HISTORY: Olszewski painted two versions of Across the Field in 1967 when he was in his Junior year at Indiana University at Pennsylvania (IUP) at the age of 22. Bob knew the next year he would graduate and he was leaving the area for California. This painting captures for him a visual memory of the Western Pennsylvania terroir that he enjoyed so much. He said that he painted two versions of the same scene using a painting technique call "Gouache."
Bob recollects selling one of the paintings at an art show in New Kensington, PA and never knew what had happened to the other one. He further mentioned that he thinks that a brother-in-law of his classmate "Mike" Zahorchek by the name of Richard purchased the one with the bridge that is shown here.
Sue Ann Coll Crytzer contacted Bob's brother, Ray, in January 2007 telling him she had a painting by Bob. She sent Ray the image shown and titled "Across the Field without a Bridge" in the foreground which is framed and hanging in the Crytzer's living room in Myrtle Beach, SC. Ray, Sue Ann and her husband Dave Crytzer graduated in the 1957 class at Harbrack High School, Natrona Heights, PA. Sue's says she received the painting from Ray and kept it all those years, had it framed and has it hanging proudly in their dining room in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Upon closer observation you can readily see similarities but the paintings do have distinct differences other than the bridge.
Note on the image the glare from the dining room lights and the flash of the camera on the glass which covers the frame. |