Maxwell "Max" Mays (1918-2009). "First Baptist Church of Providence" on North Main Street is a historic icon in Rhode Island. This beautifully framed print from Mays' original painting is signed and dated '1999' by the artist in pencil with edition number '811/1000', lower right margin. The print is 21" x 17", framed under glass to 27" x 24". This historic church was a daily sight from the artist’s Fleur de Lys studio window. Max Mays became a Rhode Island icon himself for his homey and nostalgic historic renderings of 19th century life in his home small state and New England. Very much like Grandma Moses his appeal was in naïve viewings of city and rural life in New England. His imagery often reflects stories of past eras combined with historic research of 19th century buildings and local geography. The first Baptist Church of America is the oldest Baptist Church congregation in the United States. The Church was founded in 1638 by Roger Williams of Providence, RI. The present church building was erected between 1774 and 1775 and held its first meetings in May 1775. Mays affectionally renders the magnificence of the historic church and the vitality of the congregation. This edition sold out in Mays' lifetime.Born into a wealthy family in Providence, ‘Max’ as he preferred to be called, followed his father into the family business, Mays Manufacturing Co. He demonstrated an aptitude and interest in art in his youth. He attended Saturday art classes at the Rhode Island School of Design in his pre-college years, and later enrolled and graduated from RISD in 1941. Mays served in a map-making unit during WWII. While there he befriended a US Naval officer who was an art collector. That friendship resulted in Mays’ first public exhibition of his paintings in Colorado Springs and then at the Denver Art Museum. While he continued his career in the family business, Mays’ artistic career broke onto the New York scene with his first one-man exhibition at the Ferargil Gallery in New York in 1948. Frederic Newlin Price, the Director of Ferargil, was known for previously debuting the art of Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, and Arthur Davies at this well-established 57th Street gallery. All eighteen of Mays paintings sold in this first exhibition.

Good

27 x 24 in

4 lb