Thirty yeas ago, a New Jersey art collector named Fred Parker paid $6,000 for a 1904 painting of a garden scene entitled "The Lovers." It was painted by Newel Convers Wyeth. To celebrate the anniversary of his purchase, Mr. Parker is offering copies to friends and art lovers.

Mr. Parker explained, "I have had so many offers on the "The Lovers," but can't part with it. The best I can do is make it available to others as a copy on canvas, with the addition of an umbrella."

In "The Lovers," a handsome man has seemingly approached from a garden path, straw hat under his arm, to speak to a beautiful young woman who sits on a bench.

The man is N.C. Wyeth's younger brother, Edwin Wyeth. The young woman has been identified as Carolyn Bockius, who would become N.C. Wyeth's wife and mother of his five children.

In Parker's copy, all remains the same, except for the addition of a graceful umbrella that leans against the bench.

Like all the works from Maine's first family of artists, N.C. Wyeth's oil painting has risen steadily in value since Mr. Parker purchased it.  Over the years it has been authenticated by art experts Douglas Allen, Peter Ralston, James Duff, and N.C. Wyeth's youngest son, Andrew Wyeth. It is also referenced in the addendum to the Brandywine River Museum's catalog raisonné, #630.

To art historians and collectors, "The Lovers" is atypical of the illustration art that N.C. Wyeth became known for. Painted early in his career, before his commercial successes graced the covers of popular magazines, the painting is a transitional piece that displays Wyeth's strong academic technique. It is signed in the lower right corner by the artist and dated '04.

The beauty of the copy of the "The Lovers" Parker is offering is that it costs merely $100 unframed and $150 in a gilt wood frame. Unframed, the painting measures 10 inches wide by 13 ¾ inches deep. A larger copy measuring 20 inches by 30 inches is the same size as the original. It is being offered unframed for $200.

Mr. Parker, whose collection of American and European paintings recently landed him on the feature page of The New Jersey Star Ledger, on Yahoo News and Outdoor Painter, has been collecting for some 40 plus years.  As he states, "I only bought what I liked." As it turns out, Fred Parker's eye was excellent. Today, his collection numbers more than 70 works of art. And, the N.C. Wyeth, dominates one wall of his private gallery.

For more information on Fred Parker," please visit http://www.FredParkerFineArt.com.