Signed William Draper Painting - Tiger Lilies, 1970s

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Ancient & Ethnographic Art Through The Ages

By Artemis Gallery

Nov 4, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-11-04 10:00:00 2021-11-04 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Ancient & Ethnographic Art Through The Ages https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/ancient-ethnographic-art-through-the-ages-7799
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• Lot Description
  William Draper (American, 1912-2003). Oil on canvas board, ca. 1970s. Signed by the artist in red pigment on the lower left. A striking painting of tiger lilies - also known as Lilium lancifolium or Lilium tigrinum - by American artist, William Draper. The stars of the composition are three magnificent blooms of warm orange, coral pink, and vibrant red hues ornamented by wine red dots. Draper surrounded the ornamental blossoms with loose brushwork to represent the stems and leaves of the lilies. Draper was an observant nature lover as well as a master of plein air painting. In addition, he was a founder of the American Orchid Society. This composition certainly demonstrates Draper's keen observatory eye, as he not only captured the beauty of these flowers, but also carefully delineated the anatomy of each bloom. Size: 17.875" L x 13.9" W (45.4 cm x 35.3 cm)
  
  The tiger lily is native to China, Japan, and Korea; however, its precise origins have yet to be determined. Some believe that the flower was identified among a Belgian lily shipment from Japan in 1870. Experts regard the tiger lily as a hybrid, since it does not grow wild in its native habitat. Lily tigrinum has been cultivated throughout Asia for its edible bulbs. Some believe that it first grew in China and was brought to Japan to cultivate as an edible vegetable. In Japanese, tiger lily is called oniyuri which literally means demon with a red face and a sizeable body. No doubt, the flower's brilliantly colorful blooms inspired this name. In addition to being valued as a beautiful flower and a valuable food source (with bulbs that taste like potatoes or turnips), the tiger lily was used as a remedy for various ailments, ranging from nausea to mental health conditions.
  
  In Asian mythology, the flower is associated with the following story. A hermit came to a tiger's aid by removing an arrow from its injured body. Although the tiger did not survive, prior to death he asked the man to make sure that their friendship would continue in the afterlife. At once, the wild feline's body transformed into a beautiful orange lily adorned with black markings. When the hermit passed away years later, the tiger lily spread, growing near and far in order to find his friend. Thanks to this myth, the tiger lily is oftentimes associated with friendship. This said, others believe the flower symbolizes pride, wealth, prosperity, and romantic love.
  
  William Franklin Draper was born in Hopedale, Massachusetts on December 24, 1912. A child prodigy, he studied classical piano at Harvard University. He later changed his focus to fine art and studied with Charles Webster Hawthorne and Henry Hensche in Provincetown, Rhode Island. Draper also attended the National Academy of Design in New York and the Cape Cod School of Art in Massachusetts. Then he traveled to Spain and studied with Harry Zimmerman, moved on to France and attended the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere. In 1937, he moved to Boston to study sculpture with George Demetrius and also studied with Jon Corbino in beautiful Rockport, Massachusetts. In 1942, Draper joined the Navy and served as a combat artist when stationed on the Aleutian Islands and in the South Pacific. He observed and painted battle scenes on Bougainville, Guam, Saipan, and other locations, as well as genre scenes of soldiers who were not engaged in combat but rather at work and at play. National Geographic magazine reproduced 25 of his war images in four issues in 1944. In 1945, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. organized a group exhibition of works by five official war artists, including Draper. That same year the Metropolitan Museum of Art included Draper in an exhibition entitled, ''The War Against Japan.'' Draper was also featured in a PBS television show about combat artists entitled, "They Drew Fire" in May of 2000. After the war, Draper opened a studio on Park Avenue in New York City and continued to not only paint, but also play classical and jazz piano.
  
  Draper's career spanned seven decades and his subjects included a portrait of John F. Kennedy that hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. based upon an oil sketch for which the president sat in 1962. Draper was actually the only artist who painted JFK from life. Draper showed at Knoedler, the Graham Gallery, Portraits, Inc., the Far Gallery, The Findlay Galleries (New York, NY) and the Robert C. Vose Galleries (Boston, MA). His work has been included in shows at the National Portrait Gallery and the Corcoran Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), The National Academy of Design (New York, NY), The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, (Boston, MA) the Fogg Art Museum, (one of the Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, MA), the National Gallery, (London), Salon de la Marine (Paris) and in museums in Australia. He also taught at the Art Students League of New York, and received a lifetime achievement award from the Portrait Society of America in 1999.
  
  Provenance: The William F. Draper Collection, New York City, USA, acquired via descent from the late William Franklin Draper (1912-2003), an accomplished American artist whose career spanned seven decades. Known as the "Dean of American Portraiture," William Draper was the only artist to paint President John F. Kennedy from life, and his oeuvre includes marvelous landscapes from his world travels, military paintings as he was one of only seventeen Combat Artists in WWII, and portraits of illustrious individuals.
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
  
  Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
  
  #151442

  Condition

  Signed by the artist in red pigment on the lower left. There is a Draper Estate stamp on the verso. Handwritten on verso is, "upper left hand side near doors". Minor age wear to peripheries and paper that backs the canvas board as shown.
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