It was such a pleasure to grow up when book and magazine illustrations were so beautifully detailed. One of the best and best known of all the illustrators was Maxfield Parrish (1870-1996) We young un's and many adults looked forward to his works. He created a world as we'd like to believe is possible.
It's interesting to note that he was a very popular artist working in illustration detail in a time when the Impressionist evolution was running parallel. Yet, his painting titled "Daybreak," is considered the most successful art print of the 20th Century and is still in print. (An interesting fact about this piece is that Parrish's prints have outsold Warhol's "Campbell Soup Cans" and even Da Vinci's "Last Supper!")
As an illustrator, Parrish designed for the business world, too. Some of his notable clients were: Colgate, Edison and General Electric. His income from all of these successful illustrations gave him the opportunity and reputation to move away from illustration and onto painting, which he continued to do in his 90s.
His inspiration reaches into today's art in such as: Elton John's album, "Caribou," Enya's "The Memory of Trees," and Moody Blues' "Present."
Below are samples of Parrish's beautiful outdoor scenes.
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