User:Bill D. Hayes

Aaron Gunn Pyle (1909-1972) By Bill D. Hayes

Aaron Pyle was born in Towanda, Kansas but lived almost his entire life in Chappell, Nebraska. He was a student of Thomas Hart Benton in Kansas City, Missouri and adopted Benton's rhythmic Regionalist style. Pyle's paintings of the western landscape and life were frequent subjects for the "Omaha World-Herald" Sunday Magazine. Pyle was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Pyle and was one of six children. The Pyle family moved to Nebraska when Aaron was five and homesteaded in a sod house near Chappell. He took a correspondence art course in 1925-26. He graduated from Chappell High School in 1926, attened the University of Washington for two years and took courses in the Cornish Art School in Seattle for two years. He studied at the Kansas City Art Institute, with Thomas Hart Benton in 1938-41. He received encouragement to paint from his mother, Nina Gunn Pyle. He was twice married, first to  Gerra Berra, of Denver, Colorado on April 4, 1954, and then to Jerry Carneross from Stillwater, Oklahoma. Pyle farmed 128 acres west of Chappell, raising corn, alfalfa, and hogs.

According to a brief biography by Kay Fehringer, in Deuel County History,  Pyle's painting approach began with a series of sketches, preliminary drawings and grisaille studies. His first ideas were drawn in small sketches less that two inches square. Larger outline drawing were made on a grid for enlarging. These drawings were then converted to tracings that were transferred to illustration board in preparation for a monochome painting. The finished works were done in egg tempra which he liked for its quick drying properties. (Fehringer, p. 337-338)

Thomas Hart Benton once described Pyle as his most promising student. In 1970, Benton observed, "If, as people say, I am the painter of Missouri, and Grant Wood is of Iowa and John Steuart Curry is of Kansas, then as things now stand, Aaron Pyle is definitely the painter of Nebraska." (Denny, p.17)

Data in the following paragraph is taken from a list, "Aaron Gunn Pyle: Time Table" compiled by staff at the Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney, Nebraska. 1909 February 19, born in Towand, Kansas to Mr. and Mrs. William R. Pyle. 1925-1926 He enrolled in a correspondence course in cartooning. 1926 Graduated from Chappell High School. pre-1930 Pyle attended the University of Washington for two years. Also before 1930, he attended the Cornish Art School in Seattle for two years. 1938-1941 He was a student of Thomas Hart Benton. pre-1952 Exhibition. Associated American Artists in New York. pre-1952 Exhibited at Denver Art Museum. pre-1952 Exhibited at Nelson Gallery, Kansas City. 1952 Exhibition in Alliance, Nebraska. 1952 September. Exhibition in Chappell, Nebraska. 1952 November. Exhibited 25 paintings and 25 lithographs at Joslyn Art Museum. 1953 Pyle traveled with Thomas Hart Benton on a sketching tour of the Tetons, Jackson Hole, Utah and Colorado. 1954 He married Jeri Berry of Denver, Colorado (Gerra Berra?) ca. 1959-1962 Pyle was inactive as a painter. 1968 He married Jerry Garneross from Stillwater, Oklahoma. 1968 December 23. The unveiling of the mural "Windlass Hill at Ash Hollow." Lodgepole State Bank. 1972 May 9-31. One-Man show at the Old WorldArt Gallery in Kansas City. He sold 8 paintings, 6 of them at $1500 each. 1972 December 25 (21?) Aaron Gunn Pyle died in a Chappell, Nebraska Hospital. He was survived by his wife Jerry, and two brothers, Gene of Chappell, and William H. of Denver, Colorado.

Paintings from the MONA Website. (The Yellow Vase:http://monet.unk.edu/mona/first/pyle/fpa2.html) Title: The Yellow Vase Date: 1960 Medium: Egg Tempera on Panel Credits: Museum Purchase The Yellow Vase was a still life painted in 1960 and is part of the collection of the Museum of Nebraska Art located in Kearney, Nebraska. It was done with egg tempra on a panel. The painting shows an asseblege of objects that could be found on a dining room table--vase, butter dish, salt and pepper shakers, knief and fork, spilled sugar bowl, and wrinkled napkin. While the MONA chronolgy lists this as a time in which he did not paint, it may be that Pyle turned to still life painting as theraphy for the end of his first marriage. (Jones, Bryan. Shakespeare Made Me Do It.). (Under Construction:http://monet.unk.edu/mona/first/pyle/fpa3.html) Title: UNDER CONSTRUCTION Date: 1960 Medium: Egg Tempera on Panel Credits: Museum Purchase Under Construction was also painted in 1960 and was egg tempra on panel. Another still life, this painting features a potted plant in from of a saucer with a winkled drape as a background. The image projects a serene quality to the viewer and also impresesses one with his technical skills. (Landscape with White Horse:http://monet.unk.edu/mona/first/pyle/fpa.html) Title: Landscape with White Horse Date: 1953 Medium: Egg Tempera on Panel Credits: Gift of Harry and Zellamae Hoffman Landscape with White Horse was a fairly early painting coming about the time he was exploring the Tetons, Jackson Hole, Utah, and Colorado with Thomas Hart Benton. The painting has bluffs in the background that one might expect to see in the Lodgepole Valley between Chappell and Lodgepole, Nebraska. The abondoned barn was typical of what one would see in the area. The horse is grazing contentedly in plush meadow grass. Brilliant colors of a sunset appear in the sky. For the viewer, there is a nestaligic feeling for the simpler times of a bygone period. As were the two previous paintings, this painting is at the MONA. (Wagon near Chimney Rock:http://monet.unk.edu/mona/first/pyle/fpa4.html) Title: Wagon near Chimney Rock Date: 1968 Medium: Tempera on masonite Size : 14 X 22 Credits: Purchased through the marilyn F. Belschner Art endowment Fund. Wagon near Chimney Rock  was painted in 1968 near the end of the artistist's life but during a very productive period. The painting reflects the serainity of the terrain near Bayard, Nebraska. Green is the dominant ground color with faint clouds in  pale sky. The mood painting throws back to a backgone era with the farmer driving a horse drawn wagon. (Wheat Harvest:http://monet.unk.edu/mona/first/pyle/fpa5.html) Title: Wheat Harvest Wheat Harvest  represents a farm scene with sheeves of wheat being loaded onto a horse drawn hayrack in a rolling landscape. In the background is a farmstead with a well grown windbelt in front of a thinly clouded big sky. It would appear the the artist was showing a farming task in the idealized period of his youth as few, if any, farmers used horses in Deuel County past 1950.

Bibliography: Electronic: Aaron Pyle biographical data:http://monet.unk.edu/mona/first/pyle/pyle.html Landscape with White Horse:http://monet.unk.edu/mona/first/pyle/fpa.html The Yellow Vase:http://monet.unk.edu/mona/first/pyle/fpa2.html Under Construction:http://monet.unk.edu/mona/first/pyle/fpa3.html Wagon near Chimney Rock:http://monet.unk.edu/mona/first/pyle/fpa4.html Wheat Harvest:http://monet.unk.edu/mona/first/pyle/fpa5.html Print: Denny, James. "Aaron Pyle: Painting the World He Knows Best,"  Omaha World-Herald, Sunday Magazine of the Midlands, August 14, 1955. pp. 20-21. Denny, James. "Aaron Pyle: This is Where the Heart Is,"  Omaha World-Herald Magazine of the Midlands, November 7, 1971. pp. 16-17. Fehringer, Kay. "Aaron Gun Pyle,"Deuel County History. Deuel County Historical Society. 1984. Jones, Bryan. Shakespeare Made Me Do It.