Landscape with Willow

Here we have an unfinished landscape watercolor by John R. Neill showing softly rolling wills, a beautiful willow, and a lake in the distance. 

"Landscape with Willow" by John R. Neill   $500.00 SOLD

"Landscape with Willow"

John R. Neill (American) 1877-1943 
Watercolor on heavy watercolor paper, (unfinished and unsigned).
Image size: 22.5 x 14.75"
Board size: 22.5" x 14.75"
$500.00   SOLD

Click here to see this painting on our sales page

Only the central section with the willow seems to be an a near finished state. The rest of the painting is only loosely begun with various color washes and light pencil work. Matted and framed properly the painting could be extremely attractive even given its unfinished state.

Center detail of "Landscape with Willow" by John R. Neill.

The painting is in good condition with only some light soiling to the edges. The back has a few mathematical scribbles in Neill's hand and he has also been working on some lettering for his eldest daughter's name "NATALIE" for an unknown purpose.

Back of "Landscape with Willow" by John R. Neill.

Please visit our on-line store featuring many wonderful original paintings, pen-and-inks, and other wonderful drawings by John R. Neill!

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Fairies in the Forest

In today's blog we look at a lovely and ethereal landscape with four fairy-like figures frolicking at the edge of a pale blue lake.

"The Silver Glade" original painting by John R. Neill $1800.00

"The Silver Glade" + Bonus Drawing on back.

John R. Neill (American) 1877-1943

Gouache, watercolor, colored pencil on paper mounted to illustration board, signed "JRN"

Image size: 8.75 x 11"

Board size: 11.25" x 14.25"

$1800

Click here to see this painting on our sales page

This seems to be a piece Neill did for his own pleasure, with no indications it was ever published.
The silvery trees in the foreground are pure Neill - as is the vibrant yet subtle color palette.  

Detail from "The Silver Glade" by John R. Neill

Neill has signed the painting at lower right with his initials "JRN." 

The drawing is in fine condition on a sheet of paper which is mounted to a larger piece of illustration board. 

There is a wonderful BONUS DRAWING on the back of the illustration board.  It shows a handsome young man in a wheel chair, drawn and painted in sepia ink.  

Sepia illustration on the back of "The Silver Glade" by John R. Neill CLICK TO ENLARGE

An irregular glue remnant forms a rectangle that crosses through the bonus artwork of the young man.The subtlety and detail are wonderful!

CLICK TO ENLARGE

A paper conservator might be able to separate the plies of the illustration board, resulting in two frame-able images.

Please visit our on-line store featuring many wonderful original paintings, pen-and-inks, and other wonderful drawings by John R. Neill!

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"The Oz Parade"

One of the highlights of this collection is this extraordinary Oz painting by John R. Neill. Wonderfully impressionistic, the painting shows a parade of all the main Oz characters: Jack Pumpkinhead, the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow. Tik-Tok, Glinda the Good riding the Hungry Tiger, Ozma and Dorothy riding the Cowardly Lion, with the Patchwork Girl and the Wizard of Oz himself bringing up the rear!

"The Oz Parade" (1936) watercolor by John R. Neill $8000.00

"The Oz Parade" (1936

John R. Neill (American) 1877-1943

Watercolor, gouache, and metallic silver ink on paper, unsigned

Image size: 6" x 9.5"

Paper size: 11.25" x 14.5

 $8000.00 SOLD

Click here to see this drawing on our sales page

This painting is one of the final color studies for a large-scale commission Neill did for the Lufkin family in the summer of 1936. There are at least six studies known to survive with this being one of the more finished. This magical Oz painting is on thick paper done in watercolor, gouache, and pencil, and is further enhanced with metallic silver ink on the Tin Woodman and on the border. It's rather reminiscent of Neill's use of metallic ink in the early printings of The Emerald City of Oz (1910).

Note the silver metallic ink highlighting the Tin Woodman.

The painting is very loose, feeling almost effortless, yet captures the personality of each character with a minimum of line. Look at Tik-Tok's face as he gazes up at Glinda, and the resigned dignity of the Hungry Tiger and his wonderful purple stripes!

Detail from "The Oz Parade" (1936) by John R. Neill.

Neill experimented with a red line for the border (see right hand side of image) but decided against it. He has marked it with pencil and written the word, "out."

The drawing is in very good condition, though there is some very light soiling to the surface of the image area. There is some staining in the margin area and a Neill family inventory label at upper left corner.  The back of the paper has a landscaping design drawn in pencil.

Back of "The Oz Parade" (1936) showing landscaping sketch by Neill.

We have many fine original drawings by John R. Neill on our sales site: Pen-and-ink, watercolors, pencil drawings, and some additional Oz material, too, with more being added every couple weeks.

Come check it all out at

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Ships, Ahoy!

John R. Neill seems to have loved painting the ocean, seascapes, rolling waves, and, of course, boats. The Oz books gave him many chances to do so, too. Neill got many an opportunity to draw such things - from the large waves at the opening of Ozma of Oz (1907) when Dorothy and Billina are tossed overboard with a chicken coop, the many oceanic images from Rinkitink in Oz (1916) and on to Ruth Plumly Thompson's two sea-faring Oz titles Pirates in Oz (1931) and Captain Salt in Oz (1936) not to mention Thompson's Curious Cruise of Captain Santa (1926).

But Neill also enjoyed painting seascapes and sailboats for his own pleasure such as this handsome painting:

"Sailboats - Miami, '34" by John R. Neill  $1000.00

"Sailboats,  Miami '34" (1934)

John R. Neill (American) 1877-1943

Watercolor on paper, signed "JNO R NEILL MIAMI 34"

Image size: 9" x 12.5"

Paper size: 9" x 12.5"
$1000.00

CLICK HERE to see this painting on our sales page

Here we have a beautifully atmospheric watercolor featuring two sailboats, perhaps a yacht race, by John R. Neill. The painting is slightly rippled - either from the original watercolor, or with age. This painting was framed for many years in the Neill home. It has faded a bit over time (see the darker bottom edge of the painting previously covered by a matte). 

The painting is signed at top left "JNO R NEILL Miami 34." 

The painting was probably adhered to a piece of illustration board at one time and since been removed. A large adhesion of peeled illustration board is present on the back of the watercolor paper - not adversely affecting the image.

Toward the end of 1933 the Neill family was feeling the pinch of the Great Depression. Neill's well-paying magazine work was drying up and his only steady income was from the Oz books. So Neill decided to rent out his New York City home (furnished with his antiques) and move his family to Florida for the Winter. They took a house on Palm Island (near Miami Beach). 

This is a lovely and affordable painting by John R. Neill. One can easily imagine this view from the deck of the Crescent Moon, looking out over the blue green waves of the Nonestic Ocean!

We have many other fine original drawings by John R. Neill on the website!

Come check it all out at

www.johnrneill.com