(Click to Enlarge)
Oil Pastel on Paper
7 x 8 3/4 visible inches
11 x 14 1/2 inches newly matted behind glass in frame
Signed David Paige on original matte attached to back
Horizontal bare line across upper
Last origin: Private collection in southern CA
David Abbey Paige (1901 – 1979) was born in Turkey on May 15, 1901. Paige was the official artist in Admiral Byrd’s second expedition to Antarctica. By 1939 he was a resident of Los Angeles and for 39 years was a cinematographer for the motion picture studios. He died there on Aug. 9, 1979. Exh: Painters & Sculptors of LA; LACMA, 1937; De Young Museum, 1937.
Source:
Edan Hughes, “Artists in California, 1786-1940”
Los Angeles Times, 6-16-1935; SF Chronicle, 8-15-1937, D4; Ferdinand Perret Files; Death record.
Fitchburg Art Museum
The Magic of Antarctic Colors: David Abbey Paige
April 15th – June 24th, 2012
Fitchburg native David Abby Paige painted the strangely beautiful polar region with gestural and technical virtuosity. Commissioned by the Luna Amusement Company, Paige created a “Panorama of the Antarctic,” for the Coney Island Amusement Park. His transcendental group of watercolors and pastels are imbued with opalescent colors, shapes, and scintillating effects. Paige’s undeniable talents documented for the first time the vast, vacant, and subtle intensity of Antarctica. It is easy to understand why later in life he worked as a scenic artist for the motion picture industry in California. The exhibition will also include an array of important artifacts including an Antarctic sledge, dog harnesses, skis, and other historic items of interest.