Fred Winslow Noyes, Jr.: Paintings

Artist and ardent collector of art, antiques and folk art, Fred Noyes was born in Philadelphia in 1905. As a young man, he attended the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts. At the invitation of Albert Barnes, Fred began studying at the Barnes Foundation. The Barnes allowed Fred to develop perception and art theory skills, which he later applied to his compositions. Noyes’ early works of the mid-1930s consist largely of landscapes and still lifes, serene, yet moody, and reminiscent of the works of Daniel Garber, a contemporary figure among Pennsylvania Impressionists. 

Following a move to New Jersey in 1933, Noyes seemed to be inspired by Paul Cezanne’s analytical flat planes, as well as the bright primitive color and passionate brush strokes employed by Fauvist artists Andre Derain and Henri Matisse. In the early ‘70s Fred’s artistic style changed dramatically. His new abstract works were vivacious, rhythmic and colorful, conveying the joy of life, evocative of the work of Spanish artist Joan Miro. Filled with lush color and whimsical forms, these paintings were singularly Fred Noyes and uniquely southern New Jersey.

Today, Noyes' art continues to inspire and his folk art and decoy collection enhances the public’s appreciation of New Jersey’s artistry.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.