Unforgettable, iconic paintings and drawings illustrating the romance and daring stories of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and other tales of quests and chivalry were featured in this exhibition.
These legends were immensely popular in the late 19th century, and artists of America’s Golden Age of Illustration (1880-1930) took up brush and pen to create art as dramatic as the stories. This exhibitioni ncluded a selection of Howard Pyle’s intricate, compelling pen drawings depicting Arthurian legends, and N.C. Wyeth’s gorgeously colored, romantic paintings for illustrated editions of The Boy’s King Arthur and The White Company. Work by Walter Crane, Elizabeth Shippen Green, Maxfield Parrish, Louis Rhead, Frank Schoonover and others was also on view. Over 35 works of art were drawn from private collections and from the rich holdings of the Brandywine River Museum of Art. The exhibition also included a model medieval castle owned by Andrew Wyeth. Made for him in 1927 by his brother Nathaniel and painted by their father N.C. Wyeth, the castle reminds us that such tales did indeed spark imaginations. The exhibition was supported by the Davenport Family Foundation Fund for Exhibitions.