My grandfather, Wylie Warren Curry, was the father of three children. His firstborn, Jean, was a happy child if all the photos of her in childhood reflect her true nature. I never met Jean, as she succumbed to a liver infection one month short of her 13th birthday, in 1927. It is through the old family photos that I know her, and through the portrait of her painted by Wylie shortly before her death. We in the family assume that he painted this from life, with Jean dressed as a gypsy and sitting as a model for her father.
Above is a photo most likely taken by my grandmother while the family played on the shore of Lake Erie. Wylie, appearing very serious as usual, has squatted down to be at the same level as his children (left to right) David, Charles (my father), and the gleeful Jean.
On the back of the photo to the left, my grandmother wrote: The last snapshot I have of Jean. At the age of 12, Jean was hospitalized for an extended period, and never returned to her home in Lakewood.
Below, the portrait of Jean as a gypsy reveals her to be a poised young lady in good health and with a sweet demeanor. It is a lovely tribute to the aunt I never met. Below the portrait are more notes.
This painting is in oil, and measures 18"x24". It is not dated, but there is an exhibit entry form taped to the back, showing that my grandfather did participate in juried exhibits. This painting in particular shows Wylie's strength as a painter: he applied bold, glowing color with confident brushstrokes. A beautifully balanced composition allows the viewer's eye to travel around the canvas, taking it all in.
I know little about my grandfather's personal art practices outside of the basement painting studio he kept after his retirement. It was common for him to dress himself up in costume and paint self-portraits: he would wrap his head and become a sheik, or donn a hat unlike his usual fedora and paint himself with somewhat sinister expressions. Preferring to paint faces with character, he also painted several portraits of Abraham Lincoln.
Several family members have been interested in reproductions of this portrait of Jean. Therefore, I had the painting photographed and digitized and have had beautiful giclée prints made from the photograph. If you would be interested in ordering one, please contact me by clicking on "email me" at the top of the right hand column.
