Charles Wysocki (1928 - 2002)

Peaches in a Pot, c. 1970s/80s, oil on canvas, signed lower right, 16 x 20 inches, artist's label verso reads: "Peaches in a Pot / Charles Wysocki / P. O. Box 441 / Cedar Glen, Calif. 92321 / Phone (714) 337-4211", presented in its original frame

$6250

Peaches in a Pot is an excellent example of Charles Wysocki's nostalgic Americana. Wysocki developed a highly recognizable style influenced by American folk art, primitive painting, nineteenth-century genre scenes, and twentieth-century commercial art and design. His landscapes featured weathered clapboard homes, church steeples, sailing ships, covered bridges, bustling village streets, and rolling farmland, while his still lifes, like Peaches in a Pot, often depicted the American flag, native fruits and flowers, historic domestic objects, such as hand-forged copper pans, rural crockery, and whirligigs, and unapologetic patriotic references, all rendered with remarkable precision and warmth. Although decidedly historic in subject matter, Wysocki's compositions and flat-patterned techniques evoked the same type of "modernity" that appealed to avant-garde artists and curators during the 1930s and 1940s, when many untrained artists were featured at the Museum of Modern Art and other significant institutions. Modern technology itself was largely absent from Wysocki's work, however, allowing viewers to imagine an America defined by the traditional past.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Wysocki was a first generation Polish American. He reflected on his early years in Detroit as "tough times" and noted, "I didn't have a perfect childhood. Nobody does because it's not a perfect world. I did have a wonderful childhood because I made it a wonderful world." Growing up in a largely immigrant community, Wysocki recalled images of his neighbors celebrating and honoring traditions of their newly adopted country. He demonstrated artistic talent from an early age, but Wysocki's father wanted Charles to become a mathematician. After graduating from Technical High School in 1946, Wysocki enlisted in the Army and worked as a sign painter. In 1954 taking advantage of the GI Bill, he enrolled in The Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles (now the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena), where he received professional training in illustration and commercial art. After commencement, he established a successful career as a commercial illustrator in his hometown, creating advertising art for major corporate clients. Although financially successful, he found commercial work creatively limiting and, in the 1960s, turned his attention to fine art, pursuing subjects that reflected his lifelong fascination with American history and architecture. His early shows were successful and within the first several months of initiating his fine art practice, he sold over forty paintings.

Starting in the early 1970s and continuing until his death, Wysocki produced extraordinarily popular calendars featuring his highly personal take on the American Scene and updated view of genre painting. The Bicentennial celebrations beginning in 1976 further enhanced Wysocki's recognition and standing. He contributed his painting, The White House Fourth of July Picnic, to the presidential art collection in 1983 during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. In 1987, he was awarded the Medal of Honor from The Daughters of the American Revolution for artwork that "exemplifies our heritage and for the values that have made our country strong." The Richard Nixon Library's exhibit of Wysocki's work in 1991 drew thousands of visitors. Included in this display was his commissioned piece, "The Young Nixons, and his open edition print, Home Sweet Home. US Art named Charles Wysocki one of the ten most influential artists since he first entered the print market in 1979 (March, 1999). US Art also named him, Master Artist, (January, 1999) and was placed amongst America's Top 25 Best-Selling Artists by Decor, June, 2002. His continued mainstream appeal places Wysocki together with the likes of Bob Ross as one of the late 20th century's most popular and recognizable American artists.