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The “Secrets of Monticello” oil painting by well-known artist Dean Morrissey, will be on display at an opening event at Gallery One, an art gallery located in Mentor, Ohio, on Friday, December 4, 2015.The “Secrets of Monticello” painting depicts the controversial relationship between Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings. The relationship is purported to have resulted in six children.
An anonymous art appreciator, fascinated by the Jefferson-Hemings story, commissioned Morrissey to paint the artwork, that took two months to create and was completed earlier in 2015.
A donation of a signed giclee, a high-quality reproduction of the original painting, will be accepted into the library at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville, Virginia, and a national historic landmark.
“It is my hope that viewers of the painting will come away with a sense of not the Jefferson carved in rock, but instead Jefferson, the private human being who lived his life true to himself and true to his heart,” explained Morrissey. “Perhaps this painting will provoke dialogue about the mystery of the relationship and the conflict between Jefferson’s words and actions.”
According to Morrisey, who conducted research before picking up his paintbrush, “This painting was my interpretation of this contentious relationship. I came away from this project with great respect and admiration for Thomas Jefferson and I honestly felt that the relationship that he had with Sally was genuine. The pose between Jefferson and Sally is somewhat hyperbolic in that Jefferson appears to be stepping forward into the future with Sally right behind him, yet at his side, as if they are looking to the future together.”
Although there are no documented photos of Sally Hemings, Morrissey chose a model to ensure that he had the best possible representation of Hemings. “I believe Sally Hemings to be a very intelligent woman with great insight and a quiet confidence,” added Morrissey.
Morrissey, a self-taught artist, who was a commercial illustrator in New York City for more than 10 years, created the art piece using traditional techniques used by the masters with oil, canvas and brushes.
The opening event on Dec. 4, 2015, will be held from 6 – 9 p.m. with an informal lecture at 7 p.m. at Gallery One, located at 7003 Center Street (Route 615) in Mentor, Ohio. For more information on attending the opening event or purchasing a giclee of “Secrets of Monticello,” visit http://www.galleryone.com or call 440.255.1200 or 800.621.1141 or email, art@galleryone.com.
For more information on the association between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, visit: http://www.history.com/topics/sally-hemings.
About Gallery One
Located in Mentor, Ohio, Gallery One features an 18,000-square-foot showroom, custom framing facilities, warehouses and corporate offices. More than 30,000 limited-edition prints, original paintings, sculptures, books, collector plates, posters and porcelain figurines are on display. Established in 1974, Gallery One is one of America's largest art sources. Representing more than 1,000 nationally known artists and art publishers, Gallery One offers an unequaled selection of artwork for collectors and interior designers. http://www.galleryone.com.
About Dean Morrissey
Since childhood, growing up in Boston, Dean Morrissey has been drawing and creating characters. Inspired by Disney matte paintings and comic book heroes early on, he grew to appreciate the works of the masters, such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Pyle and N.C. Wyeth.
Morrissey worked a variety of jobs until deciding to paint full time in the late 1970s. He worked as a freelance book cover illustrator for over 15 different publishers in New York and won numerous awards. A self-taught artist, Morrissey considers the demands of cover illustration to have been his “art school.” In 1991, Morrissey began to paint some images from a story that he was creating. His books include Ship of Dreams Harry N Abrams/Mill Pond Press (1994), The Great Kettles: A Tale of Time Harry N Abrams (1997), The Song of Celestine Little, Brown and Co. (1998), The Christmas Ship HarperCollins (2000), A Christmas Carol Greenwich Workshop Press (2000), The Moon Robber HarperCollins (2001), The Winter King HarperCollins (2002) and The Monster Trap HarperCollins (2004).
His awards include The Society of Illustrators Gold Medal for The Great Kettles, The Chesley Award for The Light Ship (2002) and The Chesley Award for Anna of the Celts (2003).
Morrissey lives with his wife Shan and his son on the South Shore of Massachusetts. He has been represented by Gallery One since the early 1990s.
Name: Nancy Valent
Email: art@galleryone.com
Phone: 800-621-1141
Company: Gallery One
Contact Info:
Name: Nancy Valent
Email: Send Email
Organization: Gallery One
Website: http://www.galleryone.com
Release ID: 97844
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