Maxfield Parrish: America's Highest-Paid Commercial Artist and His Enduring Legacy
Frederick Parrish, known as Maxfield Parrish, emerged as the highest-earning commercial artist in the United States by the 1920s. His artistic journey was shaped by his father, painter Stephen Parrish. He pursued studies in architecture at Haverford College and in art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and Drexel Institute. In 1895, he wed Lydia Ambler Austin, and their youngest daughter, Jean, became an artist. Following his wife's departure in 1911, he resided with nanny Susan Lewin until 1960. A tuberculosis diagnosis in 1900 prompted him to create his distinctive glazing technique. He passed away at 95 in New Hampshire. His painting Daybreak fetched $7.6 million in 2006, and he received a commemorative stamp in 2001. Major museums house his works.
Key facts
- Maxfield Parrish became the highest-paid commercial artist in the United States by the 1920s
- He was born Frederick Parrish in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and later adopted his paternal grandmother's maiden name
- His father, Stephen Parrish, was a painter and etcher who greatly influenced him
- Parrish contracted tuberculosis in 1900, followed by a nervous breakdown, marking a turning point in his glazing technique
- He married Lydia Ambler Austin in 1895; they had four children, only his youngest, Jean, pursued art
- His painting Daybreak sold for $7.6 million in 2006 and influenced pop culture including a Michael Jackson music video
- In 2001, the US Post Office featured Parrish in a commemorative stamp series honoring American illustrators
- Parrish died in New Hampshire at age 95 after developing severe arthritis
Entities
Artists
- Maxfield Parrish
- Thomas Eakins
- Norman Rockwell
- Stephen Parrish
- Lydia Ambler Austin
- Jean Parrish
- Susan Lewin
- Michael Jackson
Institutions
- Haverford School
- Haverford College
- Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
- Drexel Institute of Art, Science & Industry
- National Museum of American Illustration
- Hood Museum of Art
- Cornish Colony Museum
- High Museum of Art
- Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Minneapolis Institute of Arts
- Brown & Bigelow Publishing Company
- Clarence A. Crane
- Harper's Bazaar
- Life
- General Electric
- US Post Office
- Christie's
- Sotheby's
- Library of Congress
- Moody Blues
Locations
- Philadelphia
- Pennsylvania
- United States
- Arizona
- New Hampshire
- Newport
- Rhode Island
- Hanover
- Windsor
- Vermont
- Atlanta
- Georgia
- Cleveland
- Ohio
- New York
- Minneapolis
- Minnesota
- Europe