Oliver Kemp (American, 1887-1934), Camp Supper

Oil on canvas, signed at lower right, inscribed to stretcher "Camp Supper" and "Oliver Kemp," twice stamped en verso "Copyrighted Picture / Harry Eichleay Art Co. / 1006 Arlington Ave. / Pittsburg, PA," presented in an attractive frame with gilt filet and linen liner.

Stretcher size 24 x 36 in.; 35 x 47 1/4 in.

Private Collection, Edenton, North Carolina

Oliver Kemp was an American illustrator and painter best known for his depictions of outdoor life and frontier scenes. He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and was a student of Howard Pyle, a leading figure in American illustration. Kemp contributed regularly to publications such as The Saturday Evening Post, where his illustrations often focused on hunters, trappers, and wilderness settings. His work reflected a strong narrative style and clear visual storytelling, shaped by Pyle’s teachings and the broader traditions of early 20th-century American illustration.

According to his obituary in The New York Times, Kemp also studied with notable artists including James Abbott McNeill Whistler, John Singer Sargent, William Merritt Chase, and Edwin Austin Abbey. The obituary details real-life exploits that echoed the adventurous themes of his art, such as surviving a shipwreck in the Caribbean and serving with the Allies during World War I. Drawing from both personal experience and imagination, Kemp produced not only magazine illustrations but also oil and watercolor paintings that conveyed a deep appreciation for nature, rural life, and the demands of outdoor survival.

Faint stretcher marks; minor scratch with associated retouch visible in sky under UV light; light surface grime.