Faulkner 142 web2

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 44

Thunderheads

Landscape – Country This springtime day tossed like
a ship in the April sky, tangled
Undated: mid-’50s in the apple trees of home. Trees,
Medium: Watercolor glad on hills all the way to heaven,
Size: 161/4” x 211/4” and God’s children getting drunk
Signed: “Faulkner” bottom right of center on white wine of rains. God
catching the sun for them in the nets
Titled by artist of morning, and in the religious trees.
The harps of harmony bring the psalms
that only springs can bring - the joy
gets into the wings of swans and
upon the tails of doves, and the world
turns on the wheels of happiness and
the sun like many lemons falls
upon a warm & yellow world. A
world tossed in skies like silver
fish - and swarms of blue birds
like music flood the hills and big
black trees and thunder tremble in
the sky. The silver voice of April,
and the silver singing rivers ... go
through the green & tinted landscape . . . .
. . . . O sweet
children in the hills of joy - sing
your songs to the lord of pastures &
tell your stories to the sunned and
silver winds of youngtime April days. God
is tiptoeing in the jonquils & plucking
music from the violets. God & children
are climbing apple trees and shake
the blossoms in the sky. Birds are
still coming from the south bringing
warmer songs each day that get in the
trees & in your hair. Spring is the
very mind of God and all these things
of utter beauty are those which come
from him.

Home March 1956

45 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o nEgypt, Ky.

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 46

The purple thunders of the spring In my yearning limbs.
came like many Gods climbing stairways. I wondered what color the rains
And the rains like blue birds would be in September.
scattered through the fields. I ran in the mulberry leaves
I was young as spring thunder Of my summer heavens
And the tenderness of my being and smelled the barley oils of childhood,
Felt the young willows and heard the music in the summer gourds,
as music from the rivers… tasted melons sweet as springtime.
And heard the rains as songs of praise. On old plantations of the South
And I was very young I've seen colonial pillars,
And running down the roads of the world . . . mansionless, holding up the sky —
At the very heels of God . . . while ferns and moss creeped
Close to the heaven as the hills of home. To cover time . . .
Life sang pure and sweet
Faulkner
Bunker Hill – Cityscape

Undated: mid-’50s
Medium: Watercolor
Size: 121/2” x 9 3/4”
Signed: “Faulkner” bottom right (faint)

Titled by artist

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a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 48

Translating blackbirds in to the
Paper flowers of your mind –
Bathing in the flowers of lemons

all the way to heaven –
and in the harmonica of your
mind are waiting all those
butterflies, lemon blossom – . . .
birds, joyous creatures
uttering forever . . . how do you – . . .
please do tell – . . . how do you
keep in touch with God, butterflies
and angels –

Henry Faulkner
For Truman Capote

Tall Narrow Building – Gables

Undated: early possibly mid-’50s
Medium: Gouache on paper
Size: 29” x 13 3/4"
Signed: “Faulkner” bottom right

Titled by artist; measurements vary, paper not square

49 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 50

Green are the eyes of God
Sweet mint breath of April . . .
Transparent green or high yellow . . .
Day hangs like the kite of God
In the Apple trees,
He is the child of April
And the world of green earth
Is his imagination !
Spring is that letter from him
We have long waited . . .
In which he asks . . . if we
have tasted April . . . In the grass !!

Henry Lawrence Faulkner

Hollywood Hills

Date: 1956
Medium: Gouache on paper
Size: 18 5/8” x 13 3/8”
Signed: “Faulkner” bottom right

Titled by artist; pencil portrait sketches on back dated April 21, 1956

51 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

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New Orleans 1956

Dated: 1956
Medium: Gouache on paper
Size: 131/2” x 20”
Signed: “Faulkner” bottom left

Titled by artist; second signature "Faulkner 1956" top right

53 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 54

When in your young and drinking youth When in the orchard of your past
And sweet apple time of years ... The golden apples of your spring,
Drink the wine of love and laugh ... Have been consumed while poems last,
There is plenty of time for tears. For every apple gone, a bird now sings.

Upon the table of your time Your spring and summer was a sonnet ...
God has placed the bread of youth ... Written for reasons not so odd ...
Oh, break this bread and sip this wine The stark and nervous trees of autumn
These your passages to truth. Is but the signature of God.

And when the spring comes tumbling down The paragraph of life is ending
Around your happiness with flowers Silence .... your sounding brook
‘Tis but the poetry of God Death is but the covering linen
What we have from these is ours. Yea, the closing of the book.

The wild arrangement of the trees, Henry Lawrence Faulkner
The drunkenness of butterflies;
God made contrast good of these
With the blue and silent skies.

Green Couple/Lovers

Date: 1957
Medium: Oil and casein on canvas board
Size: 20” x 16”
Signed: “Faulkner 57-” bottom right

Titled by artist

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a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 56

Bluegrass Farm Wicks of April

Undated: late ’50s spring came upon the mountain
Medium: Oil on board and now in the yard
Size: 241/2”x 19” is beautiful.
Signed: “Faulkner” bottom right trees turn up their green wicks
and tonight the stars
Titled by artist will join them shining.
spring the silent comer
is more secret
than the color of thunder
or remembered rivers
turned music, or wet,
warm April rains.
spring will burn joy
and her green singing
will turn the wounded,
healed . . .
it is too beautiful for wars
or hate . . . too beautiful
not to love and be loved...
the ground wet
and the garden standing
in midnight . . . while
the moon spills
little white rabbits
that fall through the
sound of the country bells
ringing high above the mystery
high above the sweetness,
high above the green wick
burning timbers.

Henry Lawrence Faulkner

57 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 58

Harlequin "Poetry is the Bread of Children"

Undated: late ’50s Oh, and do you know the bread that poetry is?
Medium: Gouache on illustration board And the truth that is in a leaf . . .
Size: 171/2” x 81/2” And that the tongue of God is in the bells of sunday mornings . . .
Signed: “Faulkner” bottom left And that sunday is the smile of God.
(visible under strong light) That spring rains are full of sunny music.
And the sun is the hair of God falling on the land.
Titled by artist And did you know that God was once creating children ...
And that he made a beautiful mistake and created a flower
And called it honeysuckle . . .
But Oh, and in the rivers that run down
Under the sundays of your sorrows . . .
The dinner bells of happiness are drowned . . .
Because somewhere children are hungry and in need.
And the winds of sorrow are crying along the sad streets of the poor.
In their tombstone sorry grey neighborhoods
The grass is only mocking what might have been delight
But as tho they were eating some strange bread
The children of sorrow smile . . .
As tho smelling an apple strange sweet air.
They lift their heads and smile like morning
Breaking through to goodness . . . Because they know the taste of hope
And of the apples of goodness.
Oh, and children know . . . no matter how rich, or how poor . . .
Sad or happy . . . children know.
The taste of the bread of poetry.

Henry Lawrence Faulkner

59 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 60

Midnight Blue Cityscape Pre Dawn

Undated: late ’50s When I cover my face with my hands,
Medium: Watercolor and gouache on paper I hear the snow melting.
Size: 171/4” x 22” It is a tired sound, like an echo:
Signed: “Faulkner” bottom right of center or eternity the dripping away of time.
I hear in my mind always
Titled by artist The cold slow falling drops.
The castles I have built, tower on gleaming tower
Where are they?
The still and trackless fields,
The dim, blue-shadowed forest, the frozen seas
Where are they all
Those who escaped
The trampling ruinous trespassing feet?
I hear the slow drops tell their passing.
Oh do not tell me now
That seeds in the earth lie sleeping,
Waiting Spring’s call!
In the dark earth of myself
Seeds sleep, that too will wake
But I am not assured.
Many things I do not know,
But this I know
I hear the snow melting,
And something nameless, voiceless, undefined,
Speaks to me in the cold slow falling drops
Speaks to me of things I cannot utter.
And yet, somehow, I seem to understand.

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a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 62

Old buildings,
Sleep utterly,
while the warm sun,
runs over them,
like a gentle smile.
Spreading over them,
Leaking down into
Each crevice,
Like warm honey.

