Artist Guy Carleton Wiggins portrayed snowy Washington Square in many of his paintings. I love this 1950 portrait of an elegant lady in red with dog with the Arch as backdrop titled Stroll in Washington Square, which was sold at Sotheby’s in 2001.
Wiggins studied with other artists of the Old Lyme Art Colony in Connecticut which was “established in 1899 by American painter Henry Ward Ranger, in its time [it was] the most famous art colony in the United States, and the first to adopt Impressionism.” In 1937, Wiggins established his own art school in the nearby town of Essex, Connecticut. Wiggins’ work is included in many collections, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum, National Gallery of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Guy Carleton Wiggins lived from 1883-1962. His son, Guy Arthur Wiggins, is now in his ’90s, and, according to a 2011 article in the New York Times on this family of painters, worked out of a studio on West 4th Street.
My father Douglas F. Scott and Guy Arthur Wiggins were close friends who not only worked alongside each other (their two names attached to the same documents) in the Headquarters of the Supreme Allied Powers post-war Japan…Upon going back to UCLA to complete their studies, Mr. Arthur joined the cosmos club, where he met my mother…He told my father he should meet her and six months later they were married…
Six children sired in the marriage…
My father passed away too soon…at just 63 years of age…I loved him very much…I suppose I want to extend my gratitude to Mr. Wiggins… A legend in our lives who now has a “life”…and a face…
Thank you for your write-up..
I very much appreciated it…Shared it with my siblings…
Sincerely,
Hilary Scott-Kitka
Berkeley, CA
Hi Hilary,
Thank you so much for writing and sharing this. You’re welcome. What an amazing story …
Thanks for sharing with your siblings. Nice to learn of another ‘side ‘ of people. What a sweet turn of events. Sorry your dad died relatively young, but it sounds like you all had a wonderful life together.
best,
Cathryn
Ed., Washington Sq Park Blog