Comments on: Tom Lovell

By: ericember

ericember — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:11:48 +0000

excellent painting, I wish I had been able to feature this in my art gallery in Los Angeles.

The artist hits that wonderful place where the detail is exquisite and realistic, but still looks like a painting and not a photograph.

Good post!

learn how to draw

By: Charley Parker

Charley Parker — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:55:26 +0000

Thanks for the comments.

I agree that Lovell is unjustly overlooked.

I wasn’t aware of the details of the events of this day. Nice to have some additional background.

By: Ginger Pena

Ginger Pena — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:02:17 +0000

I like that earnest, bulldog look the artist has given to General Grant. Thanks for posting this. It brings back the story and the facts as I’ve read them.

Evidently, Grant had had a bad couple of days leading up to this event, dogging the heels of Lee wherever he turned, splitting his forces to head off Lee’s retreat, losing his luggage and suffering with a migraine headache throughout. He was never a fastidious dresser, but it’s no wonder he was especially the worse for wear in this instance.

Interestingly, the dark haired man in Union uniform, standing just behind Grant, was a full-blooded Iroquois who shares your last name: Colonel Ely Parker.

By: Pete Culos

Pete Culos — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 19:18:06 +0000

I agree with James comment about Lovell being the last of Brandywine tradition. Though, Keith Rocco certainly has a bit of that in his work.

Thanks for posting this, as I think Tom Lovell is often overlooked among the great illustrators. His Civil War paintings played a large role in my interest in history and art.

By: Charley Parker

Charley Parker — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:37:40 +0000

Thanks for the perspective, Dan. I had assumed historical accuracy based on whatever information was available, I just find his choice of compositional arrangement of the participants fascinating.

By: Dan van Benthuysen

Dan van Benthuysen — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:34:30 +0000

Great Post, Charley.

I’m dating myself here, I know, but when Geographic published this, I think on the 100th anniversary of the end of the Civil War (1965) the painting was much remarked upon for its faithfulness to the actual event. The portraits are all officers known to have been in the room and perhaps not surprisingly the furniture is indeed as it was in the room itself. Grant, you’ll notice, wears mud-spattered boots and a military jacket that bears no indication of his rank, whereas Lee, always a gentleman, is in full parade dress, observations made by diarists present at the signing. Lovell and Geographic were fastidious about these sorts of recreations.

By: K. Borcz

K. Borcz — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:50:41 +0000

Thank you for pointing out this painter, I really like the post you’ve got there. Very informative and makes me want to learn more about Tom Lovell. Thanks.

By: Randall Ensley

Randall Ensley — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 23:31:12 +0000

Charley,
Thanks for this post regarding the art of Tom Lovell. The link to The Battle of Hastings was great. Coincidentally, I am finishing the book Journey to Chandara written and illustrated by fellow ‘commenter’ James Gurney. Awesome work by both artists.
Thank you,
Randall

By: Charley Parker

Charley Parker — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:35:29 +0000

What a terrific opportunity that was. Thanks for sharing the additional info an isight.

Fo the benefit of other readers, James Gurney’s blog, Gurney Journey is a cornucopia of painting knowledge and insightful observations, and his promised posts on Lovell’s techinques should be well worth looking for.

By: James Gurney

James Gurney — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:59:57 +0000

I had the rare privilege of meeting Tom Lovell in the early 90s, and in my correspondence with him up until his untimely death he was very generous with his painting knowledge–which I’ll share over time in my blog posts. I think of Lovell as one of the last illustrators of the Pyle/Brandywine spirit, and he greatly admired Dunn and Pyle especially. He was also a close friend of Harry Anderson, who you spotlighted recently, and both of them have said they influenced each other.

Besides the sources you mentioned, there are good articles about Lovell and his methods in the North Light Collection, Vol 2, 1979, edited by Walt Reed, and in a December, 1956 article in American Artist.