Peter Mclntyre popular in U.S.

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33451, 5 February 1974, Page 7

Peter Mclntyre popular in U.S.

(By

JOHN N. HUTCHISON)

SAN FRANCISCO. , In the United States,' collectors interested in I art depicting the American West are beginning I to think of Peter: Mclntyre as an Ameri-! can painter. The popularity of the 63-vear-old London-trained New Zealander has risen steadily since the publication by ’‘Sunset” magazine of his big and colourful book, ’“The West”. Recently a collector flew here from'New York to choose a Mclntyre painting from the San Francisco gallery which represents him in the United States, and which has held two major Mclntyre exhibitions. The gallery reports that'

|Mr Mclntyre has now been I invited to enter a nationiwide competition in Febru- • ary for an exhibition dealing I with the heritage of the I American West. The invitation is from the National ' Academy of Western Art, (which will purchase the two (best entries, to be hung in ( the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. First and second prizes in the com-' petition are SUS4OOO and: SUS3OOO. “We expect him to enter perhaps three water colours,” said Mr Joseph G. McAnerney, gallery director for Willoughby-Toschi Fine Arts, the Mclntyre representatives. “It would be a nice feather in his cap, as a New Zealander, to win such a uniquely American competition.” Resounding success The Willoughby-Toschi : gallery has sold hundreds of [Mclntyre works in the five i years it has represented him, (including many of the origi- ! nals from “The West”, •which formed the basis for I the first exhibition here. | Some drawings brought ; $500; oils fetched as much i as $3OOO. A second Mclntyre (show was held last October (and November, drawing coli lectors from faraway cities. “His popularity has reached the point at which we have had to broaden our representation,” Mr McAnerney reported. “We have sent some of his works to be shown in galleries associated with us in Los Angeles and in Carmel, California.” Carmel is a town noted for select and elegant shops and galleries patronised by the well-to-do. After the resounding success of “The West”, the I Willoughby-Toschi firm enIcouraged Mr Mclntyre to reTurn in 1971 to do more • work, some of which was in • the recent show, along with i New Zealand, Asian and i Polynesian subjects. On that • trip he spent a long period • in New Mexico, roaming the (south-western high country by horse and jeep. One of his recent commissions was a large painting of Hong Kong for a hotel in Baltimore, the large Maryland city near Washington, D.C. [ Mr Mclntyre is expected I to-come again to the United •States in the late spring.