Showcasing a treasured private collection amassed over several decades, this publication represents the beauty and complexity of still-life painting in the United States. More than 65 works from the Hevrdejs collection, many of which have never been on public view, are accompanied by comprehensive and accessible explanations that contextualize their role in the ongoing development of the genre. Featuring works by prominent and diverse artists such as Raphaelle Peale, Thomas Hart Benton, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Andrew Wyeth, this study expands the overall notion of the still life by examining its use in a variety of painting styles from the 19th century to the present day. With color illustrations and an essay and entries by a distinguished scholar, this book demonstrates why the genre has been a compelling preoccupation for American artists over two centuries. Distributed for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Exhibition Schedule: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (01/14/17-04/09/17) Memphis Brooks Museum of Art (04/20/17-07/30/17) Tacoma Museum of Art (October 2017-January 2018)

Tales from the Easel features seventy full-color reproductions that convey the expressive, allusive powers of narrative painting. Though they range widely in subject and setting, all of the paintings gathered here are rendered in a representational, or realistic, style. Carrying moral, social, or patriotic messages, the paintings are meant to teach, enlighten, or inspire. Then again, the paintings can also tweak the very conventions that define them, with results that range from the delightfully idiosyncratic to the visionary. Thomas Hart Benton, Winslow Homer, Andrew Wyeth, and Jacob Lawrence are just some of the household names whose work appears in Tales from the Easel. Others, like Elihu Vedder and Lilly Martin Spencer, are less well known, but still vital to the development of narrative painting. While some of the artists, including George Caleb Bingham and Paul Cadmus, were classically trained, self-taught painters such as Carlos "Shiney" Moon and Thomas Waterman Wood are also represented. American rivers, cities, and battlefields are among the native surroundings shown in many of the paintings. However, artists also looked elsewhere for settings--to Europe, the Holy Land, or even some imagined realm. Charles C. Eldredge's essay discusses the rich and varied sources of American narrative painting--from literature and history to childhood and domestic life--and an essay by William Underwood Eiland provides a discussion of the southern tale-telling tradition. Artist biographies by Reed Anderson and Stephanie J. Fox appear opposite the paintings, adding further context. Tales from the Easel, a companion volume to the national touring exhibit of the same name is a stunning reminder of a tradition in American painting that has endured across two centuries and numerous art movements.

Collection of three volumes. Vol 1 : New England, New York, Mid-Atlantic. Vol 2 : The South, Near Midwest. Vol 3 : The Far Midwest, Rocky Mountain West, Southwest, Pacific.