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Description
Offered here is a pair of original paintings by American artist Willard Page, circa 1950s. Paintings are oil on board and each measures 5 x 7 inches. Overall framed size of each is 6 x 8 inches. Paintings are each signed in lower corners.
Paintings are in excellent condition and include original wood frames.
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Willard Page (1885-1958)
Originally from northeastern Kansas, Willard Page and his wife, Ethel Eylar, visited a friend in Boulder and fell in love with the mountains. They moved there to Colorado and joined the Chautauqua circuit, touring the Midwest, performing dramatic readings and music. Page also made pastel drawings and gave "chalk talks", lectures during which he made sketches illustrating his topic of discussion. With the advent of radio, such traveling shows fell out of favor. Concurrently, Ethel became increasingly debilitated with severe arthritis, and Page had to develop new sources of income.
It was at this crucial point that Page began painting small landscapes that grew into his characteristic work. The intimate paintings capturing majestic views of the Rockies were popular with tourists as souvenirs that depicted the dramatic scenery and were easy to carry home. As Ethel's health declined further, the couple searched for a warmer, more suitable climate. In their makeshift RV, they wandered through New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona, camping and painting. They spent time in Prescott and Tucson in the early 1930's through the 1940's. Favorite Arizona scenes included adobe buildings and villages, desert landscapes with native flora and the Catalina and Superstition Mountains.
Source: Eric Firestone Gallery
