Inside Iowa State

Nov. 18, 2005

Abraham Lincoln, Lewis and Clark and John Paul Jones

Wyeth exhibit runs through December

Newell Convers Wyeth (1882-1945) was a participant in the golden years of American illustration, a period of excellence in magazine and book illustration that lasted from the 1870s through the first decades of the 20th century.

Wyeth's first illustration was published by The Saturday Evening Post on Feb. 21, 1903. He created nearly 4,000 works in his lifetime.

Best known for his illustrations of adventure classics, his work also appeared in Harper's, Scribner's, Collier's, Century, Outing, and the Ladies Home Journal. He also painted historical and allegorical murals in the Boston Public Library; Missouri State Capital; National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.; and numerous commercial office buildings.

The paintings in the current exhibit at the Brunnier Art Museum were done in 1939, for a 1940 promotional calendar issued by John Morrell & Co., Ottumwa. Wyeth painted all 12 illustrations with egg tempura on gesso-coated panels. Each painting measures 27 by 25 inches. The series, "America in the Making," was donated to Iowa State in 1940 by John Morrell & Co.