Wayman Elbridge Adams (Am. 1883-1959) pair of large scale portraits of James Stewart McClelland and his wife Martha Jane (Pinkerton) McClelland. James was born November 14, 1850 in New Alexandria, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania; Martha was born in 1854. Each frame size: 51 1/2" high, 44 /12" wide. Frame losses, canvas rub.
Beautiful oil on board painting by listed New York/Texas artist Wayman Elbridge Adams (1883-1959). The painting features two women standing in a doorway. Signed in lower right. Sight measures 11-1/4" across by 14-3/4" tall.Framed measures 16-1/4" across by 19-1/2" tall.
Beautiful oil on board painting by listed New York/Texas artist Wayman Elbridge Adams (1883-1959). The painting features a mother holding her child. Unsigned, name written on verso of frame. Sight measures approx 6-1/4" across by6-3/4" tall. Framed measures 11-1/4" across by 11-7/8" tall.
Wayman E. Adams (American, 1883-1959) Portrait of Mrs. Albert E. Metzger, 1915 oil on canvas signed Wayman Adams and dated (lower left) 38 1/4 x 32 inches. Sold to Benefit the Acquisition Fund of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Wayman Elbridge Adams (1883-1959) 7" x 6" oil on board, Mother and Child, signed lower left. Recently conserved. The following biography is from the fineestateart.com website: Wayman Adams was born in Muncie, Indiana on Sept. 23, 1883 on a small stock-raising farm near Albany. He was a son to father, Nelson Perry Adams, and mother, Mary Elizabeth Justice Adams. As a child, his father traveled and would bring back impressive draft animals such as Clydesdales or Percherons. Wayman’s father, Nelson, an amateur artist enjoyed painting these beautiful animals while teaching his son to do so as well. Adams had no formal education past grade school, until later in his young adult life. While he originally wanted to go to art school, financing it became an issue and so, he instead began to work in the dairy lunch-room downtown. He worked there full time and eventually became manager. Later, he then moved to Louisville to take charge of a new lunch-room there and temporarily gave up painting altogether to focus on work. After working for some time there in Kentucky, he moved again, this time to Philadelphia. However, he quickly came back to Indianapolis in 1904 at the age of 21. Finally, he was able to enroll in school and went to John Herron Art Institute where he studied under William Forsyth while also working full time night shifts. Following that time, he did some traveling that would influence some of his choices in later subject matter. In 1910, he traveled to Florence, Italy with William Chase. In 1912, to Madrid with Robert Henri. It was while in Italy that he met a fellow art student from Texas, Margaret Graham Borroughs, whom he later married in 1918. Together, they had a son named Wayman Jr., who was said to be one of his father’s most favorite models. Additional scenes that he painted were a result of travels to New Orleans, San Francisco, and New York. In 1914, Adams painted a series of portraits for the city hospital. He was to paint children whose families had been in the United States for generations and also children of immigrants to represent the various nationalities of which the city of Indianapolis was composed. It was considered to be one of the most ambitious public art projects in Indiana’s history. Originally, 24 portraits were to be done and while some are now missing, they were all initially installed in the pediatric ward of the hospital. For the portraits, he painted boys and girls of Hungarian, Romanian, Greek, Irish, Italian, German, French, and Croatian heritage, along with Jewish and African American children. His career would soon branch out to New York. After painting a portrait for author Booth Tarkington, the subject urged him to go to the city. Once in New York, he studied at the Grand Central Art School. Adams became known as one of the most highly respected and sought after portrait artists in the United States and has been deemed by some to be the best artist of Indiana’s Golden Age of Art. He held a Quaker philosophy and was said to be very mild, quiet, and modest in his manner. Further, he was most interested in capturing the humanity of individuals with vitality in his portraits. Notably astonishing was his ability to paint quickly, usually finishing portraits in just one to two days. His work also includes still life paintings, water colors, and landscapes. Although he preferred painting, he also worked as a sculptor, etcher, and lithographer. For some time, he had a second studio on W. 57th Street in New York, where he spent part of each year. In the 1920s, Adams bought a farm in that same state, outside of the city, where he later established The Old Mill School. The artist was also a very respected teacher who taught at the Grand Central Art School, John Herron Art Institute, and in Taxco, Mexico. Also while in New York, he