Samuel L. Parrish, a wealthy attorney who spent summers in Southampton and traveled frequently to Europe, where he bought paintings and copies of classical sculpture, built the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton in 1898 to display his collection.
To celebrate the Parrish's 125th anniversary, the Southampton History Museum has opened "Gilded Icons: Forgotten Treasures in the Samuel L. Parrish Collection," which will be on view through Dec. 28.
Upon his death in 1932, Parrish left his museum and his collection to the Village of Southampton. When Rebecca Littlejohn became president of the Parrish board in 1952, she decided its collection was out of step with modern art movements and began showing work by artists who lived and worked on the South Fork. Much of the collection was sold, damaged, or lost over the years.
Organized by the Rev. W. Patrick Edwards, "Gilded Icons" features both secular and religious copies made in the 19th century by master craftsmen. A reception will be held March 18 from 4 to 6 p.m., with a curator's talk set for 5.
