Charles Archibald MacLellan
Encyclopedia
Charles Archibald MacLellan (June 22, 1885 - October 4, 1961) was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoyed a wide-ranging, popular appeal in the United States
, and he was probably one of the most recognizable cover illustrators of the day.
, Canada
. His father, Dr. Charles McLellan was born in Scotland
in 1844. He was an orphaned and subsequently brought to Canada by his uncle in 1852. Dr. McLellan received his M.D. at the University of Toronto
, and practiced there until 1892 when, by way of the Grand Trunk Railway
, he moved to Chicago
.
After graduating from high school and having completed his preparatory work, young Charles intended to enroll at the University of Chicago
. However, he opted to begin formal studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago instead, where several well-known artists such as Dunn, Shrader, and Hoskins were at that time. MacLellan spent about two and a half years at the Institute before he accepted a position at an engraving house in Chicago, ultimately concluding his studies under the tutelage of the legendary Howard Pyle
. Soon afterward, he leased a studio of his own, in the Auditorium Tower.
While in Chicago, Charles A. MacLellan illustrated several magazine covers, designs for stained glass windows, advertisement posters for Marshall Field & Company
, and a myriad of newspaper sketches for the Chicago Examiner.
at 1305 North Franklin Street, Wilmington, Delaware
. At that time, MacLellan began painting calendars for Rand McNally & Co.
, establishing a highly successful illustration career that lasted through the first half of the twentieth century.
MacLellan is best known by virtue of his many illustrations featured on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post
. Between 1913 and 1936, MacLellan’s work appeared on forty-four Saturday Evening Post covers, making him one of the most prolific Post cover illustrators of his day. MacLellan specialized in the female form, and nearly all of his cover illustrations feature a woman as the central, and often only, subject.
During the early 1930s, Charles A. MacLellan feared that he would lose his eyesight and that he would be unable to continue working as an artist. Not surprisingly, he decided to travel west, in all probability, to find a new direction in life. Fortunately, he didn’t lose his eyesight, and returned to Wilmington to concentrate on teaching and portrait painting.
, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
, the Terry Art Institute, and the Delaware Art Museum
, which owns three of his oil paintings; "A Young Singer," "Tinker Bell," and "Attic Finery." The Studio Group in Wilmington owns one of his studies for a portrait, "Head of a Girl," and the Brandywine River Museum
in Chadds Ford Township, Pennsylvania
, owns a commissioned landscape by MacLellan as well.
, golfing, and occasionally acquiring antique furniture
on behalf of the Winterthur Museum in Winterthur, Delaware
. In fact, in 1926, he was chairman of an exhibition presented by the Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts entitled "Early American Furniture."
MacLellan was also a member of the Accessions Committee at the Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts from 1943 until 1958, and he taught at the Studio Group, located at Howard Pyle’s old studio, from 1943 until his death in 1961.
After his death, a memorial exhibition was held at 1305 North Franklin Street, from December 3 through December 17, 1961. Thirty-three works of art were displayed, including items on loan from the Delaware Art Museum, as well as items from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Caesar Grasselli, Mr. and Mrs. David Stockwell, Mr. and Mrs. Lammot du Pont Copeland
, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Bissell, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. A. Worth, and Mr. and Mrs. George Bissell.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and he was probably one of the most recognizable cover illustrators of the day.
Early Life
Charles Archibald MacLellan, son of Charles and Augusta (Clute) McLellan, was born June 22, 1885, in Trenton, OntarioTrenton, Ontario
Trenton is a community in Southern Ontario in the municipality of Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. Located on the Bay of Quinte, it is the main population centre in Quinte West....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. His father, Dr. Charles McLellan was born in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1844. He was an orphaned and subsequently brought to Canada by his uncle in 1852. Dr. McLellan received his M.D. at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, and practiced there until 1892 when, by way of the Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
, he moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
After graduating from high school and having completed his preparatory work, young Charles intended to enroll at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. However, he opted to begin formal studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago instead, where several well-known artists such as Dunn, Shrader, and Hoskins were at that time. MacLellan spent about two and a half years at the Institute before he accepted a position at an engraving house in Chicago, ultimately concluding his studies under the tutelage of the legendary Howard Pyle
Howard Pyle
Howard Pyle was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, he spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy.__FORCETOC__...
. Soon afterward, he leased a studio of his own, in the Auditorium Tower.
While in Chicago, Charles A. MacLellan illustrated several magazine covers, designs for stained glass windows, advertisement posters for Marshall Field & Company
Marshall Field's
Marshall Field & Company was a department store in Chicago, Illinois that grew to become a major chain before being acquired by Macy's Inc...