Tall Four Story Building

Undated: late ’50s
Medium: Watercolor
Size: 191/2”x 127/8”
Signed: “Faulkner” bottom right of center

Titled by artist; on back is an additional preparatory sketch idea

63 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 64

These I love, bending trees laden with fruit,
a sound that travels from the flute,
all nude bodies on gleaming sands
tall weeds to touch a passing hand.
Dry grass where big red apples fall, a scent
that no one can explain, of rotten weeds and mustard
grain. Rippling muscles on masculine back,
and soft feminine flesh. Long shadows deep
in the night and dark, dark windows is gleaming
light. A cat a dog on a quite street —
country path and David’s feet. A healthy
laugh, a friendly touch and David’s voice all
rich and such. Dawns and evenings, flower
and trees, winds and rains and all of these. Ferns
that grow ‘neath dry dead brush. Fall leaves
that turn to colors blush. Many faces and of
dark still room, half-light, have shattered
like a half lit Moon. These are love.

Sailor Boys

Undated: late ’50s
Medium: Gouache on illustration board
Size: 131/8” x 20”
Signed: “Faulkner” bottom right

Descriptive title above for reference

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a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 66

Spring Kite

Undated: late ’50s
Medium: Oil on black gesso illustration board
Size: 16 3/8” x 8”
Signed: “Faulkner” bottom right

Titled by artist

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New York Shop Window

Undated: late ’50s possibly early ’60s
Medium: Oil on two-ply board
Size: 121/16” x 101/8”
Signed: “Faulkner” bottom right

Titled by artist; painted on dry cleaner shirt
board glued on art store canvas board

69 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 70

71 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

all rights Nude Fantasy Dancers 7272

Undated: late ’50s or early ’60s
Medium: Gouache and acrylic on paper
Size: 205/8” x 23”
Signed: “Faulkner” bottom left

Example of Faulkner’s experimentation with mixed media;
notation on back: "Nudes & half nudes"

r e s e r v e dTitled by artist; width cropped and condensed for page layout

Oh Happiness !!

I walk in the night the quiet night
And the soft low flute like purr
Of the cricket bird sings to me
And the soothing sound
Wipes the sweat from my mind -
As you come to me saying nothing
And nothing said nor needed is
For your presence is all I want.
I walk in the night, the quiet night
I mark the elms slow swing
In the wind of the night
That passes, o so gently
Like a hand that I pass
Over your brow and leave it there
Like the wind leaves a sigh
In the tall tall tree
Of the night, that passes gently -

73 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

The Masterful Years
1958 - 1969

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 74

Photo: © unknown / Faulkner-Morgan Pagan Babies Archive While Faulkner succeeded in reaching his winter destination
in style, his money did not last long. But he knew well the role
Professional portrait of Faulkner around 1960 of the starving artist. In early 1958 he met Stefan and Mary
Brecht, who helped him personally and financially, extending
The Masterful Years the type of stabilizing influence he needed. Stefan Brecht was
the son of famous German poet and playwright Bertolt Brecht
1958 – 1969 and was a poet himself. The Brechts shared Faulkner’s passion
for poetry and became his patrons by purchasing his paintings
Faulkner had returned to Key West in fall 1957, flush with a and encouraging him to continue writing.
newfound success. As 1958 drew near, he began to form lasting
relationships as he entertained and mingled with artists, writers, Faulkner, in turn, relied on a combination of “inspiration
and socialites in Florida. Significant among these was aspiring and perspiration” to produce a new portfolio, and in February
writer James Leo Herlihy, whose breakthrough play, Blue Denim, 1958 the Diftler Gallery in Coral Gables gave him his first one-
would be produced on Broadway in February 1958. Herlihy’s man show. He received a glowing review in The Miami News,
career later blossomed with the subsequent publication of All making his debut solo exhibit a triumphant success. Now there
Fall Down (1960) and Midnight Cowboy (1965), both made into was no looking back. Within a couple of months, he had become
movies. Midnight Cowboy brought Herlihy into the limelight, a self-sustaining professional artist.
making him both popular and famous. He and Faulkner became
lifelong confidants. Faulkner had found someone he could trust Fueled by his recent successes, Faulkner later participated in an
and admire, and Herlihy had found a stimulating companion. outdoor group exhibit in Coconut Grove, where one distinguished
visitor found both the artist and his work interesting and purchased
three colorful paintings. Faulkner later discovered his new admirer
was well-known playwright Tennessee Williams, currently at the
peak of his career with plays such as The Glass Menagerie (1944), A
Streetcar Named Desire (1947), and Cat On a Hot Tin Roof (1955)
already produced. This fortuitous meeting and act of patronage
was the beginning of another of Faulkner’s few close and enduring
friendships. The cultivation of relationships with Herlihy, the
Brechts, and Williams afforded him inclusion and acceptance
within the Florida arts community. Henceforth, he was a winter
bird that returned to this southern nest annually.

Springtime 1958 beckoned Faulkner back to Kentucky,
where he visited family, painted, and worked on an application
for a Guggenheim Fellowship. He stayed a few weeks in the
vacant Whittimore house in Falling Timber, which he now
considered his studio. His foster mother, Dora, had remarried
and moved to her husband’s farm in the nearby community of
Egypt in Jackson County, Kentucky.

Inspired by Herlihy, Williams, and Stefan Brecht, Faulkner
focused his attention on writing. He set his hopes on a Guggenheim
Fellowship to provide a stipend that would allow him to travel to

75 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

Italy, following in the footsteps of artists and writers he admired. Photo: © unknown / Clifton Anderson Collection
Although he received help with the fellowship application, his
own voice rang clear as he stated: “I have painted poetry ever Faulkner with Alice the goat in front of The Gallery in Fort Lauderdale,
since I was a young boy. I use that expression here because Florida, in the mid-'60s
I have done a great deal of painting, and have written many
poems, and the two forms compliment [sic] each other in my Faulkner demonstrated boundless confidence in the
own mind’s eye.”7 unabashed letter of introduction he wrote to Benson: “I am
endowed with that gift of color and personal touch which makes
Back in New York in the fall of 1958, Faulkner had the my art more than ordinary.”8 He followed up with a personal
chance to build on his previous year’s success, this time calling arrival at the gallery’s doorstep. As with many before her,
an apartment on East 34th Street home. His roommate was Benson did not take long to find Faulkner charming. But more
thought to be Edward Melcarth, a native Kentuckian and important, she found his portfolio promising.
successful social realist painter and sculptor who had spent most
of his career in New York. Melcarth had also lived in Italy.

Faulkner’s success followed him from Florida to New York,
where he was again accepted for a group show at Burr Gallery
and sold another painting to the Collectors of American Art.
His greatest professional opportunity to date came in the form
of an offer for a one-man show at the Ligoa Duncan Gallery on
Madison Avenue. That exhibit, which ran through December
1958, led to his first mention in Art News. Burr Gallery also
invited him to present his first gallery poetry reading and awarded
him first prize for their 1958 International Group Show. Those
accomplishments confirmed, undeniably, that Henry Faulkner
had indeed arrived on the New York art scene.

While enjoying his accomplishments, Faulkner met Keith
Ingerman, an artist who exerted a significant influence on his art
and career. Ingerman was a successful New York artist, but he also
spent time in Palm Beach, Florida, Southern France, and Sicily.
He had connections and an international lifestyle that Faulkner
found appealing. Even more captivating for Faulkner, though,
was Ingerman’s artistic style because he painted with a European
flair and presented his artwork in antique frames. Ingerman
suggested that Faulkner approach Worth Avenue Gallery in Palm
Beach and introduce himself to Mary Benson. That prestigious
gallery was opened under the co-direction of Benson and Emily
Rayner, but it was owned by elusive art patron Alice DeLamar,
one of America’s richest and most influential women, especially
in theater and the arts. DeLamar also became a major influence
in Faulkner’s career.

