Robert Vickrey facts for kids

Robert Remsen Vickrey (born August 26, 1926 – died April 17, 2011) was an American artist and author. He lived in Massachusetts and was famous for using an old painting method called egg tempera. His art often showed dream-like scenes. You might see sunset shadows, bicycles, nuns near painted walls, or children playing in his works.

Early Life and Education

Robert Vickrey was born in Manhattan, New York, on August 26, 1926. He grew up and later went to college.

He studied at Wesleyan University before getting a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University in 1947. After that, he spent a year in New York. He learned from artists like Reginald Marsh and Kenneth Hayes Miller at the Art Students League. He then returned to the Yale School of Fine Arts. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1950.

Artistic Career Highlights

Robert Vickrey was one of the artists who drew covers for Time magazine. This was between 1942 and 1966. This time is often called the "golden age" of Time covers.

One of his famous Time covers was a portrait of writer J.D. Salinger from 1961. This painting was later shown at the National Gallery of Art. Other artists who drew covers during this time included Boris Artzybasheff and Boris Chaliapin.

Vickrey worked with a painting style called egg tempera. This connected him to other artists like Andrew Wyeth. These artists tried to mix Surrealism (dream-like art) with Realism (showing things as they are). This style is sometimes called "Magic Realism."

In 1960, he showed his paintings at the Midtown Galleries in New York City. Later, in 1982, a special show of his art was held. It took place at the Museum of Art, Science and Industry in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

In the 1970s, Robert Vickrey also wrote two books about art. One was called New Techniques in Egg Tempera (1973). The other was Robert Vickrey: Artist at Work (1979).

Awards and Collections

Robert Vickrey's artworks are kept in many important places. These include the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. His art is also in the Brooklyn Museum and the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

In 2009, Vickrey received the Gerard Manley Hopkins Award. This award is for excellence in the arts. It was given by Fairfield University and the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. A special exhibition of his paintings was held there at the same time. It showed his art from 1951 to 2007. A book about his work, "Robert Vickrey: The Magic of Realism," was also published.

Personal Life

Robert Vickrey was married to Marjorie. They had two sons and two daughters: Scott, Elizabeth, Wendy, and Sean. After Marjorie passed away in 1997, he married Beverly Bowen Rumage.

Robert Vickrey died at his home in Naples, Florida, on April 17, 2011. He was 84 years old.

Gallery

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  Vickrey's 1957 Time cover.

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  Vickrey's 1961 Time cover of J.D. Salinger.

See also

• Andrew Wyeth
• Egg Tempera