek formulas to create harmonic proportions in architecture and art. Parrish wrote of his thoughtful compositions, "I lay each painting out on the basis of 'dynamic symmetry' or the mathematical proportion which the ancient Greeks and Egyptians found appealing to the eye. Thus by using 'dynamic rectangles' and 'whirling squares'...I design the dimensions of my pictures and block them off, placing the horizon in just the right place..." (as quoted in Maxfield Parrish: A Retrospective, p. 2)
Once the structure of the composition was laid out, Parrish would take photographs of his costumed models. Instead of spending hours drawing from the actual model, he worked from these photographs. He often used clever methods of reproducing grand components in his studio and for Puss-in-Boots, he built a model of the mountain village in his workshop so that he could study it and experiment with various light sources. He created the effect of natural light and shadows through artificial methods, shining lamps on models and props. Once Parrish determined exactly how he wanted to lay out his painting he would outline the composition using either a photo projection or cut-outs applied to the surface. He usually completed the landscape first and then used a stencil of the silhouette to impose the figure on top. This exacting method allowed Parrish to experiment with a variety of elements, establish a definitive layout for his composition and remove the chance of error and natural variance. This control let him focus on color rather than composition when he began to paint.
Central to the success and timeless appeal of Puss-in-Boots is Parrish's meticulous and time-consuming process of painting with glazes. Influenced by the Old Master painters, this was a slow, meticulous process that resulted in magnificent luminosity and intensity of color. Parrish began with a white base which served to light the canvas from the first layer up through the last. Then, using a stipple brush, he applied paint directly from the tube as he felt strongly about the purity of color and the resulting effect it made on the picture as a whole. The artist expressed his aims concerning color, "Probably that which has a greater hold on me than any other quality is color. I feel it is a language but little understood; much less so than it used to be. To be a great colorist that is my modest ambition. I hope someday to express the child's attitude towards nature and things; for that is the purest and most unconscious." (as quoted in Maxfield Parrish Papers, Hanover, New Hampshire) Parrish subsequently layered pure pigment and varnish over and over to achieve a heightened vibrancy of colors resulting in a smooth, rich luminosity. Puss-in-Boots's enamel-like surface and richly saturated hues are trademarks of Parrish's work.
Parrish's glazing technique accounts for not only the bold colors of Puss-in-Boots, but also the soft, variegated light that bathes the majestic background and imbues the work with a sense of wonder. Here he magically captures both the gentle and dramatic effects of light on the figures and landscape as the hazy atmosphere cloaks the mountains farthest in the background, while those in the front are in sharp focus, vibrantly colored and dappled with purple shadows. The contrast between the partially shadowed figures, rendered with soft, curvilinear forms, and the more rectilinear architectural elements and craggy terrain adds complexity to the composition as well as visual appeal.
Puss-in-Boots splendidly demonstrates Parrish's ability to blend Pre-Raphaelite sentiment, Old Master technique and a commercial sensitivity into a beautiful and enduring painting. It is a portal into a fantastical world which demonstrates all the tenets of the artist's best work, and is a testament to the statement that "Maxfield Parrish's magazine art was, among all else, unmistakably American. He loved doing it and the public loved seeing it. Magazines were an outlet made in heaven for his talent and his business acumen." (Maxfield Parrish: A Retrospective, p. 7)
CAPTIONS:
Parrish in the machine shop, ca. 1920s. Photo courtesy of the archives of Alma Gilbert-Smith.
Castle model. Photo courtesy of the archives of Alma Gilbert-Smith.