AN ICONIC COLLEGE VIEW: "UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA" RUMMELL, RICHARD (1848-1924)

 

University of North Carolina

Richard Rummell

Restrike engraving from the original plate (c.1913)

Printed on heavy woven paper and hand colored

Plate Size: 17 x 29 ¼ 

Price: $600.00

At the turn of the century, the accomplished landscape artist Richard Rummell (1848-1924) painted a panoramic bird’s-eye view watercolor of the University of North Carolina. In this selection of paintings of American colleges and universities, Rummell selected the twenty best colleges in the nation at the time of painting. His inclusion of these universities in his oeuvre indicates his immense respect for these institutions. From this watercolor, a copper-plate was engraved and a limited number of pulls (engravings) were distributed. Today, Arader Galleries owns the collection of copper plates used for engraving and watercoloring. Using the original process and 100 year old original plates, Arader is proudly re-striking and making the beautiful college view available for acquisition the same way it was 100 years ago.

With the founding of the University of North Carolina in 1789 and the arrival of students by 1795, the University of North Carolina was not only the nation’s first public university, but the only public university of the eighteenth century. The university has carried that commitment to public education nearly two hundred years later, offering a world class education to all those that go to the University of North Carolina. The university would first be built on a hill located in an area that was roughly in the center of North Carolina. With an old Anglican chapel on that hill, New Hope Chapel Hill, the town of Chapel Hill itself would then receive its name. 

Initial curricula would greatly resemble classical university curricula, but the University of North Carolina would have a particular focus on training its students for public service and state positions. With expansion of the academic departments to include more fields in the sciences, the university saw a great increase in enrollment. In fact, by 1860, it would be the university with the fourth most students in the country.

In this painting, Rummell is likely depicting the beautiful old campus from E Franklin Street looking south and east upon McCorkle Place. Near the center of the painting, Rummell depicts The Old Well with its rotunda-like shape and light blue top. Built in 1893, this structure has long stood as one of the symbols for the University of North Carolina. Not only does it offer a wonderful decorative piece to the Chapel Hill campus, but it also is rumored to provide students with good luck before the beginning of their classes. 

On either side of The Old Well are two of the University of North Carolina’s oldest buildings, Old East and Old West. Old East, the oldest building on the University of North Carolina’s campus, was deemed a National Historic Landmark in 1965. To the right of The Old Well is Old West, which was built in a similar fashion to Old East, but it was not completed until 1823. The University of North Carolina now recognizes that slave labor played a major role in the construction of both buildings.

Behind The Old Well, the South Building looks upon the campus. This building was the first building on campus that the Trustees had actually envisioned, and it would later be completed in 1814. It has long hosted some of the University of North Carolina’s most storied debate societies. It overlooks Polk Place, named for the U.S. President and university graduate James Polk.  

With Rummell’s immense attention to the minute details of the University of North Carolina’s spectacular buildings and the surrounding environment, this is a wonderful piece for any graduate of the University of North Carolina to own.

To order a college view, please email loricohen@aradergalleries.com or call 215-796-0358 (mobile) or 215-735-8811 (landline).