The Wilson Collection™, featuring the work of the artist known as the Norman Rockwell of the South, is a legacy asset.
Self-taught American artist Robert W. Wilson Sr. spent a lifetime achieving photographic realism in oil on canvas. To depict historical figures who lived before photography, Wilson read profusely, capturing distinctive truths, like General Daniel Morgan’s hooked nose, that textbooks softened. Over 25 museums across the US hang his mostly donated works. History will record Wilson among North America’s top portrait artists of his time, and among its top-tier art philanthropists.
The History Behind the Art:
At 19, enlisting in Panama at the start of WWII, Wilson passed the pilot’s test when pilots were desperately needed. In Operation Varsity, the last major aerial battle in Europe, he saved crew and plane, earning the Silver Star, presented in 2010 in Spartanburg by US Senator Jim DeMint after its recovery by Major General Ed Y. Hall. He settled in Woodruff, SC, after Korea. He painted portraits of John Wayne, Einstein, the Duchess of York, and Salvador Dali.
Challenged to study the Bible, Wilson was struck by Dali’s “The Sacrament of the Last Supper” at the National Gallery of Art. NGA funded his trip to photograph Dali’s work and hung Wilson’s derivative work side-by-side with Dali’s for 30 days in a public competition. The result was a nearly even split between an unknown SC painter and a master.
From that inspiration came the Christ Series™ and monumental 6ft x 8ft Revolutionary War canvases documenting 500+ battles in South Carolina, more than the other 12 colonies combined. Gaffney is the center of gravity. Old-school American history art was impractical and lacked color. Wilson’s approach is colorful, realistic, and accurate.
What the Collection Offers Today:
- Legacy Investment: Originals remain in museums. Museum-quality images are now available at WWW.RWWSR.COM™, framed with mats in a choice of colors and shipped worldwide, for executive suites, law offices, university presidents, and legacy homes that choose authentic American realism over abstract escape.
- Philanthropic ROI: Wilson passed away with little money in his pocket, leaving America his realism to appreciate for generations. The Wilson Collection™ continues that model by funding young up-and-coming American realists and restoring artists’ rights.
- On The Horizon: A forthcoming film titled “The Evolution of a Great Artist in the Rebirthing of Hope for Societies Around the World™” is to be shot in Spartanburg and surrounding communities. The Beacon Restaurant will host all casting calls. Introducing The Era Of Oneness™, The Constructive Realism Era™, and Where 2 Live As One®.
To acquire art for your boardroom and support the next generation: WWW.RWWSR.COM™
