Anna Catherine Wiley, Knoxville, Tennessee Artist

Anna Catherine Wiley (1879 -1958) impressionist oil on canvas painting, depicting seated mother and child in a meadow. The woman’s flower- adorned hat sits in the foreground and a bank of trees is in the background. Signed and dated “Catherine Wiley, 1913″ lower right. Sight – 28 1/2″ H x 32 3/4″ W. Framed – 34 1/2″ H x 38 3/4” W. Provenance: a private Blount County, Tennessee collection. Biography: Catherine Wiley was one of the early female students at the University of Tennessee, and taught art and drawing there from 1905 until 1918. She is credited with establishing formal art instruction at the school, and with making the program into one of the South’s best. Wiley also studied at the Art Students League in New York under Frank DuMond, and spent summers learning from major American impressionists such as Robert Reid, Jonas Lie, and Martha Walter. She won two gold medals at the Appalachian Exposition in 1910, and claimed the prize for best Southern artist at the Southwestern Fair in Atlanta in 1917. She served as President of the Nicholson Art League and director of the Fine Arts Department of Knoxville’s National Conservation Exposition. Her paintings – often depicting women in picturesque settings — were exhibited at many prominent venues including the National Academy of Design in New York, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. In 1926, Wiley suffered a mental collapse which ended her painting career. She remained institutionalized until her death. Private Knoxville, TN collection. Condition: Overall very good condition with two visible spots of paint loss, one on a tree trunk in the background, the other in the bottom of the lady’s dress. Blacklighting does not reveal any repair or restoration. [See more photos →]

Anna Catherine Wiley (1879-1958) impressionist oil on canvas landscape painting, depicting a field of corn shocks in the foreground against a mountainous background. The scene is reminiscent of Cade’s Cove in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Signed lower right C. Wiley. Later giltwood frame with linen liner. Canvas size: 16″ x 12″. Framed: 22″ x 17″. Biography: Catherine Wiley is one of Tennessee’s most important nationally recognized artists. She was one of the early female students at the University of Tennessee, and was later credited with establishing formal art instruction at the school. Wiley studied at the Art Students League in New York under Frank DuMond, and spent summers learning from major American impressionists such as Robert Reid, Jonas Lie, and Martha Walter. She won numerous prizes including two Gold Medals at the Appalachian Exposition in 1910 and her paintings were exhibited at prominent American venues including the National Academy of Design in New York and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Her thriving career was ended by a mental collapse which left her institutionalized until her death. Provenance: Private Tennessee collection. Proceeds from the sale of this painting benefit the Earl O. Henry Memorial Avian Exhibit at Ijams Nature Center. The exhibit showcases pre-World War II avian taxidermy and the art of Knoxville bird painter Earl O. Henry, one of the men killed in the 1945 attack on the USS Indianapolis. Condition: Overall very good condition, relined, one minor paint flake to lower margin. [See more photos →]

Anna Catherine Wiley (TN, 1879-1958) oil on canvas landscape of an Autumn meadow with large tree and figure in the foreground, billowing clouds to the left sky area with a dark blue sky to the right. Signed lower right in red, “Wiley”. Contemporary gilt wood frame. Sight 15 5/8″ W x 11 3/4″ H, 20 5/8″ W x 16 3/4″ H. Note – a larger composition of the same landscape titled, “Gathering in the Woods” depicting the Spring season is in the collection of the Tennessee State Museum, Nashville. Biography: Catherine Wiley is one of Tennessee’s most important nationally recognized artists. She was one of the early female students at the University of Tennessee, and was later credited with establishing formal art instruction at the school. Wiley studied at the Art Students League in New York under Frank DuMond, and spent summers learning from major American impressionists such as Robert Reid, Jonas Lie, and Martha Walter. She won numerous prizes including two Gold Medals at the Appalachian Exposition in 1910 and her paintings were exhibited at prominent American venues including the National Academy of Design in New York and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Her thriving career was ended by a mental collapse which left her institutionalized until her death. CONDITION: Overall excellent condition, retains the original stretchers and canvas. One tiny spot less than 1/16″ dia inpainted in foreground. [See more photos →]