“Dinner Party” by McCullough Partee, En Grisaille, Oil on Canvas, ca. 1930
Please join us at Frame Gallery on Friday, March 22 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. for the opening of "McCullough Partee: American Illustrator," a captivating exhibition featuring the works of McCullough Partee, a prominent figure in American illustration.
The exhibition will display a collection of oil paintings and illustration boards dating back to the 1930s, offering a glimpse into Partee’s remarkable talent and the illustration techniques of the time.
"McCullough Partee: American Illustrator" will be on display at Frame Gallery from the opening reception on March 22 through April 20.
About McCullough Partee
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, McCullough Partee (1900-1989) spent most of his life in his hometown. He received his education in illustration from institutions in Chicago and New York City, notably the Grand Central School of Art, where he earned recognition by winning the first-place medal for his outstanding oil painting titled "Kentucky Moonshiner," a highlight of our exhibition.
Partee's legacy extends beyond his artistic endeavors, as he has familial ties to the Sewanee community. His daughter, Anne Lorenz, made Sewanee her home for the majority of her adult life, where she lived and worked. Additionally, his other daughter, Elizabeth, currently resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Elizabeth and his cousin Al Partee will be on hand to talk about the artist's life at the reception on March 22 at Frame Gallery.
Partee's illustrious career took him to New York City, where he contributed illustrations to esteemed national magazines such as Liberty, Colliers, People's Home Journal, Country Gentleman, and Christian Herald. His illustrations often accompanied serialized stories featured in these publications.
Upon returning to Nashville, Partee continued to leave his mark on the illustration world, working with notable clients such as the Baptist Sunday School Board, The Methodist Publishing House, and Southern Agriculturist/Farm and Ranch Magazine. His tenure with the latter spanned from 1935 to 1961, during which he served in various capacities, culminating in his role as art director and vice president.
Predominantly created during the era of the Great Depression, the works featured in Frame Gallery’s exhibition demonstrate Partee's mastery of the grisaille technique. Utilizing a monochromatic palette of grays, blacks, and other neutral tones, Partee's illustrations reflected the economic constraints of the time, where color was a luxury in publishing. Despite these challenges, Partee's skillful use of light, shadow, and composition brought his subjects to life, captivating audiences with his evocative imagery.
