Newell Convers Wyeth (1882-1945)

The present work was originally painted as an illustration for Roy Norton's fictional story in The Sunday Magazine titled "Hardpan & Co." The title of the painting is inspired by a quote from the first installment of the story, "There was one enthusiastic group out there (on the porch of rustic hotel), hovering around an old man whose long, flowing, snow-white beard shone through the dimness." (R. Norton, "Hardpan & Co.," The Sunday Magazine, August 3, 1913, p. 3) The elderly man described in the story and painted in the present work is identified as a conservationist by the name of John Brewer. In the story, John Brewer meets the young man and hero of the story, John King, and the two go for a walk on the beach of the lake near the hotel where John Brewer delivers his speech about protecting the wilderness.
We wish to thank Christine Podmaniczky for her assistance with cataloguing this lot.