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 76

Faulkner’s meeting with Benson proved to be an auspicious Photo: © Cory McDonald 1968 / State Library of Florida
encounter. Worth Avenue Gallery, popular among the affluent
of Palm Beach, was the place to show and be seen. Previously Faulkner seated on his sofa in his Key West home 1968
exhibited artists included Pablo Picasso, Rigaud Benoit, Orville
Bulman, and Piero Aversa, along with other famous mid-century On solid professional footing in New York and Florida,
artists. Benson had a knack for discovering emerging talent as Faulkner maintained firm ties to his home state, Kentucky.
well as attracting the clientele to make sales happen. And if He spent the summer of 1960 with the Falling Timber studio
Alice DeLamar liked an artist’s work, she could be a powerful as his home base, traveling for exhibits in Miami, Sarasota,
advocate. Faulkner got a room in West Palm Beach and during and Atlanta. That fall, he had his first Kentucky exhibition,
the 1958‒59 winter season, he began to make inroads among a month-long show at the Louisville Art Center where he
the Palm Beach rich and famous as the up-and-coming primitive exhibited 67 paintings and recited his poetry.
painter-poet from the hills of Kentucky. Attending beach parties,
Faulkner recited his poetry, sang the blues, and curried favor Faulkner soon caught the attention of the Louisville
wherever he could, showcasing his intriguing and entertaining Courier-Journal art critic, as he attracted new patrons and
persona. DeLamar found Faulkner fascinating, and it did not attempted to impress prospective buyers with his Palm
take long for Benson to include him in the Worth Avenue group Beach connections and his ever-growing list of illustrious
show for December 1959. patrons, which now included Bette Davis and Marlon
Brando. He had finally achieved home-state recognition,
Faulkner worked on paintings, procured new commissions, perhaps not at the level he had hoped for, and certainly
built inventory, and climbed social ladders as he waited for the not to the heights he’d risen to on the Palm Beach and
December show. Despite the starving artist facade, he made good
money and important connections as he attended Palm Beach
parties while name-dropping and offering little-known facts about
his patrons, likeTennessee Williams and poet Marion Black Vaccaro.

By now, Faulkner had procured an established circuit for sales
and exhibitions, and in the spring of 1959 he headed back to New
York for his third season. He sold several paintings to the Collectors
of American Art, showed at ACA Galleries, and was featured in
a major one-man exhibition at the Caravan Gallery, for which he
created 29 new works. Inspired and energetic, he read poetry at
galleries like the Ligoa Duncan Gallery. In the fall he left New York
and went to Miami to display work at the Hammer Gallery.

Faulkner had become an artist in demand, receiving notice in
art and society columns in New York and Florida. He traveled and
produced art with spontaneity and speed, often completing several
paintings in a day. His intense momentum culminated in the big
year-end group show at Worth Avenue Gallery. His inclusion in
this prestigious annual exhibit that featured prominent American
and international artists and attracted the who’s who of Palm
Beach clearly indicated that he was an artist on the rise.

77 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

Florida gallery scenes. But it was a start and his confidence Finally, his passage on a Tangiers-bound freighter was set Photo: © unknown / Greene A. Settle Jr. Faulkner Collection
was at an all-time high as he headed back to Falling Timber for July 1961, but first Faulkner returned to Lexington for a
to paint for upcoming shows in Cincinnati, New York, and group show of amateur and semiprofessional Bluegrass painters.
Washington, D.C. It didn’t matter that he was being applauded in New York and
Florida as an artist to keep an eye on, appreciation closer to home
His shows were successful and lucrative, but bad luck was important. While his Bluegrass exhibition received scant
struck when Faulkner was mugged during a trip to New York mention in the Lexington Herald-Leader, Cornelius Vanderbilt
in late 1960. Left lying in a pool of blood with a head injury, Whitney and his wife, Marylou, who attended the show’s
he had a long road to recovery. Someone reached out to Alice opening, took notice of the Faulkner magic. C.V. Whitney was
DeLamar, who helped financially arrange for Faulkner’s return a well-known businessman, film producer, writer, philanthropist,
to Falling Timber after his hospital stay. Convalescing there, and the owner of a leading stable of Thoroughbred racehorses and
he corresponded with patrons and well-wishers, keeping them a Lexington farm. The attention the wealthy socialite couple gave
updated on his health. This chance to rest and renew was to his work, and their connections to noted people in the horse
timely since, much to his disappointment, his Guggenheim world, provided the impetus Faulkner needed to advance himself
application had been declined. in the Bluegrass and beyond.

But Faulkner did not give in to defeat. Back on his feet A photo of Faulkner and famous patron Vincent Price
again, he headed to Palm Beach where he caught up with clipped from The Miami News, Sunday, March 19, 1961
Alice DeLamar and offered to sell her a $300 painting, for
which she wrote a $3,000 check and suggested that he go study
in Italy. She took an active role as his travel adviser, making
lists of places to visit and people to meet. She became his
patron angel, granting him the opportunities he had earlier
envisioned. Going abroad without the expectations imposed
by the Guggenheim Fellowship, he would have the freedom
he needed for his imagination to soar.

Faulkner scurried about Florida from Palm Beach to Key
West making travel plans for Italy while still trying to build his
career in the United States. He engaged new galleries, including
The Gallery in Fort Lauderdale, Granville Galleries in Coral
Gables, and R&R Robinson Gallery in Naples, Florida, and
Petoskey, Michigan. The demand for his work exceeded his
capability to keep pace, so he began to employ production-
style painting methods, working on multiple paintings at
a time to meet all of the gallery requests, as well as private
commitments. He continued making allies among the rich and
famous, such as Vincent Price, who became another notable
patron. He searched for and found a reasonable fare to Italy on
a cargo ship, and shared his excitement about the forthcoming
adventure with anyone who could help, or others who might
just be impressed.

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 78

As scheduled, Faulkner embarked on his first European trip. Peggy Guggenheim Garden
He was prepared with an entrée to “must see people” and an
itinerary of “must see sights” due to the efforts of his benefactor, Undated: early ’60s
Alice DeLamar. En route to Italy, he likely traveled through Medium: Oil on board
Portugal, France, and Spain, and even though he was not Size: 13 3/4” x 20”
versed in foreign languages, his wits and personality helped him Signed: “Faulkner” left middle
navigate through unfamiliar territory. Once in Italy, he stayed
in the country’s green heart, Perugia, but only long enough Titled by artist
to study a little Italian. He then proceeded south toward the
Mediterranean coast, past Rome, Naples, and Pompeii to the tip On arrival, Faulkner needed somewhere to live and was
of the Italian mainland, and then on to the island of Sicily and fortunate to find Giovanni Panarello, an antiques dealer who
his ultimate destination, Taormina. owned a shop on Corso Umberto. Panarello offered him a place
to stay in exchange for working at the shop. When Faulkner
A charming historic city, with the magnificent ruins of was not working, he set about meeting the townspeople and
its ancient theater overlooking the Ionian Sea, Taormina is making himself known as an artist. It didn’t take long, though,
perched on the side of Mount Taurus on Sicily’s northeastern for Panarello to ask him to leave; in all likelihood, Faulkner was
coastline in the shadows and ashes of Mount Etna. Its not focusing enough on his job. Faulkner’s self-promotion never
temperate climate, natural beauty, stunning vistas, and rich seemed to fail him, but his attempts at trying to support himself
cultural heritage date back millennia. While the Greco- could be tenuous at best. His luck again prevailed when the
Roman ruins are famous, a diversity of peoples left their owner of Mocambo Bar, Roberto, found Faulkner an interesting
distinctive influence on the architecture and culture of the character and offered him an apartment. But Faulkner soon
city and its surroundings. Once discovered, Taormina became turned it into a gallery and began entertaining there. That was
a grand destination, and by the late 19th century it was not part of the deal and the arrangement had to end.
considered quite the fashionable place to visit. During the
20th century, the city came to the fore as a popular retreat for Again, with his lodgings uncertain, Faulkner’s good fortune
artists, writers, and intellectuals. Known for its abundance arose when he met Daphne Phelps in the fall of 1961. Phelps, an
of flowers and traditional religious festivals, and with its expatriate Englishwoman, ran a guesthouse in the villa Casa Cuseni
generous acceptance of liberal lifestyles, it was the perfect she had inherited from her uncle, artist Robert Hawthorn Kitson. She
place for a passionate artist to summon creative thought.