taught 10+ summer portrait classes in his main studio in Elizabethtown. He was successful with such an endeavor by charging tuition and allowing participants to receive educational credit for taking his courses. Finally, while in the big city, a film was made about him which captured Adams painting his portrait of prominent New York family member Frederick Van Wyck. The artist was commissioned to paint portraits for a multitude of very important individuals. He painted celebrities, U.S. Presidents, noted musicians, authors, painters, scientists, and public society figures. Some of the more prominent figures included: President Harding; President Coolidge; President Hoover; poet James Whitcomb Riley; actor Otis Skinner; golfer Bobby Jones; Indiana governor and vice president Thomas Marshall; L.A. Pittenger; members of the Ball family; and Indiana artist John E. Bundy. Many would agree that his best known work is The Art Jury, a group portrait of the four remaining members of the Hoosier Group-T.C. Steele, Otto Stark, J. Ottis Adams, and William Forsyth. His many exhibitions include paintings displayed at: the Foreigner’s House; the Southside Jewish Federation; the Southside Turners’ Hall; Germania Park; the Colored Young Men’s Christian Association; Silverburg Drug Store; Hotel Bartlett (his very 1st painting); the Chicago Art Institute; and the National Academy of Design New York (Fine Arts Building). He showed promise at a very early age, winning first prize at the Indiana State Fair at age 12. Also, he was selected to paint a portrait of Jennie Creek of Milgrove at age 16, to be presented in France. Finally (and much later in his career), he was the first painter ever to receive the high honor Gold Metal for Merit of the Holland Society of New York. You can see the bio on our site https://fineestateart.com/artists/wayman_e_adams
Wayman Elbridge Adams (1883-1959) 15" x 12" oil on board, Women in the Doorway, signed upper left. Recently conserved. The following biography is from the fineestateart.com website: Wayman Adams was born in Muncie, Indiana on Sept. 23, 1883 on a small stock-raising farm near Albany. He was a son to father, Nelson Perry Adams, and mother, Mary Elizabeth Justice Adams. As a child, his father traveled and would bring back impressive draft animals such as Clydesdales or Percherons. Wayman’s father, Nelson, an amateur artist enjoyed painting these beautiful animals while teaching his son to do so as well. Adams had no formal education past grade school, until later in his young adult life. While he originally wanted to go to art school, financing it became an issue and so, he instead began to work in the dairy lunch-room downtown. He worked there full time and eventually became manager. Later, he then moved to Louisville to take charge of a new lunch-room there and temporarily gave up painting altogether to focus on work. After working for some time there in Kentucky, he moved again, this time to Philadelphia. However, he quickly came back to Indianapolis in 1904 at the age of 21. Finally, he was able to enroll in school and went to John Herron Art Institute where he studied under William Forsyth while also working full time night shifts. Following that time, he did some traveling that would influence some of his choices in later subject matter. In 1910, he traveled to Florence, Italy with William Chase. In 1912, to Madrid with Robert Henri. It was while in Italy that he met a fellow art student from Texas, Margaret Graham Borroughs, whom he later married in 1918. Together, they had a son named Wayman Jr., who was said to be one of his father’s most favorite models. Additional scenes that he painted were a result of travels to New Orleans, San Francisco, and New York. In 1914, Adams painted a series of portraits for the city hospital. He was to paint children whose families had been in the United States for generations and also children of immigrants to represent the various nationalities of which the city of Indianapolis was composed. It was considered to be one of the most ambitious public art projects in Indiana’s history. Originally, 24 portraits were to be done and while some are now missing, they were all initially installed in the pediatric ward of the hospital. For the portraits, he painted boys and girls of Hungarian, Romanian, Greek, Irish, Italian, German, French, and Croatian heritage, along with Jewish and African American children. His career would soon branch out to New York. After painting a portrait for author Booth Tarkington, the subject urged him to go to the city. Once in New York, he studied at the Grand Central Art School. Adams became known as one of the most highly respected and sought after portrait artists in the United States and has been deemed by some to be the best artist of Indiana’s Golden Age of Art. He held a Quaker philosophy and was said to be very mild, quiet, and modest in his manner. Further, he was most interested in capturing the