Guy Carleton Wiggins (1883-1962)

The story of Guy Carleton Wiggins serves as a reminder that although pedigree is not a guarantee for success it certainly counts for something. As the middle generation of three generations of successful artists, Guy Carleton Wiggins achieved the most acclaim. His father, John Carleton Wiggins (or simply Carleton Wiggins) was an accomplished landscape artist. Carleton Wiggins had studied under George Inness, probably the most famous American landscape artist of the 19th century. After the birth of Guy, Carleton moved his family to England. While in England Guy would receive his grammar schooling and the beginnings of his formal art training from his father. Although abroad, and only eight years old, Guy Wiggins' received his first public praise from a group of New York critics. Receiving enormous recognition at early stages of his life would become a trend for Wiggins.

After returning to the United States, Guy Wiggins studied architecture at the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and then studied painting at the National Academy of Design. As his father had, Guy studied under some of the finest art instructors of the day; in this case William Merritt Chase and Robert Henri. Using his knowledge of architecture and adopting his interest in Impressionism Wiggins painted "Metropolitan Tower". The painting was purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1912 and by all accounts it made him the youngest artist to have a painting entered into the museum's permanent collection.

Wiggins career would be defined by his Impressionist style, using color as illumination. He spent time going back and forth from his home in Old Lyme, Connecticut and his studio in New York City. In Connecticut he would paint the landscapes, capturing the open fields and rolling hills in spring and summer. Oddly enough his greatest financial success was due to one such summer landscape...in a roundabout way. During a snowstorm in New York, Wiggins was attempting to paint a summer landscape and became frustrated. While looking out his window Wiggins became inspired by the snowfall's effect on the city's scenery. He began painting a series of winter cityscapes and they became the most popular and desirable from his entire body of work.

To name all of the awards Guy Carleton Wiggins received would take too long to write and would be cumbersome to read. We will just say that he won about as many as were available to win as well as having his works displayed in almost every major museum and collection, including two pieces in the White House. He stayed true to the Impressionist style, even after the movement was considered over. The Gilt Complex is fortunate enough to have wonderful paintings from both John Carleton Wiggins and Guy A. Wiggins (Guy Carleton's son) in our possession and available for sale. Some day soon we hope to also have a master work Guy Carleton Wiggins to fuse the generations.