Once inside Porta Messina, the ancient entryway to the
city, one can only imagine how Faulkner responded to the
vibrant scenes before him – orange and lemon trees framing
centuries of amalgamated cultures, donkeys pulling carts
down narrow winding streets, and the salty, citrus air bathed
in radiant sunshine. These sensory impressions and moments
of exhilaration must have seemed like a lucid dream to
Faulkner. Considering the profound impact Taormina had
on his art, that enchanting city may indeed have been the
place where he began to bask in his deepest artistic hopes and
desires.

79 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

shared Faulkner’s adventuresome spirit and like so many others, Photo: © unknown
she found his charm irresistible. They had much in common,
as she too had spent time hitchhiking across the United Distant overview of Taormina, Sicily, where Faulkner traveled to study
States in her days of youth. Phelps recollects that she surprised abroad in 1961 with money gifted by patron Alice DeLamar
herself when she offered him the gardener’s cottage at Casa
Cuseni on just their second meeting. In exchange for the According to Phelps, Faulkner’s needs were minimal and his
lodging, Faulkner agreed to paint the two-room bungalow. daily expenses were practically nothing. He sold his artwork to the
Phelps’ typically sensitive manner permitted Faulkner to keep shops along Corso Umberto and made connections with art dealers
his pride, and he quickly fulfilled his part of the bargain. In no in Catania and Palermo. Mindful of his American career, he sent
time, he arranged his living quarters into a sparse studio. paintings back to Closson’s in Cincinnati, Worth Avenue Gallery
in Palm Beach, and The Gallery in Fort Lauderdale.
Phelps was also an interesting personality. After inheriting Casa
Cuseni, she uprooted herself from her English upbringing. The villa However, as the novelty of Taormina waned and the gloom
had fallen into disrepair during World War II and on relocating to of a Sicilian winter descended, Faulkner decided to visit the other
Italy, she embraced the challenge of restoring it. As custodian of Casa Italian destinations that Alice DeLamar had recommended,
Cuseni, she ensured its financial viability by making rooms available while he planned for his departure from Europe. In the spring
to paying guests. Her uncle had created a liberal mecca where artists
could visit and work free-spiritedly. Honoring his legacy, Phelps
elegantly designed and furnished the villa, pruned and expanded its
luxuriant gardens, and hostessed the international set of the rich and
famous, the arts set in particular. Her guests included Alice DeLamar;
and actors, writers, philosophers, and artists, including Greta Garbo,
Roald Dahl, and Bertrand Russell, as well as Keith Ingerman, who
had also significantly influenced Faulkner’s career. Phelps’ famous
and memorable guests are the theme of her memoir, A House in
Sicily (1999), which includes a chapter on Faulkner. Because of her
generous spirit and support of the arts, Faulkner became a welcomed
guest at Casa Cuseni ‒ an inspiring place to live and paint.

Faulkner immediately went to work showcasing his artistry
and painting skills, setting up his easel for plein-air painting in the
gardens or on the terrace. He sang as he worked, turning his artistic
process into a performance as he captivated other guests and visitors
with his natural talents while encouraging them to buy his art.

He began producing some of the best work of his life as he painted
in this idyllic setting with lush gardens overlooking the sparkling
sea and stunning views all around. Terraces and the winding streets
of Taormina lay below, the Bay of Naxos stretched beyond, with
the snow-capped Mount Etna in the distance. Taormina bestowed
upon Faulkner a new and fantastic experience amid such liveliness
and splendor.

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 80

of 1962, when checks from Florida and Cincinnati had arrived, Photo: © Richard J. Goodrich / iStock
he packed up crates of his Taormina acquisitions – antiques, old
baroque frames, Sicilian oddities, and other treasures ‒ saying Comparison of photograph with Faulkner painting of the same subject
goodbye to Casa Cuseni and Taormina. illustrates his interpretive vision and how his imagination took liberties as he
composited surroundings into his condensed interpretation
Faulkner traveled to Rome, Florence, and Venice, where he
discovered Galleria XXII Marzo, whose owners also had a gallery Taormina Archway to City
in Palm Beach. They were impressed by his talent and his Palm
Beach connections and placed him in a group show with other Date: 1965
Florida artists. The exhibition was so well received that the Medium: Acrylic on board
American Consulate in Venice decided to schedule a touring Size: 21 7/8” x 13 15/16”
exhibit of “Eight Florida Artists” for later that year, but by then Signed: “Faulkner” bottom right
Faulkner had returned to the United States. Now he could add to
his resume that he was a featured artist in an international exhibit. Titled by artist

In July 1962 Faulkner departed Italy from Naples on the SS he went. If Faulkner felt that owning property would give his
Constitution bound for New York. He had been abroad almost a faithful companions stability, it can be surmised that he may
full year, an extremely pivotal period in his career as an artist. His have felt the same need for himself.
creativity had been powerfully stimulated and he had proved that
he belonged among the international set and on the world stage. The Arlington Avenue house became a haven for clans of cats
His year in Italy left an indelible impression on his art. His ideas with litters of kittens coming and going. On the farm there were
had matured and his creativity blossomed as he mastered his own many stray or rescued dogs, some sheep, and a growing herd of
distinctive style. He had solidified his techniques and now painted goats. Faulkner's legendary goat, Alice, probably arrived during this
most of his vivid imagery on top of a black gesso foundation. rural nesting phase. Absorbed in settling in tasks in the fall of 1962,
Faulkner stayed busy. The flurry of activity was all consuming and
Back in the United States, Faulkner first went to see his foster there was little or no time to produce art. Still, having just returned
mother in Egypt, Kentucky. Her name now was Dora Morgan, from a transformative year abroad, these domiciliary tasks likely
and she lived with her new husband and her older sister. After a gave him time to reflect and distill the significance of his foreign
brief visit, he ventured to Lexington with plans to establish roots. experience, impacting his following creations.
He had by now made enough money to put a sizable payment
down on a small house on Arlington Avenue near downtown. With some sense of order established, it was time to pay
He had enough left to purchase a small farm, paying half in cash attention to his career. Closson’s of Cincinnati, perhaps the
for a $6,000 tract that included a simple house in great disrepair. biggest purveyor of his art, was expecting a one-man show in
The 11 acres of half-wooded land in Jessamine County was just
eight miles south of Lexington.

Faulkner had grand ideas for creating a new lifestyle. He
envisioned building an Italian-style villa on the new farm to
replace the disheveled three-room shack. With studios in both
town and country, he planned to settle down and tend to the
needs of his ever-growing animal menagerie. His collie, Gentry,
an Alsatian German shepherd named Lady, and a favorite cat,
Black Rastas, now traveled with him practically everywhere

81 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

December 1962, and having sold, consigned, or bartered most of
his inventory, by mid-November Faulkner was feeling the pinch.
Two years earlier Closson’s had hosted a Faulkner exhibition to
critical acclaim and outstanding sales. This time he arrived for
the show a day or two in advance with raw materials and drying
agents and began to paint on the spot. He hastily created his first
works since he returned from Italy. This expeditiously executed
exhibit included some unfinished work but was still inspiring
and refreshing in technique and subject matter.