humanity of individuals with vitality in his portraits. Notably astonishing was his ability to paint quickly, usually finishing portraits in just one to two days. His work also includes still life paintings, water colors, and landscapes. Although he preferred painting, he also worked as a sculptor, etcher, and lithographer. For some time, he had a second studio on W. 57th Street in New York, where he spent part of each year. In the 1920s, Adams bought a farm in that same state, outside of the city, where he later established The Old Mill School. The artist was also a very respected teacher who taught at the Grand Central Art School, John Herron Art Institute, and in Taxco, Mexico. Also while in New York, he taught 10+ summer portrait classes in his main studio in Elizabethtown. He was successful with such an endeavor by charging tuition and allowing participants to receive educational credit for taking his courses. Finally, while in the big city, a film was made about him which captured Adams painting his portrait of prominent New York family member Frederick Van Wyck. The artist was commissioned to paint portraits for a multitude of very important individuals. He painted celebrities, U.S. Presidents, noted musicians, authors, painters, scientists, and public society figures. Some of the more prominent figures included: President Harding; President Coolidge; President Hoover; poet James Whitcomb Riley; actor Otis Skinner; golfer Bobby Jones; Indiana governor and vice president Thomas Marshall; L.A. Pittenger; members of the Ball family; and Indiana artist John E. Bundy. Many would agree that his best known work is The Art Jury, a group portrait of the four remaining members of the Hoosier Group-T.C. Steele, Otto Stark, J. Ottis Adams, and William Forsyth. His many exhibitions include paintings displayed at: the Foreigner’s House; the Southside Jewish Federation; the Southside Turners’ Hall; Germania Park; the Colored Young Men’s Christian Association; Silverburg Drug Store; Hotel Bartlett (his very 1st painting); the Chicago Art Institute; and the National Academy of Design New York (Fine Arts Building). He showed promise at a very early age, winning first prize at the Indiana State Fair at age 12. Also, he was selected to paint a portrait of Jennie Creek of Milgrove at age 16, to be presented in France. Finally (and much later in his career), he was the first painter ever to receive the high honor Gold Metal for Merit of the Holland Society of New York. You can see the bio on our site https://fineestateart.com/artists/wayman_e_adams
Wayman Elbridge Adams (American/Louisiana, 1883-1959) "Still Life with Pumpkin" oil on canvas unsigned, several labels with artist and title en verso. Framed. 25" x 31", framed 31" x 36-1/2"
ARTIST: Wayman Elbridge Adams (New York, Texas, 1883 - 1959) NAME: The American Lady MEDIUM: oil on canvas CONDITION: One patch. One hole by lower left corner. Few minor paint losses. Some craquelure. Minor scattered inpainting mostly in upper right corner. Wear to frame. SIGHT SIZE: 52 x 36 inches / 132 x 91 cm FRAME SIZE: 57 x 41 inches / 144 x 104 cm SIGNATURE: lower left CATEGORY: antique vintage painting AD: ART CONSIGNMENTS WANTED. CONTACT US SKU#: 120285 US Shipping $299 + insurance. BIOGRAPHY: Wayman Adams is known for portraits of prominent persons including authors, painters, political leaders, etc. His portrait of Booth Tarkington brought him early recognition, and he was known as a "lightning" artist because his portraits were completed in one sitting. Ethnic types constitute one of the most intriguing aspects of his work.After receiving instruction at the Herron Art Institute of Indianapolis, he went on to study with William Merritt Chase in Florence, Italy. From there he traveled, in 1912, to Spain with Robert Henri, and besides studying Velazquez, made many sketches of the life of the Spanish people.The sitter is the main focus in Adams' portraits, although he did utilize accessories. Examples of such accessories would be a cigarette in his portrait of Professor Alexander Ernestinoff, shown after the War in the Luxembourg; a desk with papers and a Chinese figurine in the portrait of the dramatic critic Oliver Saylor; or a walking stick in his well-known portrait of Booth Tarkington.Several portraits of the late Joseph Pennell, a significant figure in American art, and two portraits of the painter John McClure Hamilton, rank among Adams' best works. His portrait of President Harrison hangs in the Los Angeles Museum of Art, and one of Charles Dennis is at the Herron Art Institute. Wayman Adams also painted Col. E. M. House, Leopold Auer, Agnes Repplier, and Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Like the portraitist Gilbert Stuart, Adams was known to do a portrait two or three times to make sure he had achieved the result at which he aimed.Adams also completed some notable group portraits, including that of Irvin S. Cobb and His Daughter; and The Conspiracy, which shows Pennell, Hamilton and Charles Burns in intimate discussion on the steps of a Philadelphia building; as well as The Art Jury, depicting a group of four Adams' first teachers in Indiana. He completed several regional series, one recording the people of Chinatown in San Francisco, and another series depicting the life of New Orleans.Among his awards are the Logan Medal of the Arts, with $1500, Art Institute of Chicago, 1912, for the portrait Joseph Pennell; Greenough Memorial Prize, Newport, 1925; medal of the Sesquicentennial Exposition, 1926; first Altman Prize of the National Academy of Design, 1926.
