A note to family members: Please write with additions and corrections. Thank you!
Wylie Warren Curry was born in 1889, and Noble Wilbur Curry in 1894. I know little of their childhoods other than they were born in Delta, Ohio (Wylie) and Findlay, Ohio (Noble), and both later attended respected art colleges. Wylie enrolled at the Cleveland School of Art, founded in 1882. The Cleveland School of Art was renamed the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1948.
Evidently Wylie participated in theatrical activities at art school. This is the only photo I have of him from those years. Student artwork (presumably) is behind the thespians.
Noble was granted a scholarship to attend the Columbus Art School, founded in 1879, one of the oldest operating art schools in the nation. Noble attended here following his service in the Army. The college was later renamed the Columbus College of Art and Design.
Noble also studied at The Art Students League® of New York, where atelier classes still offer artists advanced training. More on his work at this institution can be found in a later post.
On the right is a detail of a self-portrait (an etching) by Noble, completed in the 1920's.
The education of artists in the early 20th century would have been demanding. Students were expected to study anatomy of both the human being and animals of all kinds. As will be evident as I post more artwork by both brothers, Wylie and Noble both had excellent drawing skills. Those were considered essential at that time, so rigorous curricula in drawing and drafting were required.
Wylie's Tierformen Atlas* was a pictorial anatomy textbook for artists that he kept from his art school days. (Scroll down to see the images.) In 1977, my father had the book rebound before giving it to me. Published in 1899 in Dresden, Germany, the book is filled with highly detailed and notated lithographed images. I have looked through the book to find any marks that my grandfather would have made, and on the page with the human skeleton, he has marked proportional numbers to the right of the skeleton. On the same page is the mark where a drop of coffee must have landed. Other than these marks, the book is immaculate. The cover shows the signs of many years of use, however. (Click on images to enlarge.) Early in the careers of both men, correct rendering was important in their work. As they worked as artists after college, Noble's direction gradually went toward abstract painting and printmaking. Wylie's never did, even in his expressive personal artwork. In my next post, I'll contrast the work the two brothers were doing, and the very different lives they were living, during the years 1918 and 1919.
*From Wikipedia's translation: Schaefer, Maximilian: Comparative studies on the anatomy of humans and animals for artists, artisans and amateurs. Animal forms text and atlas. 2 Bde. Dresden, Kühtmann, (1899). 2 vols Dresden, Kühtmann, (1899). (The book is written entirely in German.)
The war sketchbooks are most fascinating--it must have been so harrowing to be in the line of fire and capturing the war in all its grim details. The charcoal and pen and ink work well for the hellish scenes depicted.
Posted by: Molly Hashimoto | 07/05/2011 at 09:31 AM