W. FERDINAND MACY (1852-1901): PAINTER OF NEW ENGLAND LANDSCAPES

Many others are gems and well worth the visit of art lovers.  Among those which give great promise are the harmonious and rare pieces of coloring which bear the name of W.  Ferdinand Macy.  His genius for color has been coveted by older and better known painters.  Three of his pictures have been sold within a week from this gallery.71  To be lauded together with the great Bierstadt must have buoyed Ferdinand’s spirits immensely because, as will be next read, he so threw himself into his work that 1886 became one of his most productive years.  During June, 1886, the New Bedford Evening Standard printed a notice about Ellis’s Fine Art Rooms that states “Mr. W. Ferdinand Macy places several paintings in the gallery to-day ... ‘Nantucket Commons in Autumn,’ painted to order for Dr. C.D. Prescott, and studies of ‘Tulips’ and ‘Poppies.’ ”72  Further mention of the collection at Ellis’s reads “An attractive exhibition of paintings by W. Ferdinand Macy, William Baylies, Jr., Charles H. Gifford, and other artists is now in the gallery.”73  Both Baylies, Jr. and Gifford were well-known contemporaries of Ferdinand, and are essayed, with illustrations of their work, in Blasdale’s superb compendium on New Bedford artists.7  In July, the Evening Standard added “W. Ferdinand Macy has three new canvases, in addition to those already noticed [at Ellis’s], ‘Shore Scene near Nonquitt,’ ‘An Interior’ and ‘A Tree Study near the Sea-shore.’   Mr. Macy’s paintings have attracted much attention.”74  A week later, further mention of works by W.F. Macy, Baylies and Gifford appeared in the Evening Standard, and on July 17 that newspaper reported, in part, that “Ellis’s Fine Art Rooms are unusually attractive these summer months with a choice selection of oil paintings.  New ones are added frequently.  W. Ferdinand Macy has just placed an attractive canvas, Along the River Front, a local sketch, most happily chosen and exceedingly well executed.”75,76      

Throughout the summer and fall of 1886 Ferdinand was busy at his easel, completing painting after painting and exhibiting many at Ellis’s and, later in the season, at Lawton’s art gallery in New Bedford.  The August 7 issue of the Evening Standard reported that at Ellis’s Fine Art Rooms “Several paintings have been added to the collection now on exhibition: - W. Ferdinand Macy, Salt Marshes--.”77  On September 25, another notice concerning Ellis’s included the following: 

Mr. W. Ferdinand Macy has placed in the gallery today five oil paintings that he has very recently finished...An Old New England Barn, View on the west side of Point drive, The Old Orchard in October, A Bit of the Pasture, A Bridge in New Hampshire.78 

Notice of these works and their exhibition was placed also in the Nantucket Journal, which maintained continued interest even though Ferdinand was then living in New Bedford.79  About Ferdinand’s paintings, which were at this time on display at Ellis’s, the New Bedford Evening Standard opined, in part, “A superb collection of paintings is now on exhibition, embracing several pictures by William F. Macy, William Baylies, Jr., and Charles Gifford.”80  More paintings were soon on display at Lawton’s art gallery where, the Evening Standard reported, “There have been placed on exhibition a fine fruit piece by Whittaker, a dog’s head and a small marine by Harry Chase, and three pictures by Ferdinand Macy, which are remarkable both for their artistic coloring and their fidelity to nature.”81  Meanwhile, at Ellis’s, “A choice selection of Oil Paintings by Macy, Gifford, Baylies, Mrs. E.F. Smith and Miss Bigelow is now on exhibition.”82 

At the end of October, 1886, the Evening Standard reported that at Lawton’s Art Gallery, in addition to paintings of flowers by Mrs. Nelson, “Three canvases by Harry Chase, one by W.S. Macy, two by Ferdinand Macy, one by Whittaker, and one by C.H. Gifford, and a local landscape by Edmund Rodman, complete the exhibition which should be seen by every lover of the fine arts.”83  Two weeks later, the  newspaper inserted a note on events at Ellis’s Fine Art Rooms, a portion of which states that “Several important paintings have been added to the collection of paintings--.William Baylies, Jr. adds three sketches of Winter scenes, and W. Ferdinand Macy a landscape, ‘Willows.’ ”84  And, still later in November, an article about Ellis’s in the same newspaper reports:

Two large paintings by W. Ferdinand Macy will be placed in the gallery today, and may be seen by gaslight tonight.  One of these is a marine, -- a wild, tempestuous scene on the open sea; a piece of wreck floats in the foreground.  The title of the other is, “On the Edge of the Marsh,” and is a most brilliant bit of color.  We are confident that both these paintings are the best ever produced by this artist, and will materially add to his reputation. 

If not sold here, they will be sent to Boston and Philadelphia for exhibition.  Mr. Macy has already received offers on both, by two of our well-known citizens.