Above: Main view

Above: The artist’s signature lower left

During the 50s, Bil Medcalf was one of Brown & Bigelow’s star illustrators, creating 12 page calendar series based around themes of classic Americana. Here, he evokes a county fair, with sideshow attractions and a boy enjoying his first ride on a horse, as his family beams with pride. The scene evokes a vision of a simpler time, and a patriotic and nostalgic sense of 19th century America. This large, colorful, highly expressive oil on board with graphite highlights was created as the final preliminary painting for a published Brown & Bigelow calendar image. Each month likely celebrated a different seasonal landmark.

Above: Detail view

Above: Another view

Above: Framed in a period 1950s simple wood frame