The medallion's obverse bears portrait of younf Maxfield Parrish, facing right. Around, at left and right, · MAXFIELD · / · PARRISH ·
The reverse bears rearing Pegasus facing right before sun.
Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966) was an American painter and illustrator active in the first half of the 20th century. He is known for his distinctive saturated hues and idealized neo-classical imagery.
Parrish and Manship were both members of Augustus Saint-Gaudens' Cornish Art Colony in Cornish, New Hampshire. Saint-Gaudens had started the art colony in 1885 and attracted a group of friends, assistants, promising young art students and hangers-on. Parrish and his wife moved to Cornish in 1898 and built a home that was later nicknamed "The Oaks." The home was surrounded by beautiful landscapes that inspired many of Parrish’s drawings.
The art colony started falling apart after Saint-Gaudens' death in 1907 but Parrish and Manship had another geographical location in common. Both shared a love for the Cape Anne area of Massachusetts. Parrish had lived in Annisquam for a while and Manship fell in love with the areas as well and bought a vacation home in Gloucester.
The circular medallion measures around 84mm in diameter and is cast in bronze. The depicted medallions are early designs. In the finished medallion Pegasus is more detailed and the reverse is signed and dated.
References: Murtha 65