SKU: p0651

Portraits of Childhood - -Sweet Dreams- by Thornton Utz. Second issue in the collection. by Viletta,1982. Plate size approx 8.5 inches. Suggested Retail $55.00

Most children have a special, comforting nighttime routine which guarantees them -Sweet Dreams.- And for this little girl, the bedtime ritual requires that she be tucked in with her favorite doll—a blue-eyed charmer which is almost as endearing as the pretty child herself.

Thornton Utz, America's favorite child portraitist, says that once he conceived of the idea of painting this little girl before bedtime, her portrait was completed almost overnight. -I tried several ideas, as I usually do. And I referred to the stacks of photos we'd taken of this little lady. Then I sketched her this way, hugging her favorite doll—and the idea took hold. It was the only way to portray her!-
-I like the portrait because it's so white,- Thornton Utz continues. He finds the purity of the painting very refreshing. And the pastel background makes the deep blue eyes of the little girl and her doll all the more outstanding.
An observer of Thornton Utz and his heartwarming child-subject work might be surprised to learn that this is his -third career- in a varied and interesting lifetime. After training in one of Chicago's finest art schools, Utz taught at the Art Institute of Chicago and apprenticed in various studios before he -caught on- as a magazine illustrator. He moved to Westport, Connecticut and then to Sarasota, Florida, and made his living painting covers and story illustrations for nearly every major publication. He is one of the classic Saturday Evening Post cover illustrators, sharing that distinction with J.C. Leyendecker, Norman Rockwell and John Clymer among others.

When the market for magazine illustrations -cooled,- Utz began a successful map-making business in Florida, illustrating the attractions and roads for local tourists. Meanwhile he painted varied subjects for his own enjoyment, and exhibited at fine galleries in many cities.

Finally one day a man convinced Utz to do a portrait of his grandchildren, even though the artist protested that he could not -work to order- like that. The man insisted, asking Utz simply to do a fine art painting with the children as part of it. Fourteen portraits later, Utz decided that he had found a new -calling.- He has been doing child-subject portraits ever since!

-Sweet Dreams- is the second issue in an annual series of Portraits of Childhood plates created of fine Viletta china for The Hamilton Collection. The limited edition plate is a faithful rendering of Utz's lovely original, rimmed in pure, 24 K gold and fully documented with a Certificate of Authenticity.