Original

Justin McCarthy, Original, ca. 1930-1970, watercolor and ink on paper mounted to manilla folder, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.40
Copied Justin McCarthy, Original, ca. 1930-1970, watercolor and ink on paper mounted to manilla folder, sheet and image: 10 34 × 8 12 in. (27.3 × 21.6 cm) mount: 11 34 × 9 18 in. (29.8 × 23.2 cm) irregular, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.40

Artwork Details

Title
Original
Date
ca. 1930-1970
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet and image: 10 34 × 8 12 in. (27.3 × 21.6 cm) mount: 11 34 × 9 18 in. (29.8 × 23.2 cm) irregular
Credit Line
The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson
Mediums Description
watercolor and ink on paper mounted to manilla folder
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure female — nude
  • Object — furniture — chair
  • Architecture Interior
Object Number
2016.38.40

Artwork Description

McCarthy made a large, richly sourced body of work inspired by magazine pictures and popular culture. He lived his whole life in Waverly, Pennsylvania, although his art suggests a far more glamorous purview. McCarthy began painting while hospitalized for mental health issues in an era when even minor concerns prompted stigmatization and institutionalization, but rarely resulted in effective medical care. His fondness for saturated color predated American pop art, and his dynamic, emotive style drew comparisons to Expressionist artists, including German Danish painter Emil Nolde (1867–1956). He found looking at press photos of movie stars and celebrity athletes mentally transporting, and painting images of vibrant people and fanciful places helped him cope with trauma and isolation. McCarthy had a knack for capturing an individual’s likeness, as he did in this painting of silent-film star Marie Prevost, whose large almond-shaped eyes were a standout feature.
(We Are Made of Stories: Self-Taught Artists in the Robson Family Collection, 2022)