Dennis Lyall (American, B. 1946) "Amish Blacksmith" Signed lower right. Oil on Canvas painting.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 34c Double-9 Patch Amish Quilt stamp issued August 9, 2001.

Under the spreading chestnut tree / The village smithy stands / The smith a mighty man is he / With large and sinewy hands /And the muscles of his brawny arms /Are strong as iron bands Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1842 poem, The Village Blacksmith, harks back to a time long past in American history. Were it not for people such as the "Pennsylvania Dutch," who disdain motorized vehicles and technology, the blacksmith might find himself without traditional work. Actually, "Pennsylvania Dutch" is a misnomer. They are neither "Dutch" nor "Deutsch," but trace their roots to German-speaking Switzerland. "Dutch" is a corruption of the word Deutsch which means "German," a form of the German language is spoken by the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch. The Amish -- whose Old Order sect gives these people their particularly conservative American identity -- are spiritual descendants of the Mennonites, a sect which began during the Protestant Reformation. The Amish are named for Jacob Amman, a 17th C. Swiss Mennonite bishop. True to Reformation traditions -- there is a saying that "only good wood will split" -- nonconforming Amish are splintered into small groups because of faith differences. Being raised bilingually helps differentiate them from outsiders or non-Amish people. The blacksmith personifies the struggle of Amish peoples to maintain their identity in an increasingly technological world, epitomizing the self-sufficiency that protects them from the influences of the modern world.

Image Size: 13.5 x 11.5 in.
Overall Size: 17 x 14.5 in.
Unframed.
(B16948)

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