, and a myriad of newspaper sketches for the Chicago Examiner.
Career
In 1909, "Mac," as he was referred to by his friends, relocated to a studio that was built by Howard PyleHoward Pyle Studios
The Howard Pyle Studios are two historic buildings used for painting and teaching by illustrator Howard Pyle. The studios are located in a densely populated neighborhood near Brandywine Park and the Delaware Avenue Historic District. The building used by Pyle as his own studio was built in 1883,...
at 1305 North Franklin Street, Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. At that time, MacLellan began painting calendars for Rand McNally & Co.
Rand McNally
Rand McNally is an American publisher of maps, atlases, textbooks, and globes for travel, reference, commercial, and educational uses. It also provides online consumer street maps and directions, as well as commercial transportation routing software and mileage data...
, establishing a highly successful illustration career that lasted through the first half of the twentieth century.
MacLellan is best known by virtue of his many illustrations featured on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
. Between 1913 and 1936, MacLellan’s work appeared on forty-four Saturday Evening Post covers, making him one of the most prolific Post cover illustrators of his day. MacLellan specialized in the female form, and nearly all of his cover illustrations feature a woman as the central, and often only, subject.
During the early 1930s, Charles A. MacLellan feared that he would lose his eyesight and that he would be unable to continue working as an artist. Not surprisingly, he decided to travel west, in all probability, to find a new direction in life. Fortunately, he didn’t lose his eyesight, and returned to Wilmington to concentrate on teaching and portrait painting.
Awards
Throughout his career, MacLellan received numerous awards and accolades, including those from the Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts, the Pasadena Art InstituteNorton Simon Museum
The Norton Simon Museum is an Art Museum located in Pasadena, California, United States. It was previously known by the names: the Pasadena Art Institute and the Pasadena Art Museum.-Overview:...
, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is a museum and art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1805 and is the oldest art museum and school in the United States. The academy's museum is internationally known for its collections of 19th and 20th century American paintings,...
, the Terry Art Institute, and the Delaware Art Museum
Delaware Art Museum
The Delaware Art Museum is an art museum located on the Kentmere Parkway in Wilmington, Delaware, which holds a collection of more than 12,000 works. The museum, was founded in 1912 as the Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts in honor of the artist Howard Pyle and is now celebrating its centennial...
, which owns three of his oil paintings; "A Young Singer," "Tinker Bell," and "Attic Finery." The Studio Group in Wilmington owns one of his studies for a portrait, "Head of a Girl," and the Brandywine River Museum
Brandywine River Museum
The Brandywine River Museum is a museum of regional and American art located on U.S. Route 1 in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania on the banks of the Brandywine River. The museum showcases the art of Andrew Wyeth a major American realist painter, and his family: his father, N.C...
in Chadds Ford Township, Pennsylvania
Chadds Ford Township, Pennsylvania
Chadds Ford Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, about 30 miles southwest of Philadelphia. Prior to 1996, Chadds Ford Township was known as Birmingham Township, Delaware County, and the name was changed to allow the township to correspond to both its...
, owns a commissioned landscape by MacLellan as well.
Other Interests
Charles A. MacLellan’s hobbies included gardeningGardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
, golfing, and occasionally acquiring antique furniture
Antique furniture
Antique furniture is the term for collectible interior furnishings of considerable age. Often its age, rarity, condition, utility, or other unique features makes a piece of furniture desirable as a collectors' item, and thus termed an "antique"....
on behalf of the Winterthur Museum in Winterthur, Delaware
Winterthur, Delaware
Winterthur is an unincorporated community in northern New Castle County, Delaware, United States. It lies at the intersection of Delaware Routes 92 and 100, north of the city of Wilmington, the county seat of New Castle County. Its elevation is 269 feet...
. In fact, in 1926, he was chairman of an exhibition presented by the Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts entitled "Early American Furniture."
MacLellan was also a member of the Accessions Committee at the Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts from 1943 until 1958, and he taught at the Studio Group, located at Howard Pyle’s old studio, from 1943 until his death in 1961.
After his death, a memorial exhibition was held at 1305 North Franklin Street, from December 3 through December 17, 1961. Thirty-three works of art were displayed, including items on loan from the Delaware Art Museum, as well as items from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Caesar Grasselli, Mr. and Mrs. David Stockwell, Mr. and Mrs. Lammot du Pont Copeland
Lammot du Pont Copeland
Lammot du Pont Copeland son of Charles Copeland and Louisa d'Andelot du Pont . They were married February 16, 1904 at St. Amour in Wilmington, Delaware...
, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Bissell, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. A. Worth, and Mr. and Mrs. George Bissell.