Faulkner’s spontaneity and new outlook were captured by
the quickened strokes, and his colors displayed a livelier level of
brilliance. He began turning out art quickly, and with a mindset
toward production, he captured his fond memories and spirited
visions of Taormina’s fruits and flowers, plants and animals,
buildings and people. The art critic for The Cincinnati Enquirer

Chinese Girl with Musical Instrument St Francis Feeding the Birds

Undated: early ’60s possibly late ’50s Date: 1964
Medium: Watercolor and gouache on illustration board Medium: Casein on board
Size: 23 3/4” x 17 3/8” Size: 20 x3/8” 15 3/8”
Original frame: 3415/16” x 28 7/8” Original frame: 28 x1/2” 231/2”
Signed: Cataloged as“Faulkner” bottom right (under frame mat) Signed: “Faulkner” bottom right, on painted mat

Titled by artist; Faulkner's earlier Oriental style Titled by artist; Faulkner's Oriental influence evident

was impressed by his output and noted a shift in influence on
Faulkner’s style, from “Oriental” to “Byzantine,” which was
attributed as “… doubtless the result of his sojourn in Sicily,
where the latter strain is strong.”9

With another great success at Closson’s, Faulkner was back in
the money again. He returned to Lexington and found caretakers
for the farm and a renter for the house, and in January 1963,
went to Florida, somehow packing into his car Alice the goat and
his other trusty furry companions. Faulkner made a first stop at
Worth Avenue Gallery in Palm Beach and was honored to be
included in their January show of 18 artists. Faulkner’s paintings
were the featured focus of the Palm Beach paper’s review for
that show. He played his post-Italy career strategy masterfully as
more galleries and private patrons clamored to get on his waiting
list to exhibit and purchase paintings. His patron, financier, and
travel consultant, Alice DeLamar, could be quite proud of her
involvement in his impressively evolving career.

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 82

Casa Cuseni Next, Faulkner prepared and launched a show for Miami’s
Loft On the Mile for February 1963. His Miami patron list
Undated: ’60s possibly early ’70s continued to grow, as did his own artistic celebrity. He made
Medium: Oil on board the gossip column and achieved a bit of glamour when he was
Size: 39” x 24” photographed with Tennessee Williams and Marion Vaccaro,
Signed: “Faulkner” top left who dined with him during the Loft showing. His art sales were
good, but he became worn down from the work of the last several
Descriptive title above for reference; painted in Taormina, purchased months. So he packed up and headed south to Key West hoping
abroad in 2015 and brought to Kentucky to relax. This may have been Alice the goat’s first appearance in
Key West. She had by now become part of Faulkner’s identity
and the nanny proved an attention-getting marketing prop. With
promotional ploys and the innovative style that surfaced from his
Italian experience, Faulkner had created greater visibility, and the
demand for his art had never been higher.

Once in Key West, Faulkner’s time creating paintings was
less intense. He often preferred visiting with Tennessee Williams
and others or spending evenings at Capt. Tony’s Saloon, where
he often entertained, at times in drag, singing the blues. These
performances brought him applause. If his artistic efforts were
discouraged, his spirits were refreshed.

Come May though, it was time to return to Kentucky.
During Faulkner’s absence, his sister Lois had moved to the
Jessamine County farm to help feed the animals and keep up
with the chores. Faulkner spent much of that summer and fall
laboring to secure a better life for his family of pets. But more
important, he took time to prepare new paintings for the next
campaign, which would lead him back to Florida. This back
and forth, Kentucky to Florida, became an annual pattern that
would continue throughout his career.

By now Faulkner had a fairly regular Florida route that began
with Worth Avenue Gallery in Palm Beach, followed by exhibits
at Miami’s Loft On the Mile and Fort Lauderdale’s The Gallery.
He also had commitments to galleries in other cities, particularly
Closson’s in Cincinnati, which had a regular clientele and brokered
his art to galleries in New York and Texas. For production and
distribution, this was probably one of the most prolific and
exhausting periods of his career. For example, Faulkner supplied 80
paintings for a single show at the Loft. Success overwhelmed him
and he could not meet all the requests and demands. Faulkner and

83 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

his pets traveled down to Key West for a break. Then he headed New Orleans Cemetery
back to Lexington where creating art and tending to his properties
and ever-growing family of animals absorbed his time, making Undated: late ’50s or early ’60s
him less visible around town than he had been in earlier years. Medium: Casein on board
Size: 10 1/2” x 13 1/8”
By 1964, seven years had passed since Faulkner first burst onto Signed: “Faulkner” bottom right
the New York gallery scene. He was 40 years old, owned town and
country residences, and his life was fully funded by painting. The Inscription on back: "Burning Bush of Death"
recognition he had received as a successful artist in New York,
Florida, and Italy was long overdue in his adopted hometown of Touring show catalog information:
Lexington. In November 1964 the Studio Club gave him a one- Presented by Rachel Wells Dame
man show, introducing many important Lexingtonians to his art. “Eight Florida Artists”
He delivered 45 brilliantly finished paintings for the exhibition. Group Show 1962
On opening night, he arrived on time impeccably dressed in a Galleria XXII Marzo
black suit and tie, cuddling a baby lamb in his arms (see pg. 89). Venice & Palm Beach
He received a rousing review in the Lexington Herald-Leader for S. Marco 2407 - Tel 89313 - Venezia
his impressive work and fascinating peculiarities. Attending the
Studio Club show were several admirers who would come to Titled by artist; touring exhibit sponsored
make a real difference in Faulkner’s life, including horsewoman by the American Consulate, Venice, 1962
and socialite Anita Madden and her husband Preston, as well as
businessman Greene Settle and his wife, Mary Edna. to art historians. Faulkner frequented the Settle home in the
years that followed, and Settle, a certified public accountant
The Maddens, owners of the historic Hamburg Place Farm, and businessman, took on the responsibility of being Faulkner’s
were prominent in the horse world. Their farm had bred five personal and professional adviser in matters such as taxes,
Kentucky Derby winners and they became staunch supporters of bookkeeping, property management, and gallery correspondence
Faulkner’s career. At the show, Anita Madden began purchasing ‒ the kinds of tasks Faulkner could not manage well.
what would become an extensive collection of some of the best
Faulkner art. In the Maddens, Faulkner found not only patrons, reserved 84
but an entrée into Bluegrass high society and the world of their
celebrity acquaintances.

Greene Settle, who eventually became an extremely important
Faulkner patron, was a partner at one of the top accounting firms
in the Bluegrass. He was well respected in the community for
both his professional work and personal manner. Settle avidly
supported the arts and invested substantial time and money into
building an extensive private collection.

At the Studio Club opening, Settle purchased his first five
Faulkner paintings. Eventually, the Greene A. Settle Jr. Faulkner
Collection grew to include over 275 drawings and paintings.
Settle exercised tremendous foresight as he acquired art from
every year of Faulkner’s career, making his collection invaluable

all rights

Settle’s acts of kindness, generosity, and faith proved of It is to Faulkner’s credit that his personal magnetism and Photo:© unknown
vital importance to both men as their mutually beneficial his somewhat skewed way of looking at the world so positively
alliance continued to grow. In Settle, Faulkner found an affected that consummate and virtuosic photographer. Cosindas
extraordinary human being who could help him navigate warmly recalls her time with Faulkner and his influence on her
the practicalities of life; and in Faulkner, Settle found a as an artist. She loved the way he perceived life and the world
remarkably talented individual who shared his love of art around him and how he lived for art, referring to him fondly as
and encouraged his own artistic inclinations. It was an “a rainbow of joy.” Cosindas and Faulkner both embraced and
unusually implicit understanding that developed between shared the gift of color.
the two relatively disparate individuals. Faulkner, respectful
of Settle’s conservative nature, obscured the more extreme Faulkner posing with three paintings while his cat Geronimo
aspects of his lifestyle; while Settle seemed to allow exception lounges on a covered chair, probably late '60s
for Faulkner’s careless and carefree ways. Settle became a
dear friend and confidant, and theirs was one of the truly
meaningful relationships in Faulkner’s life.

In 1964 Faulkner made another important connection
when he met Marie Cosindas, a talented photographer who
had studied with Ansel Adams. Adams directed her to expand
her work beyond black and white, considering that her unique
vision would be better expressed in color film. Cosindas recalls
it was after she began to explore color photography that she first
encountered Faulkner. She found him fascinating and uplifting.
Spending many hours, they explored artistic ideas together, she
as a photographer and he as a painter.

