{"id":359,"date":"2013-11-03T18:05:33","date_gmt":"2013-11-03T18:05:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/highstreethill.org\/?page_id=359"},"modified":"2018-05-15T17:32:45","modified_gmt":"2018-05-15T17:32:45","slug":"dewing-murals-at-76-high-street","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/highstreethill.org\/?page_id=359","title":{"rendered":"Dewing Murals at 76 High Street"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\"295-18-00-01\"<\/p>\n

Since 1979 my husband and I have lived in the “weird” house
\non High Street with the gargoyles and sunflowers.
\nIt was designed by Clarence Luce and was built in 1880 for Mr. Edward Stanwood,
\npublisher of “Youth’s Companion,” a popular periodical.
\nQueen Anne Revival in style, its exterior explodes with decorative details
\ncomposed from a variety of materials including brick, rusticated granite,
\nterra cotta, slate and fish scale shingles.
\nElaborately cast designs known as grotesques adorn the main fa\u00e7ade while
\nfantastic carved wooden gargoyles peer down from the eaves.
\nIt its time, the house became known as “the house covered with sunflowers and devils.”<\/p>\n

When we moved into the house, we were told that there were four original murals
\nunderneath the wallpaper in the front hall, and that these murals were done
\nby the same artist who had designed a stained glass window near the front door.
\nSome research led to American artist Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851-1938),
\nwho was born in Boston, studied in Paris and later worked in New York and Boston.
\nHe is well-known for depicting women of the day in elegant dresses,
\noften in pre-Raphaelite style. We learned that Dewing was also commissioned
\nby the Stanwood family to paint an oil, called “The Spinner,”
\nto be hung above the large fireplace in our parlour room.
\nThe year after the house was built Dewing showed both the stained glass window
\n(executed by one Frank Hill Smith) and “The Spinner” at the St. Botolph Club in Boston.
\nIt was fun to discover this, as my husband is a member of this club!
\nUnfortunately, “The Spinner” now is owned by the Brigham Young University Museum,
\nhaving been sold by the heirs of Mr. Stanwood.<\/p>\n

\"img_2499\"
\n\"img_2497\"<\/p>\n

To learn more, we contacted Dr Susan Hobbs, a research associate,
\nwho had been working on a Thomas Dewing catalog raisonn\u00e9 for the Smithsonian.
\nShe came to see the stained glass, and asked us to contact her if the paper
\nwas ever removed from the hallway.<\/p>\n

When we were ready to begin the restoration project we contacted
\nthe Society for Preservation of New England Antiquities who put us in touch
\nwith Sara B. Chase, Preservation Consultant.
\nShe did some exploratory work on the murals underneath the wallpaper,
\nas well as on the ceiling and cornice paints. She then removed the layers
\nof wallpaper, and the surfaces were cleaned.
\nTwo Dewing standing ladies appeared, one on each side of the hallway,
\nclassically draped and holding cymbals.<\/p>\n

\"img_2502\"<\/p>\n

Of great surprise was the decoration uncovered in the vestibule.
\nThere the entire area was stenciled with yellow sunbursts overlapping
\non the light olive ground.
\nOn the south wall is a whimsical decoration consisting of butterflies,
\nblossoms and a swag with a tiny faceless nude reclining.
\nSara subsequently restored the rest of the hallway (mainly the ceiling and cornices)
\nto the original paint colors and decorations with the help of a young decorative painter
\nnamed Lars Michelson (he now has a
\nrestoration business<\/a> on Cape Cod).
\nDr Hobbs was delighted to see the Dewings when she came up to Boston!<\/p>\n

We love living in the house “of sunflowers and devils”
\nand try hard to keep it in the “spirit” of 1880.<\/p>\n

— Diana Post & Hal Churchill<\/p>\n

Additional material on Thomas Wilmer Dewing:
\nWikipedia<\/a> (encyclopedia)
\nBert Christensen’s CyberSpace Gallery<\/a> (images)
\nArtcyclopedia<\/a> (gallery links)<\/p>\n

Further reading:
\nSusan A. Hobbs and Barbara Dayer Gallati,
\n
\nArt of Thomas Wilmer Dewing: Beauty Reconfigured<\/em><\/a>
\n\"\"
\n(Smithsonian Press, 1996). (Out of print)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since 1979 my husband and I have lived in the “weird” house on High Street with the gargoyles and sunflowers. It was designed by Clarence Luce and was built in 1880 for Mr. Edward Stanwood, publisher of “Youth’s Companion,” a … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":45,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/highstreethill.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/359"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/highstreethill.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/highstreethill.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highstreethill.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highstreethill.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=359"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/highstreethill.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/359\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":372,"href":"https:\/\/highstreethill.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/359\/revisions\/372"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highstreethill.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/45"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/highstreethill.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}