Richard Mayhew (American, b. 1924). “Friday,” 1982. Oil on canvas. Collection of the Hudson River Museum. Gift of Dr. Thomas A. Mathews, 1987 (87.16.1). © Richard Mayhew.
The HRM is deeply saddened to learn about the passing of artist Richard Mayhew at the age of 100. Mayhew was a visionary artist who redefined the genre of landscape painting during a career that spanned over seven decades.
His works didn’t depict actual scenes or places, but featured “mindscapes” or imaginary landscapes that are moody and emphasize his deeply felt spiritual connection to the land. He was also the last surviving member of the Spiral group, an influential African American art collective that promoted civil rights as well as artistic freedom and equality.
You can see this painting by Mayhew from the HRM Collections on view now at the Sugar Hill Museum as a part of “Order / Reorder: Experiments with Collections.”