Cosindas used a Polaroid camera with the new instant
photographic film as an art medium. Her groundbreaking
color photography with this new technology coupled with her
superb sense of capturing light was on the cutting edge of art
trends of the early ’60s. Using subtle transitions of rich color,
her surreal, poignant images created scenes that sometimes
bordered on the absurd. Her ingenuity and innovation proved
a stunning success and her work attracted national and
international attention including a solo show at the Museum
of Modern Art in New York in 1966. Her photographs were
featured in popular magazines like Life and Saturday Review,
the latter in which a window-lit portrait of Faulkner with a sly
half-smile seated at a table with a vase of flowers was included
(see pg. 2). Her first book, Marie Cosindas: Color Photographs
(1978) featured another striking portrait of Faulkner, this time
with his goats Alice and Plato.10

85 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

By the mid-’60s, Faulkner’s artistic methods had matured He forged forms with exaggerated angles, a type of artistic
considerably; his range of subjects was far-reaching and his amplification that demonstrated his confidence in his technique.
characteristic style more focused. He now painted almost Faith in his own inner being granted him the freedom to express
exclusively on rigid Masonite panels, building layers of color the beauty that emerged, even from the darkness of sorrow.
and expanding visual dimensions. Punctuating perspective with
black-outlined forms and vivid foreground colors, he toned Many of Faulkner’s religious scenes exhibited darker palettes
down receding shapes, creating softer hues with tinges of gray. and Byzantine touches. His Taormina inspirations playfully
For example, in Noah’s Ark (see pg. 152), he created depth with presented goats, old clocks, elongated belfries, and leaning
a foreground flourish on the saltwater waves. These crescent towers draped in flowers. His diverse subject matter included the
brushstrokes rhythmically placed on top of the translucent likenesses of buildings and street scenes of Kentucky, Florida,
glazes allow the fish to appear swimming beneath the waves and Italy. Real locations, such as Gratz Park in Lexington and
in the watery depths just above the dark illusion of the briny small Central Kentucky towns like Midway, Frankfort, and
deep. The ark is filled with animals, and the figure of a man Paris were depicted through Faulkner’s lens. Whether religious,
walking the ark ashore envisions Noah, or perhaps even God. mystical, or secular, his style was unmistakable.

Faulkner’s skillful use of color was now in full bloom, although Faulkner painted places he remembered or places he hoped
at times he painted in dark brooding tones and hues reflecting a to see, as in his scenes of the Holy Land, where he had never
swing of his moods. His influences did not necessarily come from traveled. He seamlessly blended literal representations with
any specific source, but his artistry incorporated styles of many what he imagined and felt at a given moment: fantastical goats
European artists, from Chagall, Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, Klee,
and Dufy to Modigliani. He internalized and individualized Photo: © unknown / Faulkner-Morgan Pagan Babies Archive
these masters and the mid-century Euro Art movement in a
refreshingly primitive and guilefully unsophisticated manner. His Faulkner and Tennessee Williams conversing in Key West, Florida 86
works sometimes approached surrealism – dreamlike compositions
that could be interpreted on a number of levels. His emulation of reserved
other artists and experimentation with a variety of techniques
became a gateway, allowing him to step beyond the ordinary
and create a unique world view for others to ponder. In short,
Faulkner’s vision was clearly influenced yet still manifested from
his own imagination.

Faulkner’s distinct and recognizable style was now masterful,
as confirmed by his dedicated admirers and collectors. Yet he
continued to refine it with inventive techniques. His creative
wellspring bubbled with inspiration that expressed his intellect
and his feelings, hope or despair. The resulting work was
occasionally abstract and often presented with distorted views as
if seen through the ripples of old blown glass. His compositions
could easily resemble a single frame of a cinematic montage from
a Fellini film. His tilted and leaning architecture depicted the
sway or suspension of time as he portrayed vacant streetscapes or
decaying buildings through sparse and unlabored brushstrokes.

all rights

floating with butterflies, hovering as apparitions from heaven; emanate from the bells of belfries, and chimneys bellow hearts
unicorns within a shaft of light or cone of sound. So, a lunar and blossoms. Spirited by inexplicable mystical forces, images
eclipse announces itself at midday, houses rise from canals, and surge from Faulkner’s boundless imagination and his affinity for
cemeteries glow with ethereal light in the dark of night. Furniture both worlds – spiritual and physical.
sits in the middle of the street, while columns and arches,
engulfed by lemon and orange trees, stretch upward. Plants Likewise, Faulkner’s portraits spoke a visual language
and trees bear heart-shaped leaves, while flower-shaped sounds through form, color, and posture. His enigmatic representations
reveal obscure emotions, where a voice is conferred to silent
Clay County Girl with Bird images using lines, shapes, and color, as in his painting Clay
County Girl with Bird (opposite). He articulated another kind of
Date: 1964 depth within his mythical and marginal characters – magicians,
Medium: Casein and oil on board diamond-studded harlequins, or religious figures with cryptic
Size: 20” x 16” smiles. A portrayer of moods from jubilant to dour, the tones
Signed: “Faulkner” bottom right of his colors impart glimpses of intense suffering, as well as
Titled by artist moments of pure bliss.

Faulkner’s imagination was a volcano of ideas brought to life
with his spontaneous stirring of explosive colors from his palette.
His florals could erupt with rays of light and joy as he gilded
vases with golden metallic paints. He could contemplatively
brush something as simple as a cup of strawberries, a lemon
on a plate, or a butterfly seeking nectar ‒ simple compositions
reflecting contentment. His pets were personified, as in playful
cats at a piano, or a nurturing cat with a doll as in his spectacular
painting Cat and his Pet (see pg. 112). Faulkner worked impulsively
and instinctively, his heartful expressions springing forth as
easily as thinking a thought. As he harnessed his imagination
and developed a commanding range of improvisation, Faulkner
exercised complete control of his palettes. He had become the
master of his own magic – the giver of the gift of color.

Confident and bolstered by success, Faulkner headed back to
Closson’s in Cincinnati for another one-man show in December
1964. This time he had a publicity plan: his spotlight-grabbing goat,
Alice. His exhibitions had morphed into true spectacles by now as
he took Alice and other pets to meet a curious and admiring public.
Faulkner and Alice, too, were topics of reviews that elaborated on
his enchanting paintings and charming animals, whom he referred
to as his children. Serious collectors and browsers alike found his
showmanship, poetic recitations, theatrical pontifications, and
accompanying menagerie entertaining.

