MARY CAROLYN HAYWOOD 1898-1990, Philadelphia painter
Portrait of a baby, circa 1925-1935
oil on canvas, 18 x 32 inches
signed lower right
Condition: Excellent. Clean, Restored, dabs
of in-paint in the background.
In a good gold-tone, wood period frame, newly restored.
Provenance: Collection of a museum conservator in
New Jersey.
The term "fresh to the market" is overused, but this
painting is truly FRESH. It has been in a museum conservator's storage
for at least 40 years. The owner believes that his father, a collector who
also a conservator, purchased this painting directly from the artist.
Carolyn Haywood is best known for her children's books
and illustrations. She wrote and illustrated the "Betsy" series of
books, and later, the "Eddie" series. Those book series began in 1939,
and are still in print, delighting children to this very day. This
painting dates from her earlier career as a child portraitist. It is an
exceptionally fine portrait of a baby that dates from 1925-1935.
She lived in the Chestnut Hill area of Philadelphia.
In 1923, Haywood received a scholarship for the
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. She was a Cresson
traveling scholar with a European scholarship in 1924. She spent a year
onContinent before returning to her final year at the academy.
In 1925, Haywood studied under Elizabeth Shippen
Green. She also began painting children's portraits for upscale parents
in the Philadelphia area. Haywood was also well-known for her painted
murals, which can be found in banks and schools in the Philadelphia
area.