Wayman Adams American, (1883-1959) James Whitcomb Riley, 1916 plaster bust maquette signed and dated. Biography from The Heritage Society Born in the small town of Muncie, Indiana, Wayman (by age 14) was known throughout his home state as a "boy wonder" because of his painting abilities. His father, a stock raiser by profession, was also an artist. While Wayman's creative interests were supported by his parents, he had no choice but to pay his own way through art school. The young Adams worked at a dairy daily from 6pm to 6am., managing to arrive at art class by 9am. Eventually, Wayman was able to quit his night job and make a living as a portrait painter. He went on to study in New York, Italy, Spain, and Philadelphia. In 1918 he married Margaret Boroughs of Austin, Texas, a fellow pupil whom he had met in Italy. By this time he had won many awards. In 1919 he was asked by the French government to exhibit at the Luxemburg Museum in Paris. Adams made Austin his home around 1920 and began painting several Austinites and other celebrities. Later that decade he won a Gold Medal from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts for watercolor. In 1933 he and his wife opened an art school in Elizabethtown, NY. They continued to live in Austin, spending their summers up North. The couple retired from teaching in 1945. In a late 1950's newpaper article, the accomplished artist reflects on his early struggles in the profession: "I haven't had a hard time of it, at all," he states matter-of-factly.
ARTIST: Wayman Elbridge Adams (New York, Texas, 1883 - 1959) NAME: The American Lady MEDIUM: oil on canvas CONDITION: One patch. One hole by lower left corner. Few minor paint losses. Some craquelure. Minor scattered inpainting mostly in upper right corner. Wear to frame. SIGHT SIZE: 52 x 36 inches / 132 x 91 cm FRAME SIZE: 57 x 41 inches / 144 x 104 cm SIGNATURE: lower left CATEGORY: antique vintage painting AD: ART CONSIGNMENTS WANTED. CONTACT US SKU#: 120285 US Shipping $299 + insurance. BIOGRAPHY: Wayman Adams is known for portraits of prominent persons including authors, painters, political leaders, etc. His portrait of Booth Tarkington brought him early recognition, and he was known as a "lightning" artist because his portraits were completed in one sitting. Ethnic types constitute one of the most intriguing aspects of his work.After receiving instruction at the Herron Art Institute of Indianapolis, he went on to study with William Merritt Chase in Florence, Italy. From there he traveled, in 1912, to Spain with Robert Henri, and besides studying Velazquez, made many sketches of the life of the Spanish people.The sitter is the main focus in Adams' portraits, although he did utilize accessories. Examples of such accessories would be a cigarette in his portrait of Professor Alexander Ernestinoff, shown after the War in the Luxembourg; a desk with papers and a Chinese figurine in the portrait of the dramatic critic Oliver Saylor; or a walking stick in his well-known portrait of Booth Tarkington.Several portraits of the late Joseph Pennell, a significant figure in American art, and two portraits of the painter John McClure Hamilton, rank among Adams' best works. His portrait of President Harrison hangs in the Los Angeles Museum of Art, and one of Charles Dennis is at the Herron Art Institute. Wayman Adams also painted Col. E. M. House, Leopold Auer, Agnes Repplier, and Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Like the portraitist Gilbert Stuart, Adams was known to do a portrait two or three times to make sure he had achieved the result at which he aimed.Adams also completed some notable group portraits, including that of Irvin S. Cobb and His Daughter; and The Conspiracy, which shows Pennell, Hamilton and Charles Burns in intimate discussion on the steps of a Philadelphia building; as well as The Art Jury, depicting a group of four Adams' first teachers in Indiana. He completed several regional series, one recording the people of Chinatown in San Francisco, and another series depicting the life of New Orleans.Among his awards are the Logan Medal of the Arts, with $1500, Art Institute of Chicago, 1912, for the portrait Joseph Pennell; Greenough Memorial Prize, Newport, 1925; medal of the Sesquicentennial Exposition, 1926; first Altman Prize of the National Academy of Design, 1926.
