Question 1

True or false: Parrish created most of his paintings using only watercolors, never oils.

Accepted Answer

False. He primarily used oil paint, often mixed with varnishes and glazes, to achieve his trademark luminous, enamel-like finish.

Question 2

True or false: Parrish's painting 'Daybreak' is the most reproduced art print of the 20th century.

Accepted Answer

True. 'Daybreak' (1922) sold millions of prints, surpassing even Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' in reproduction numbers during the century.

Question 3

True or false: Parrish was a recluse who never exhibited his work in major museums during his lifetime.

Accepted Answer

False. He exhibited widely, including at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Pennsylvania Academy, though he shunned the New York art scene.

Question 4

True or false: Maxfield Parrish originally trained as an architect before becoming a painter.

Accepted Answer

True. He studied architecture at Haverford College and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, which influenced his precise, geometric compositions.

Question 5

True or false: Parrish never used models; his figures were entirely imagined from his mind.

Accepted Answer

False. He frequently used live models, including his muse Susan Lewin, who posed for many of his iconic female figures.

Question 6

True or false: Parrish's father was a well-known painter, which inspired his early artistic career.

Accepted Answer

True. His father, Stephen Parrish, was a successful etcher and painter, and Maxfield often accompanied him on sketching trips.

Question 7

True or false: Parrish's famous blue skies were achieved using a custom paint called 'Parrish Blue'.

Accepted Answer

True. He mixed cobalt blue with other pigments and glazes to create a luminous, patented hue that became synonymous with his work.

Question 8

True or false: Parrish's work was largely ignored after his death in 1966 until a revival in the 1990s.

Accepted Answer

False. His popularity never fully waned; a major revival actually began in the 1970s with a retrospective at the Currier Museum of Art.

Maxfield Parrish Trivia Questions