Above: Full View

Above: Artist signature

Above: Detail

Above: Another view

This nostalgic oil and graphite on illustration board, offers a peek into the early days of automotive touring. Bill Medcalf created this as a final presentation painting for one of Brown & Bigelow’s historically themed 12 month Americana calendars. In their finest Sunday clothes, a family taking a jaunt in their 1908-era Ford Model T find themselves lost on a country road. Bringing many of the classic archetypes of early motoring together, the male driver of the car refuses to look at the map his wife is consulting, while a farmer (who has likely never seen a car before) directs them in exactly the opposite direction than they were headed. These many little touches turn this painting into such a touching scene rather than just a sentimental look back. Medcalf’s power at evoking the past, and his deft artistry made him one of Brown & Bigelow’s star artist’s throughout the 1950s.

Above: Another detail

Above: Framed