87 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

When the time came, the caravan moved south for the winter Photo: © Cory McDonald 1968 / State Library of Florida
,garnering more and more publicity along the way. During a
stopover in Atlanta, all three newspapers, the Times, the Journal, Barefoot Faulkner reclining on sofa in his Key West home
and the Constitution announced Faulkner’s arrival. Futher on,
Miami and Naples offered more press coverage of Faulkner and included a backyard for Alice and Plato, Alice’s long-horned
Alice. Ultimately, Key West was the destination for his winter Swiss male goat companion. The financially confident Faulkner
reprieve, and there the traveling exhibition could rest. proceeded to expand his family with more cats, dogs, and even
a bird or two as he began furnishing the conch house with
Faulkner lived for center stage, and keeping an eye on national ornate old furniture and sundry antiques and oddities.
and international trends in the arts, the time seemed right to bring
his own pageantry to the fore. Performance art was coming into That spring Faulkner painted, wrote, sought a publisher
vogue. Artist Allan Kaprow coined the term “happening” in 1959 for his poetry, and busied himself working on new publicity
to describe a new art form in which the artist experiments with angles. He continued to correspond with Daphne Phelps, his
body motion, recorded sounds, written and spoken texts, and even hostess in Taormina, who shared his hope to return. Phelps
smells. A movement followed in the ’60s with performances by encouraged him, but his intention languished for several
such artists as Jim Dine, Claes Oldenburg, and Robert Whitman. years as he became more fully engulfed in his artwork and
In 1964 Yoko Ono produced and performed a conceptual art piece maintaining his farm, his homes, and his multifaceted lifestyle.
titled Cut Piece and published her book Grapefruit, recognized as
an awakening moment in conceptual art. In 1965 German artist With three properties and his obligations to produce
Joseph Beuys presented the cutting-edge performance piece paintings at a zenith, Faulkner decided to return to Lexington.
How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare. That summer he took on an assistant, Ellsworth “Skip” Taylor,
to help with his production. Taylor’s tasks were to cut 4x8-
Faulkner made it his business to be a student of these trends, foot Masonite boards into smaller pieces, gesso them, and fit
and since theatrical statements were now part of the art world, he them into antique frames. By hiring an assistant and adopting
was quite at home filling the air with his New Orleans blues and ordered methods, he lessened the burden and drudgery of
uninhibited recitations of poetry. Unabashed, his performances were prepping materials. That allowed Faulkner to paint more
bold and improvisational as he promenaded about while Alice and efficiently and spontaneously. With the time-saving process,
the other pets joined in or milled about. Attendees at his events were however, Faulkner became increasingly prone to leave painting
mesmerized by his theater of creativity, histrionics, and Alice’s caprine to the last moment while he did other things, such as tending
demeanor. Faulkner struck the golden chord – and it resonated. the animals and working on the properties. He also socialized
more often now with young people, hippie types and hangers-
Faulkner’s income from shows and increasing private on, and made himself available to attend fashionable parties.
commissions afforded him the ability to purchase a winter Yet he still somehow managed time for painting.
home in Key West in April 1965. The two-story “conch-
style” house with its second-floor balcony was typical of Key
West architecture – suitable for a sea captain or yachtsman.
Located in the old part of the city, the picturesque home made
an excellent studio, with its large windows illuminating the
interiors all day long. Marie Cosindas reminisced that on
occasion, she had joined Faulkner in his Florida studio and
that it was such a pleasure to collaborate with him. The house

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 88

Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper clipping from 1964, showing Photo: © unknown / Greene A. Settle Jr. Faulkner Collection One such exhibition was held at the home of C.J. and
Faulkner introducing patron to his baby lamb Photo: © Marie Cosindas / Faulkner- Morgan Pagan Babies ArchiveGrace Costanzo of Hamilton, Ohio. According to their
daughter, Terry Costanzo David, Faulkner showed up the day
By the mid-’60s, Faulkner had become genuinely market savvy, of the reception with some finished paintings as well as some
seeking and finding new outlets for sales and trade. He traded at old frames prepared with black panels and went about like a
antique stores like Trivet’s Antiques and Boutique in Cincinnati, whirling dervish painting, singing, and creating the fresh art
owned by Walter J. Johnson. Trivet’s was an “anything goes” type impromptu. She recalled that by the time of the reception,
of emporium, selling everything from estate pieces to hand-me- Faulkner was worn out and fast asleep in the middle of the
downs. A Faulkner painting that he had bartered for furniture or front porch using his rumpled tweed coat as a pillow while the
old frames could frequently be discovered in the back room. In guests stepped lightly so as not to awaken the exhausted artist.
fact, Trivet’s was known to have quite good Faulkners from time to
time. Clifton Anderson, an arts dealer who specializes in Kentucky Faulkner’s summers in Lexington took on a pattern – dealing
antiques and artists – including Faulkner – reminisced about one of with unpaid bills and city citations to clean up his yard and
the first Faulkner pieces he stumbled across at Trivet’s in the early front porch, running back and forth between farm and house,
’70s, the original Noah’s Ark, (see pg. 152). Anderson commented finding workers to help him, attending dinners and parties, and
that this big, colorful painting was quite pricey even then. making occasional visits to Falling Timber Branch to retrieve
mail sent to the Clay County address and catch up with his
Faulkner also branched out to other areas of the marketplace. foster mother, Dora. He also spent long visits with the Settle
He even brainstormed the idea of in-home exhibitions for private family seeking guidance from Greene Settle, who had become
patrons where they, as hosts, would invite their friends and members his adviser, informal art agent, and unfailing advocate as well.
of their social circles to a reception and chance to meet the artist. Settle consistently bought Faulkner’s artwork and helped him
Faulkner supplied the paintings, helped with the decorations, and meet new patrons and secure new deals.
provided entertainment. This approach proved to be quite rewarding
for the artist, but was not to be mentioned in the galleries. In September 1966, Settle presented Faulkner with a contract
for a one-man exhibition in Lexington with the Blue Grass Trust
for Historic Preservation to be held in the historic Gratz Park

Previously unpublished photograph by Marie Cosindas of Faulkner
and his goat, Alice; location either Jessamine County farm in
Kentucky or Key West, Florida

89 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

Photo: © unknown / Faulkner-Morgan Pagan Babies Archive and which gallery commitments he could honor. That created
disappointment among patrons and provoked gallery owners
Faulkner with his collie, Gentry, pawing and licking a newborn baby goat who felt promises had been broken or that they had been
in the backyard of his house on West Third Street, Lexington, Kentucky ignored. R&R Robinson, who counted on Faulkner for work
for their two galleries, was not happy that the artist excluded
home of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan. Properly them from his Florida visit that winter, and The Gallery in
executed, the show had the possibility of being Lexington’s Fort Lauderdale also communicated their discontent with
social event of the year and could solidify Faulkner’s reputation Faulkner’s failure to deliver. Trivet’s Antiques wrote Faulkner
among the Bluegrass blue bloods. But his reputation must have dunning letters for unreceived paintings that he had bartered
preceded him, as the Blue Grass Trust stipulated there could be on promise for two Italian-style antique chairs and other
no goats or rabbits in the house or in the yard. The contract furnishings. Fortunately, Faulkner resolved most of the
was agreed upon – with some details yet to be worked out – dissatisfaction with a conciliatory response or a little attention
and signed by Peter C. Graves, who, in proper Southern style, and charm and promise of new work. Despite his inability to
handwrote a personal note at the bottom of the document: meet everyone’s requests, not many really wanted to alienate
“P.S. We understand the artist is very fond of goats and rabbits. Faulkner, let alone sever contact with him altogether. Still, with
We are too, but a little nervous about our shiny, old, floors ! ! !”11 his ever-increasing popularity there just wasn’t enough art to
go around and the chorus of complaints continued throughout
The Hunt-Morgan House exhibition, “A Sense of Wonder,” the rest of his career.
was a success and favorably reviewed by the Lexington Herald-
Leader art critic R. Marshall Shepherd, who wrote, “This sense Back in Key West that winter, Faulkner spent time as usual
of wonder at the beauty of life and nature itself pervades all of frequenting Capt. Tony’s Saloon, visiting, and hosting parties for
Faulkner’s work. These are not paintings of bitterness, confusion, sailors and hippies in his new home. He continued to collaborate
or hate. On the contrary, they are compositions which radiate with Marie Cosindas and introduced her to his acquaintances,
love and joy, a sense of at-oneness with self and life.”12 some of whom she photographed. Delores Blackwell, an aging
stripper, posed with stuffed doves in Faulkner’s home.13 So did
As gallery requests and patron demands continued to grow, two shirtless sailors, one reclining and the other kneeling on
Faulkner had to pick and choose who would get new work the floor in an empty room containing only a Faulkner floral
that leaned against the wall behind them.14 This photograph
appeared in the May 3, 1968 issue of Life.

As Faulkner’s lifestyle became progressively more
expensive, money slipped through his fingers. He could easily
paint a lemon tree or a floral, sell it, and live on that money.
But there was no real plan for his financial future. By the late
’60s he was painting larger compositions that could sell for
about $1,500 while smaller paintings briskly sold for $50 to
$300, almost double the prices of a couple years earlier. Still,
with no savings, three mortgages, maintenance and upkeep
on properties, travel and dining, pet food, and paying helpers,
Faulkner’s money situation was always precarious. Painting
was his only means of income, which meant he needed to
paint to survive, inspired or not.

