The Fair by Edith Wood (1885-1967), oil on canvas board, 11 3/4″ x 16″, signed lower.
“The Fair” strays from Wood’s typical still-life subject and instead depicts a dynamic, bustling street scene. The style of such, however, is consistent with Wood’s expressive brush strokes and striking colors. As opposed to providing a modern subversion of still-life portrayals, her eccentric style accurately and effectively communicates the joyous tumult of the event. Rare in its content, “The Fair” is a prime example of Wood’s daring and genre-breaking artistic endeavors.
Medium: Oil on canvas board
Born in Pennsylvania in 1885, Edith Wood was eccentric both in her personality and in her artistic endeavors. From an early age, Wood was involved in the Pennsylvanian art scene, attending Brynn Mawr college and enrolling in the Pennsylvanian Academy of Fine Arts. Her career and personal life were wholly pleasant, surrounded by familial and professional encouragement. Gaining reverence for her expressive still lifes, Wood became a member of the growing Philadelphia Ten, joining other Philadelphian women in their goal of advancing past the view of female artists as mere hobbyists and rather as respected craftsmen. Though living intermittently in California with her husband William and often visiting Paris with groups of fellow artists, Wood is remembered as a pillar of the Pennsylvanian art community and a powerful advocate for gender equality in the field.
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