Wayman Elbridge Adams (American, 1883-1959), Portrait of a Young Man, oil on board, signed upper left, inscribed (indistinctly) verso, board (unframed): 16" h x 12"w
Wayman Elbridge Adams (American, 1883-1959), Portrait of a Young Man, oil on board, signed upper left, inscribed (indistinctly) verso, board (unframed): 16" h x 12"w
Wayman Elbridge Adams (AMERICAN / NEW YORK / TEXAS, 1883 - 1959) large early 20th century American School oil painting on canvas depicting the portrait of a woman. Metal plaque to verso holds the title "The American Lady" with a date of 1917. Signed to lower left. Canvas on stretcher measures approx. 52" height x 36" width. Measures approx. 57" height x 41" width overall with frame. Cracqueleture throughout. Hole to lower left.
Wayman Elbridge Adams American, (1883-1959) Portrait of Moy Kee, Indianapolis ca.1912 oil on canvas Provenance: Exhibited Indianapolis Museum of Art: 150 years of Indiana painters. Presented to Mrs. Leonidas Smith by the artist. Moy Kee information posted by Joan Hostetler, Indianapolis Although best known for its German and Irish immigrants, Indianapolis also had a small population of Chinese residents as early as the 1880s and estimated by local newspapers as 100-150 residents by the early 1910s. Finding photographs of the Chinese community or businesses has proven difficult so I was surprised to find several stereographs of Moy Kee & Company's Chinese Restaurant in the collections of the Library of Congress this week. Moy Kee, owner of a restaurant and tea house at 506 E. Washington Street, was recognized as the Chinese mayor of Indianapolis in the early twentieth century. As a young boy, Moy moved with his uncle from Guangdon (Canton) Province to California in the late 1850s, first selling newspapers and eventually working in the governor's home. By the 1870s he had converted to Christianity, had returned to China to marry, and was living in New York City where he became outspoken against the strict U.S. laws that no longer favored Chinese immigration. His appointment to a Methodist Chinese mission to preach and teach English ended abruptly when he was accused of theft and jailed. He soon moved to Chicago where he opened a laundry and later a tea house, all the while attempting to become a U.S. citizen. From the Archives of AskArt: Wayman Adams is known for portraits of prominent persons including authors, painters, political leaders, etc. His portrait of Booth Tarkington brought him early recognition, and he was known as a "lightning" artist because his portraits were completed in one sitting. Ethnic types constitute one of the most intriguing aspects of his work. After receiving instruction at the Herron Art Institute* of Indianapolis, he went on to study with William Merritt Chase in Florence, Italy. From there he traveled, in 1912, to Spain with Robert Henri, and besides studying Velazquez, made many sketches of the life of the Spanish people. The sitter is the main focus in Adams' portraits, although he did utilize accessories. Examples of such accessories would be a cigarette in his portrait of Professor Alexander Ernestinoff, shown after the War in the Luxembourg; a desk with papers and a Chinese figurine in the portrait of the dramatic critic Oliver Saylor; or a walking stick in his well-known portrait of Booth Tarkington. Several portraits of the late Joseph Pennell, a significant figure in American art, and two portraits of the painter John McClure Hamilton, rank among Adams' best works. His portrait of President Harrison hangs in the Los Angeles Museum of Art, and one of Charles Dennis is at the Herron