Skip to main content
  • Want more images or videos?
    Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 6

Mead Schaeffer
Head Tide, Good Housekeeping, Story Illustration

1932

$69,000

About

Medium: Oil on Canvas Signature: Signed Lower Right A close friend of Norman Rockwell, Mead Schaeffer focused his early career on illustrations for classic, historical, and adventure novels, including Moby Dick, The Count of Monte Christo, and King Arthur and His Knights. The featured lot, a masterpiece of political intrigue, was published as a story illustration for Joseph C. Lincoln's novel Head Tide, serialized in Good Housekeeping in 1932. Set in the fictional town of Wellmouth, Cape Cod, in the late 1870s, Head Tide centers on the efforts of the local newspaper owner to present in an unbiased fashion the platforms of the Republican candidates running for a seat in the Massachusetts Legislature. Primarily at stake are the interests of Wellmouth's elite -- the Four Cornersmen -- versus those of the town's shipping class -- the South Siders. This particular illustration for Head Tide depicts a critical moment in the Republican caucus, organized to nominate a candidate for the House of Representatives and to elect delegates to the state convention. Grouped in front of a monumental American flag are the key members of the Four Corners establishment: with his signature grey beard, powerful Joel "Judge" Dean, the town's leading attorney and the chairman of the Republican committee; earnestly leaning toward Dean, Cornelius Haven, the local bank cashier and committee secretary; and seated, venerable Manasseh Eldredge, the wealthy shop owner. Flanking these central figures are other members of the Four Corners Republican guard, whose distinction and influence Schaeffer emphasizes in their formal suits and upright stature. Nonetheless, the group expresses collective worry at this moment, as a caucus member from the working-class South Side challenges their proposed list of delegates and threatens to foil their political victory: "The tumult and disorder spread, and after a whispered consultation with Cornelius Haven, Judge Dean rose and pounded with his gavel. 'A moment,' he shouted. 'Mr. Haven has a word to say. Will you grant him the courtesy of silence?'" (M. Schaeffer, Head Tide, New York, 1932, p. 236).

Details

  • Creator
    Mead Schaeffer (1898 - 1980)
  • Creation Year
    1932
  • Dimensions
    Height: 38.25 in. (97.16 cm)Width: 28 in. (71.12 cm)
  • Medium
    Canvas,Oil
  • Period
    1930-1939
  • Condition
  • Gallery Location
    Fort Washington, PA
  • Reference Number
    1stDibs: LU38436748322

Shipping & Returns

  • Shipping
    Rates vary by destination and complexity. We recommend this shipping type based on item size, type and fragility.
    Ships From: Fort Washington, PA
  • Return Policy

    A return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.

1stDibs Buyer Protection Guaranteed
If your item arrives not as described, we’ll work with you and the seller to make it right. Learn more
About the Seller
5 / 5
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Vetted Seller
These experienced sellers undergo a comprehensive evaluation by our team of in-house experts.
Established in 1995
1stDibs seller since 2016
61 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 4 hours
More From This Seller

You May Also Like

Music Room
By Kobie Bosch
Located in North Sydney, AU
The French Cubists used the still life to prove that the picture plane could fracture and transform everyday objects into new ways of seeing. The dawn of Australian Modernism was spe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Interior Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Music Room

Kobie Bosch
Music Room, 2021

$4,425
Important Italian Painting The Countess Gallo By Giacomo Grosso 1918
By Giacomo Grosso
Located in Rome, IT
Fabulous Italian Painting signed By Giacomo Grosso 1918. Depicting Countess Gallo, aristocratic beauty of the Italian "Belle Epoque " Giltwood Frame of the period. Giacomo Gross...
Category

Early 20th Century Art Deco Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Important Italian Painting The Countess Gallo By Giacomo Grosso 1918

Giacomo Grosso
Important Italian Painting The Countess Gallo By Giacomo Grosso 1918, 1918

$65,322
Oil on Canvas “BS Trust” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
“BS Trust” is 50” x 40”. Frank Arnold’s paintings exhibit the highest quality materials for a truly archival piece, created to last generations. Much of Frank Arnold’s work is sourc...
Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oil on Canvas “BS Trust” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold

Frank Arnold
Oil on Canvas “BS Trust” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold

$12,800
Oil on Canvas “Arroyo 14” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
" Arroyo 14" is 72” x 60”. A rich sienna and ochre figure centered on a textured field of light yellows and beige. Frank Arnold’s paintings exhibit the highest quality materials for ...
Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oil on Canvas “Arroyo 14” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold

Frank Arnold
Oil on Canvas “Arroyo 14” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold

$68,000
Oil on Canvas “Blake’s Wish” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
"Blake’s Wish" is 60” x 48”. Solo female figure Dominant colors are black, white and deep crimson red.. Frank Arnold’s paintings exhibit the highest quality materials for a truly arc...
Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oil on Canvas “Blake’s Wish” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold

Frank Arnold
Oil on Canvas “Blake’s Wish” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold

$42,800
Oil on Canvas “850” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
"850" is 72” x 60”. The smokey greens, greys and blues are combined in the heavy hand, brush and knife strokes which characterize much of this artist’s work. Frank Arnold’s paintings...
Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oil on Canvas “850” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold

Frank Arnold
Oil on Canvas “850” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold

$78,000
Oil on Canvas “Black 5” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
" Black 5" is 36” x 36”. Solo figure, head and shoulders in bold white outline. Frank Arnold’s paintings exhibit the highest quality materials for a truly archival piece, created to ...
Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oil on Canvas “Black 5” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold

Frank Arnold
Oil on Canvas “Black 5” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold

$7,800
Oil on Canvas “Blue Shadow” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
"Blue Shadow" is 60” x 48”. Ghostly figure in blue outlines against bright orange, beige and white. Frank Arnold’s paintings exhibit the highest quality materials for a truly archiva...
Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oil on Canvas “Blue Shadow” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold

Frank Arnold
Oil on Canvas “Blue Shadow” by abstract-figurative artist, Frank Arnold

$28,000

The 1stDibs Promise

Learn More

Expertly Vetted Sellers

Confidence at Checkout

Price-Match Guarantee

Exceptional Support

Buyer Protection

Insured Global Delivery

More Ways To Browse

1930 Oil Painting
1930s Head
1930s Illustration
Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping Illustrations
Cuba Paintings
Oil Painting Indian
Blonde Art
Japanese Ink Art
Holy Art
American Wpa
Painting Of Female
View All Popular Figurative Paintings Searches