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 90

But Faulkner was on a roll – the demands of his patrons Faulkner and his work. Robinson penned a wonderful remark
and his need for revenue were constantly calling. He added new as a promotional endorsement for an exhibit at his gallery,
galleries in Florida that begged for fresh works; even museums proclaiming: “Faulkner is a mystic who imparts to his world the
were beginning to make inquiries. Generous proceeds from just surrealist enchantments of his own heart, for he paints from the
one of Closson’s exhibitions could help him balance the budget. heart, not the mind.”16 Faulkner could convey deep emotions,
One such exhibit netted him over $6,000 – if he could only sometimes playfully and sometimes not.
control his spending. Faithfully, Settle dispensed solid practical
advice and sometimes the woe-is-me artist actually listened. On returning to Kentucky, Faulkner took a step further
Without Settle’s steady guidance and oversight, Faulkner’s into the circle of old Lexington, borrowing on his Arlington
financial ineptitude would have led to his ruin. Avenue home to purchase a large old house at 462 West Third
Street in a well-established and affluent neighborhood. And it
By the summer of 1967 Faulkner had made appreciable was not likely coincidence that his new residence was across
inroads in Louisville, primarily through his connections with the street and a few houses down from the Settle home. By
Thor and Madeline Laugeson, who owned Thor Gallery located 1968, he had moved into his new house, however, he had to
in their home. The couple relished bringing fresh ideas to the lease out the upstairs to make it affordable.
Louisville market and they were personally fond of Faulkner and
loved his paintings. Art critic Sarah Lansdell of the Louisville Faulkner, mindful of the turbulent and pivotal political
Courier-Journal reviewed Faulkner’s October 1967 show at Thor climate of the late ’60s, was attracted to the rebellious youth
Gallery with complimentary, although somewhat backhanded revolution. While Lexington was rather remote from places
comments: “It is not art to be taken seriously, yet in all the like Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco and insulated from
cheerful flippancy, the sophistication-in-naiveté, there are flashes events like the violent 1968 Democratic National Convention
of poetry.”15 Louisville was not an easy market – citizens there in Chicago, he had always maintained an advocacy for equal
were not so patently impressed by Faulkner’s famous friends and rights. And in his case, he had really spent a lifetime rebelling
name-dropping, but in the years to follow he garnered Lansdell’s
staunch support to help him build a patron base in Kentucky’s
largest metropolitan area.

After his Louisville exhibit, Faulkner was beckoned back
to Florida where R&R Robinson Gallery had been more or
less patiently waiting for another one-man show. Richard
Robinson had become a devoted admirer and promoter of

Three Musicians by the Ionian Sea

Undated: ’60s
Medium: Oil and casein on board
Size: 115/8” x 14 7/8”
Signed: “Faulkner” bottom left of center

Titled by artist; example of painted cone expressing symbolic sounds

91 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n

against the status quo. Now 44 years old, he straddled the Photo: © unknown / Paul and Cindy Olsen Faulkner’s 462 West Third Street home, located near downtown Lexington,
world of America’s restless youth and the establishment that Photo: © John S. Hockensmith / Fine Art Editions
empowered his career and livelihood. Faulkner managed Kentucky, was built in the 19th century and restored in 2013
to navigate that cultural divide, speaking out against civil
injustice, the government, and the Vietnam War, while Howard Settle, Greene’s son, tells a revealing story about
wooing wealthy conservative clients to buy his art. one of Faulkner’s neighborhood initiatives. Expounding on
the benefits of organic gardening, Faulkner encouraged all his
Now owner of a home on historic West Third Street, Faulkner new neighbors to join him in creating a communal garden.
set about endearing himself to his new neighbors. Besides the But not one of them helped as Faulkner spread manure from
Settle family, there was the kindhearted Marian "Mike" Broadus; his farm, planted, hoed, and weeded. After a season’s work
Dr. Maury Offutt, who became his veterinarian – Offutt’s without a single volunteer, he announced a neighborhood
parents lived just a few doors down; the Pless family, who had a harvest celebration to be held at the Settle home. He had
wonderful antique shop on the corner of West Third and North planned a lavish vegetarian banquet, and before the event, he
Broadway; and the ever-helpful Paul and Marihelen Olsen family, ornately decorated the house with meticulously placed floral
just to name a few. Faulkner’s arrival was about to add some lively arrangements throughout. Most of the neighborhood attended
gradations of color to this already vibrant neighborhood. the fancy candlelit affair and were delighted with the hospitality
and complimentary of his food preparation. However, near the
Faulkner, seated on an outdoor bench, painted and presented art to a end of the wonderful meal and in a boisterous voice he profanely
passerby; city unknown proclaimed, “Enjoy this, because it will be your last g**damned
bite from my garden!” Certainly a dramatic end to the party
and the season, but the neighbors had at least been let off the
hook as communal gardeners.

Often perturbed as much as mollified, Faulkner’s neighbors
seemed to understand that he was of a different sort. Bob Morgan,
Faulkner’s friend and former assistant, recalled that many years

a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d 92

later, Marian Broadus said that the first time she met Faulkner, the goat with an amused smile. Hemingway promptly offered Photo: © unknown / Faulkner-Morgan Pagan Babies Archive
she knew that he was an “ancient child.” Other residents recalled Faulkner a major show for the beginning of the coming year.
Faulkner wandering home in the late night darkness singing
falsetto blues, as only he could. Howard Settle also recalled Faulkner produced 44 highly inspired paintings and
from his youth Faulkner standing beneath his parents’ bedroom Hemingway reserved the back cover of Arts Magazine on
window at three in the morning crooning, “Yeehoo, oh yeehoo which he ran a full-page advertisement for the show featuring
… Oh Greene, I just finished a painting – it’s for sale and only Faulkner’s Fountain of Rome. The show was a resounding
to you.” It is clear from the vast collection of Faulkner anecdotes success. City East magazine critic, Leo Soretsky, titled his
that his curious and lively spirit fascinated and captivated hearts February 1969 review “Romanticism . . . That Works,” and
and minds while challenging the patience of those around praised Faulkner’s vision and talent: “Hemingway Galleries
him. Their “Henry” memories, perhaps embellished by love, provide an oasis where Henry Faulkner’s fresh vision of life
admiration, or mythologizing, are still shared whenever his helps us to recapture a lost sense of wonder. This show will
name is mentioned. indubitably delight New York. His paintings are seemingly
naive or primitive but beneath the fanciful dreamlike content
In the spring of 1968, Faulkner brought in Bob Morgan, is the sturdy structure of a highly skillful and aware artist.”
then a young aspiring artist, as his new assistant. Morgan was
a great admirer and Faulkner quickly adopted him as one of Faulkner, bare-chested, poses with a painting in progress likely at
his own. Morgan was a dutiful helper, quite capable of hard his West Third Street home in Lexington, Kentucky
work. His responsibilities included the usual assistant tasks,
and more – cleaning and toting old frames, cutting and gesso-
coating Masonite panels, preparing for parties, accompanying
Faulkner back and forth to the farm to take care of the animals,
and basically being an extra pair of hands and feet to help
with anything that needed to be done. Morgan was talented,
enthusiastic, and industrious; Faulkner appreciated his work
and appreciated him.

By that summer Faulkner yearned to return to where
he had been discovered just a decade earlier, New York.
He and Morgan set off for the big city, which was by now
a much different scene than it had been in the late ‘50s.
But Faulkner still knew the ropes. He quickly found a new
benefactor, introducing himself to Frank W. Hemingway,
who owned two galleries, one upstate in Jamestown and the
other on East 60th Street in Manhattan. He and Faulkner
quickly established common ground. Faulkner, who often
embellished his life, such as claiming kinship to the novelist
William Faulkner, now knew a Hemingway he could add to his
story. With the presentation of his new work, he managed to
get immediately included in Hemingway Galleries’ fall catalog,
alongside artists like Henry Moore, George Segal, and Auguste
Rodin. Faulkner’s offering was an entrancing painting of Alice

93 N o t f o r R e p r o d u c t i o n