Art Institute. Wayman Adams also painted Col. E. M. House, Leopold Auer, Agnes Repplier, and Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Like the portraitist Gilbert Stuart, Adams was known to do a portrait two or three times to make sure he had achieved the result at which he aimed. Adams also completed some notable group portraits, including that of Irvin S. Cobb and His Daughter; and The Conspiracy, which shows Pennell, Hamilton and Charles Burns in intimate discussion on the steps of a Philadelphia building; as well as The Art Jury, depicting a group of four Adams' first teachers in Indiana. He completed several regional series, one recording the people of Chinatown in San Francisco, and another series depicting the life of New Orleans. Among his awards are the Logan Medal of the Arts*, with $1500, Art Institute of Chicago*, 1912, for the portrait Joseph Pennell; Greenough Memorial Prize, Newport, 1925; medal of the Sesquicentennial Exposition, 1926; first Altman Prize of the National Academy of Design*, 1926. Source: Cuthbert Lee, Contemporary American Portrait Painters, Illustrating and Describing the Work of Fifty Living Painters
Wayman Elbridge Adams (1883-1959) The Word The lithograph signed by the artist in pencil below the image lower right, illegibly inscribed lower left. Image measures 9.75 x 8 with a framed size of 22 x 20 inches. We happily provide seamless in-house packing and shipping services on nearly everything we sell.
Wayman Elbridge Adams (1883-1959) The Offering The lithograph signed by the artist in pencil below the image lower right, titled lower center, from an edition of 100 prints. Image measures 10 x 8.25 with a framed size of 22 x 20 inches. We happily provide seamless in-house packing and shipping services on nearly everything we sell.
Wayman Adams (American, 1883 - 1959) Hog's Heads and Crocks, 1915 oil on canvas signed Wayman Adams and dated (lower left) 33 x 28 inches. Provenance: George C. Calvert Gifted by the above to the present owner, 1935
Wayman Adams (1883-1959, Texas), "Portrait of Benny Denton," oil on canvas, signed upper left, framed, H.- 50 in., W.- 32 3/4 in. Provenance: Estate of Wayman Adams, and descended in family: private Collection.
Wayman Elbridge Adams (American/New Orleans, 1883-1959), "Mother and Child", oil on board, signed upper right, 10 1/4 in. x 8 1/4 in., framed with artist and title plaque
Wayman Adams (1883-1959, Texas), "Portrait of Benny Denton," oil on canvas, signed upper left, framed, H.- 50 in., W.- 32 3/4 in. Provenance: Estate of Wayman Adams, and descended in family: private Collection.
Wayman Adams (1883-1959, Texas), "Portrait of a Man in a Black Cap," oil on canvas, unsigned, framed, H.- 27 1/2 in., W.- 19 1/4 in. Provenance: Estate of Wayman Adams, and descended in family: private Collection.
Wayman Adams (1883-1959, Texas), "Portrait of a Man in a White Shirt," oil on canvas, unsigned, framed, H.- 27 in., W.- 19 in. Provenance: Estate of Wayman Adams and descended in family; Private collection.
Wayman Adams (1883-1959, Texas), "Portrait of Mr. Dolby in a Blue Tie," oil on canvas, unsigned, identified verso, framed, H.- 27 in., W.- 19 in. Provenance: Estate of Wayman Adams and descended in family; Private collection.
Wayman Adams (1883-1959, Texas), "Portrait of Benny Denton," oil on canvas, signed upper left, framed, H.- 50 in., W.- 32 3/4 in. Provenance: Estate of Wayman Adams, and descended in family: private Collection.
Wayman Elbridge Adams (American/Louisiana, 1883-1959) "Mother and Child" oil on wood panel signed upper right. Framed. 7-5/8" x 7-1/4", framed 12-7/8" x 12-3/8"
