Maurice Schmidt
(American, b. 1936)
Schmidt was born and raised in New Braunfels. In 1957, Schmidt took courses at the Institute of Art at San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. He earned his BFA from the University of Texas at Austin and his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. From 1965 until 2002, he served as a professor of art at Texas A&M University Kingsville. He has also worked as an art critic and lecturer.
Bringing in the Sheaves, 2015
Oil on canvas;
70 x 52 inches
Gift of Linda and William Reaves, The Linda and William Reaves Collection of Texas Art
A sheave is a bundle of grain stalks laid lengthwise and tied together after reaping. Bringing in the Sheaves shows a figure doing agricultural labor. The canvas, colorful and vibrant, is illuminated with sunlight. Family narratives and elements of faith find their way into Schmidt’s bold and expressive works. This work is rich with religious meaning according to Schmidt, a devout Jew. Schmidt writes, “In a tradition that observes the ordinary, an act of farming routine, the mere turning of a great machine can become a messenger of the innate holiness possible in daily tasks.”
To Build and Plant, 2009
Oil on canvas;
55 x 37 inches
Gift of Maurice and Rebecca Lee Schmidt to the Linda and William Reaves Collection of Texas Art
In his art, Maurice Schmidt produces images of everyday life. He is attracted to simple scenes, quiet humanity and nature. To Build and Plant is naturalistic. One may contemplate and admire To Build and Plant for its color, form, and composition. However, this work, with its bold color and expressive strokes, is also rich with religious meaning according to Schmidt, a devout Jew. Schmidt writes, “In a tradition that observes the ordinary, an act of farming routine, the mere turning of a great machine can become a messenger of the innate holiness possible in daily tasks.”
Tree Trimmer, Autumn Palm, 1980
Oil on canvas;
72 x 60 inches
Gift of Maurice and Rebecca Lee Schmidt to the Linda and William Reaves Collection of Texas Art
Maurice Schmidt, according to director and producer Vanessa Reiser, paints with immense tenderness. He shows affection for his subject, whether they are plants, animals, or people. In Tree Trimmer, Autumn Palm, Schmidt shows the seasons changing; foliage turning from green to brown. The leaves are folding, burning, cracking, and crumbling. This work challenges the viewer to contemplate time and its progression. The subject is not the plants and the water that consume the composition. Rather, the subject is the season of autumn. Like the Impressionists before him, Schmidt captures the ephemeral moments of daily life. Like the Realists, Schmidt represents his subjects truthfully. There is no artificiality or caricaturing.