John Ford Clymer (American, 1907-1989). Putting Up Birdhouses, The Saturday Evening Post cover, June 9, 1951. Oil on can...

Description

John Ford Clymer (American, 1907-1989)
Putting Up Birdhouses, The Saturday Evening Post cover, June 9, 1951
Oil on canvas
34 x 27 inches (86.4 x 68.6 cm)
Signed lower left: John Clymer

PROVENANCE:
The artist;
Curtis Circulation Company;
Sam Sherr, acquired from the above, May 3, 1954;
Private collection, Grove, Oklahoma.

John Clymer's profound ability to encapsulate the western landscape into scenes depicting the essence of childhood is unequivocal, and his contributions to The Saturday Evening Post transcend mere artistic achievement; they represent a vital chapter in the story of American visual culture. Through his detailed and emotionally resonant illustrations, Clymer captured the nuances of American identity, portraying both its grandeur and its simplicity. His work serves as a visual documentation of the American experience, offering insights into the cultural and social dynamics of the period.

Clymer's remarkable skill and artistic eye are on full display in his 1951 cover for The Saturday Evening Post, Putting Up Birdhouses. This work, radiant with the glow of a setting sun, captures a tranquil moment in rural America, blending the vastness of the western terrain with the innocence of youth.

The canvas is a meticulous orchestration of earthy tones and warm light, quintessential to the western palette, which Clymer employs to craft a narrative that is as much about place as it is about the characters within it. The setting sun bathes the scene in a golden hue, illuminating the faces of a father and son engaged in a simple yet profound act: the raising of a birdhouse. This undertaking, while mundane in its essence, is emblematic of Clymer's capacity to elevate the everyday into the realm of the idyllic. It is through such imagery that Clymer forges an indelible connection between the viewers and the universal nostalgia for a childhood spent amidst nature's grandeur.

Clymer's landscape is not merely a backdrop; it is an active participant in the scene, its rolling hills and expansive skies as vital as the figures themselves. The log cabin, fence, and scattered antlers speak to a life closely knit with the land, a hallmark of the western experience. The distant horses, embodying freedom and the spirit of the frontier, further entrench the setting in its regional identity. The addition of the family of horses, their forms echoing the undulating landscape, serves as a parallel to the father and son, reinforcing the narrative of legacy and the continuation of a pastoral way of life. The boy's earnest attempt at carpentry, complete with the humor of his miscalculated hammer strokes and the bent nail, captures a tender moment of learning, an endearing tableau of childhood's trials and errors.

Moreover, the authenticity of Clymer's work stems from his dedication to detail and his personal connection to the landscapes he painted. His depictions are not imagined idylls but reflections of the real West, informed by his extensive travels and observations. The figures in the painting, caught in a moment of familial camaraderie and learning, are as much a part of the land as the mountains that preside silently in the background. The young boy, hammer in hand, represents the passing down of tradition, a motif as enduring as the mountains themselves.

Putting Up Birdhouses offers a poignant meditation on the interplay between humanity and environment, a celebration of the western spirit through the lens of childhood's simplicity. Clymer's work reminds us that the essence of the American West is not found in the grandiose or the dramatic, but in the quiet moments of connection between its people and the landscape. It is in this unique blend of the scenic and the sentimental that Clymer's artistry truly shines, marking him as a master of his genre.

Through paintings such as this, Clymer has crafted a visual legacy that endures as a testament to the significance of the western landscape in American cultural heritage. His unparalleled ability to intertwine the majesty of the West with the charm of childhood not only captures the imagination but also invokes a deep-seated reverence for the natural world and the human experiences within it.


More information about John Ford Clymer. See also: Clymer, John Ford, John F. Clymer Artist.



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