Drawings by Peggy Bacon (1895-1987), untitled. On view at The Gallery at Trifles from July 25 through Sept. 27. Courtesy photos
Over 70 drawings by the artist Peggy Bacon (1895-1987), which have never been previously on public display, will open in a selling exhibition at The Gallery at Trifles, 55 Main St., Wiscasset, on July 25. This coincides with the exhibition “Peggy Bacon, Biting, Never Bitter,” which is currently on view at the Portland Museum of Art.
Bacon was a brilliant painter, caricaturist, illustrator, lithographer, writer and art educator. She studied with John Sloan, Kenneth Hayes Miller and George Bellows. Her sharp wit was evident in her contributions to The New Yorker and Vanity Fair as well as in the more than 60 books she illustrated.
This treasure of works, which ranges from quick sketches on scraps of paper to a beautiful book of over 140 masterpieces by the artist, was acquired at a family estate sale, some time after Bacon had passed away in Kennebunkport. The works have languished in boxes until recently. Helen Robinson, along with Ben Rawlingson Plant (formerly of the Guggenheim Museum in New York), have curated this small show that looks to demonstrate the range of Bacon’s work, from fun sketches of people going about their everyday chores, to loving drawings of children and animals. The show includes two intimate portraits of Bacon by her husband Alexander Brook and other material related to the artist.
“When I finally got around to opening the boxes a few months ago, I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Robinson said in a prepared release. “Not only were there vast quantities of works from the artist, but the depth and range of her art is really awe-inspiring — she never stopped looking and drawing. I’m really pleased to finally be able to show these precious works and help raise the profile of a brilliant female artist, who ended her days here in Maine.”
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