Portrait of Second Lieutenant Wayne McMillen

Grant Wood's "Portrait of Second Lieutenant Wayne McMillen" (1918) is a graphite drawing heightened with traces of white gouache on tan tracing paper, laid down on cream board. This early work dates from Wood's period of military service during World War I. Wood served in the U.S. Army's camouflage unit, where his artistic skills were put to use designing camouflage patterns. This portrait of a fellow officer, Second Lieutenant Wayne McMillen, is rendered with a precision and attention to detail that reflect both Wood's academic training and the documentary impulse of a wartime portrait. The graphite technique is careful and controlled, the features captured with a likeness that reveals Wood's gift for portraiture. The touches of white gouache add highlights that give the face a sense of volume and life. The tan tracing paper provides a warm ground. This early portrait shows the young Wood already in command of the draftsmanship that would serve him throughout his career, before he developed the distinctive style that would make him one of America's most famous painters.

Wood's early portrait drawings document his artistic formation and his service in World War I, providing a foundation for understanding the development of his mature style.

This early portrait of a fellow officer captures the young Grant Wood's developing skill as a draftsman, the precise graphite technique and sensitive handling already visible in this wartime portrait.