Tom Lydon: Thornton Wilder

Artist: Tom Lydon
1944 -
Nationality: American
Artwork Year: 1997
Image Size: 12 by 14 inches
Overall Size: 15.875 by 20 inches
Medium: Chalk on Construction Paper

"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it -- every, every minute?" asks a character in Thornton Wilder's beloved play Our Town. "No," answers the commentator, "The saints and the poets, maybe -- they do some." Like his insightful characters, Wilder may not have been able to realize life minute by minute, but he was certainly successful in accomplishing significant literary achievements over the course of his lifetime. Although Wilder's first novel, The Cabala (1926), was praised in literary circles, his second, The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927), was both a critical and a popular success, winning instant international acclaim and the Pulitzer Prize. Shifting his attentions to theater, Wilder was again awarded the Pulitzer, with the production of the minimalistic and poetic Our Town (1937). Wilder's muse was in full bloom when he received the Pulitzer a third time in 1943 for his complex and rewarding play The Skin of Our Teeth. Both of his prize-winning plays are unorthodox in the use of few props, no scenery and no discernible course of action, yet they are considered classics of American theater. Wilder's literary merits were recognized again in 1968 with the bestowal of the National Book Award for his novel The Eighth Day. Wilder's enduring popularity is partly due to his audience's willingness to identify with two prevalent themes in his works -- an original view of mankind and the abiding belief in the joys of living.

This painting originally appeared on the Fleetwood® First Day Cover of the Literary Arts Series 32¢ Thornton Wilder stamp issued April 17, 1997.

Artwork Copyright © 1997 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.

Our Stock Number (SKU): XB15642

US$ Price: $1,000.00

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