Fantasies and Fairy-Tales:  
Maxfield Parrish and the Art of the Print

The artist and illustrator Maxfield Parrish was a household name during his long and productive lifetime. He was born in 1870 in Philadelphia and died in 1966 in Plainfield, New Hampshire, at “The Oaks,” the home he built and lived in for most of his life. In 1891, Parrish began a course of study at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He studied briefly with Howard Pyle at Drexel Institute and then launched a career illustrating books and magazines.

Daybreak, 1922 Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966) Lithograph, 17 3/4 x 29 1/2 inches

Parrish’s career coincided with advances in color printing technology. By the 1930s, Parrish realized he could free himself from the restrictions of advertising and magazine work and rely solely on color reproductions of his art. By 1925, it was estimated that one out of every four American households had a Parrish print.

Fantasies and Fairy-Tales is the first traveling exhibition of Parrish’s color prints, which were made from his original paintings. Included are reproductions of commissions for book illustrations, magazine covers, and advertisements. The works reveal Parrish’s sense of humor and his eye for graphic design. The subject of this exhibition is the phenomenon of the simultaneous merging of advances in print technology with Parrish’s singular genius for capturing the imagination of the American public.

Ecstasy, 1930 Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966) Calendar, 38 3/4 x 18 inches	The Lantern Bearers, 1910 Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966) Lithograph, 11 1/2 x 8 3/4 inches

Fantasies and Fairy-Tales: Maxfield Parrish and the Art of the Print was organized by the Trust for Museum Exhibitions, Washington, D.C.

In Delaware, this exhibition is made possible, in part, by grants from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

Many of our Museum visitors have shared stories about their own Maxfield Parrish prints as well as fond memories of Parrish’s work.  Please share your thoughts and stories on our blog.  

http://parrishprints.blogspot.com/