Perhaps no American artist so completely epitomizes art in the 20th century as Polly King does. Born at the turn of the century in Wheeling, West Virginia, she painted and sketched through every decade until her death in 1993 at the age of 91. Trained at Carnegie Tech (now part of Carnegie-Mellon University), the American Academy of Design and the Art Students League, she embraced many styles through her 91 years, from classicism to impressionism to abstract. And, though she did not achieve the fame of many of her contemporaries with whom she painted and studied … like Charles Burchfield, Issac Soyer, Paul Cadmus and Seymour Drumlevich … her works, perhaps more than any other artist, completely covered the fabric and texture of the 20th Century.
For nine decades, Polly King painted the world around her, from her birthplace in Wheeling to her adopted home in Niagara Falls to the four corners of the earth. She was an indefatigable traveler, throughout America, Europe and the Middle East. And wherever she went, her sketchbooks, easels, pens and paints went with her. She left a legacy of images of the world that is unmatched. From the ruins of ancient Greece to the construction of the huge plants that harnessed the power of Niagara, from Cezanne's studio to her backyard garden, from the minarets of Istanbul to the mansions of Charleston, she painted it all, with a unfailing eye for the beauty and color of her surroundings.
She had a special love for water, and the boats and ships that sail them. From the Great Lakes to the great oceans of the world, she painted dinghies and sailboats, lake freighters and ocean liners, and all the wonderful scenery that surrounds them. And her artist's eye told her that there is nothing more beautiful in the world than the flowers that surround us every day, but we seldom notice. She captured the beauty of flowers with the same verve and passion that the great Impressionists brought to the subject.
In short, Polly King was a 20th Century phenomenon, the one artist who lived and painted through every changing decade, and gave us images of her world that will live for many, many generations to come. Vincent Price, the famed actor and art collectors, included Polly King in his collection. Robert Kennedy and Mario Cuomo had her art hanging in their offices, and her work is represented in over 250 private collections. If you are a serious collector or just someone who loves beautiful things, an investment in the art of Polly King is a wise choice.
More details on Polly's life.