Large Edward Hurst (American/Tennessee, 1912-1972) oil on canvas group portrait painting depicting three young members of the Howard family of Knoxville, TN. The two older boys play catch with a baseball while the youngest is seated on the ground with a toy train and cars. The spot where the boys are playing overlooks the Tennessee River and Lyon's Bend in the distance, beneath a cloudy sky. Signed and dated "Edward Hurst '59" lower right corner. Housed and matted in a molded giltwood frame. Sight: 29 5/8" H x 35 2/8" W. Framed: 39 1/8" H x 45 1/8" W. Biography: Edward Hurst was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1912. He studied under Catherine Wiley and at the Art Students League in New York, where he also studied with George Luks. He also studied in Europe at the Academies in Florence, Italy, and Munich, Germany. Primarily known for his still-life paintings and commissioned society portraits, Hurst spent much of his life in New York and London, while also maintaining a studio in Knoxville. During World War II, he taught camouflage to soldiers in the United States Army. In 1959, he was diagnosed with an allergy to oil paint, prompting him to work instead with watercolor, conte, and colored pencil on paper. Hurst was a member of the American Artists Professional Club, the Southern States Art League, and the National Arts Club. An example of Hurst's work is illustrated in "The Art & Furniture of East Tennessee" by Namuni Hale Young, p. 105, figure 58. Sources: "Art & Furniture of East Tennessee" by Namuni Hale Young; "Camoupedia: A Compendium of Research on Art, Architecture and Camouflage", by Roy H. Behrens; the Knoxville Museum of Art.

CONDITION: Tiny area of warping to canvas in upper right corner, otherwise good condition.