We are pleased to announce the acquisition of an additional painting by Dixie Art Colony artist Arthur Walter Stewart for the DAC Foundation collection. "This large still-life painting helps us round out our collection of works by Stewart," said Mark Harris. In addition to portraits and landscape paintings, Stewart is well-known for his substantial floral still-life paintings. To fully appreciate the painting, it is necessary to examine the details. Two cropped detail images are shown below.
It's always interesting to explore a painting's history or provenance. This large work of art was purchased from a collector in Texas and gifted by DAC Foundation founder and director Mark Harris in memory of DOROTHY BOWMAN FRANKLIN, 1936-2019. Based on the inscription on the reverse side of the painting and other evidence, it appears that Mrs. Pio (Florence) Crespi commissioned the painting in April of 1972 for display in her European-style mansion in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of North Dallas, Texas. The European-style, 27,092-square-foot mansion was listed on the market in 2016 for $100 million.
According to a 2013 article in The Dallas Morning News, "Italian-born tycoon Count Pio Crespi and his American-born wife Florence were jet-setters before there were jets. The couple moved to Dallas from Waco, the town where he first established a Texas branch of his family's Milan-based business."
Sources: DAC Foundation Archives, Personal interviews, "The Dallas Morning News," MansionGlobal.com
ARTHUR W. STEWART, 1915-2001, Apple Blossoms, Tulips, & Cornflowers–With Nine Butterflies, watercolor, gouache, and ink on paper, 30 x 22 inches; AWS-2021.AW.0002 | Dixie Art Colony Collection
Shown is a 2016 photograph of the Crespi Estate, once home to this painting. In 2016, the property was listed for $100 million. Source: MansionGlobal.com
Based on the inscription on the reverse side of the painting and other evidence, it appears that Mrs. Pio (Florence) Crespi commissioned the painting in April of 1972. We assume the deliberate use of the "Nine Butterflies" in the composition and the title are symbolic. The number nine is the number of completion and fulfillment and a symbol of wisdom and leadership.
According to legend, while Arthur Stewart was living in Birmingham, Alabama, he had a group of ladies that worked with him to prepare large floral arrangements for his still-life paintings. Stewart's painting of this particular arrangement is held in the collection of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. | AWS-2019.PH.0003 | DAC Foundation Archives
ARTHUR W. STEWART, 1915-2001, (DETAIL) Apple Blossoms, Tulips, & Cornflowers–With Nine Butterflies, watercolor, gouache, and ink on paper, 30 x 22 inches; AWS-2021.AW.0002
ARTHUR WALTER STEWART, 1915-2001, (DETAIL) Apple Blossoms, Tulips, & Cornflowers–With Nine Butterflies, watercolor, gouache, and ink on paper, 30 x 22 inches; AWS-2021.AW.0002
Follow this link to learn more about Arthur Walter Stewart.
Dixie Art Colony Foundation, Wetumpka, Alabama