Early French Block Painting on Fabric
Date1947
Artist
John F. Clymer
(American painter, illustrator, 1907-1989)
Illustration CitationCommissioned by American Cyanamid Company in 1947 for a series of paintings called Dyelines.
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions24 1/2 × 37 1/2 in. (62.2 × 95.3 cm)
frame: 30 1/2 × 43 1/4 in. (77.5 × 109.9 cm)
frame: 30 1/2 × 43 1/4 in. (77.5 × 109.9 cm)
Credit LineGift of the American Cyanamid Co., 1985
Object number1985-103
On View
Not on viewClassificationsPAINTING
Label TextA manufacturer of various products including synthetic textiles, American Cyanamid Company commissioned John Clymer to create a painting for their series Dyelines, illustrating the history of printing and dyeing techniques throughout the world. This scene depicts a French artisan and his apprentice using woodblocks in the production of textiles, linking traditional crafts with Cyanamid's modern products. The illustration was accompanied by a text explaining the methods and tools evident in the painting.A native of Washington, Clymer received his early art training at the Vancouver School of Decorative Arts and the Ontario College of Art. He then attended the Wilmington Academy of Art, where he studied with Pyle student Frank Schoonover, and the Grand Central School of Art in New York, where he joined the classes of Harvey Dunn, another Pyle student. He settled in the art colony of Westport, Connecticut.
In 1944-45 he produced illustrations for US Marine publications. Between 1941 and 1969, Clymer created 80 covers for The Saturday Evening Post, and numerous illustrations for other leading periodicals. Besides his work for American Cyanamid, he produced advertising for Chrysler and the Pennsylvania Railroad, and illustrations for pulp novels
until he retired from the field in 1964.
Arthur Ignatius Keller
1924
