When M*A*S*H fans hear the name Loretta Swit, their first thought is of Major Margaret Houlihan. She brought Margaret to life for eleven seasons of M*A*S*H, and it is one of her most recognizable roles. But Swit was more than Margaret in M*A*S*H, and her career went beyond being an actor. Throughout her career, she was known as an actress, businesswoman, philanthropist, and an artist. Often, she would combine her philanthropy with her art and businesses. In one of her interviews with M*A*S*H Matters (Episode 59), she discussed her passion for art and that it started when she was young and continued into her adult life. Swit had a passion for animals and supported a number of animal rights charities through her site, SwitHeart. Her artwork featured a lot of animals, including many animals that she came in contact with during her work as an activist. In her book, Switheart: The Watercolour Artistry & Animal Activism of Loretta Swit, she featured her artwork along with the stories of the animals it represented. I was able to acquire an original print of a watercolor painting by Swit, so in this week’s post, let’s take a closer look at an artwork by our beloved Loretta Swit.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find much information about this print. It measures 16 inches by 12 inches, and it is framed in a 22 inch by 18 inch frame. The work is signed in the lower left corner, but there isn’t a numbered edition or title of the work anywhere on the work. When I acquired the print, it was well framed and matted, but that glass was scratched and in pretty bad shape. I took the print to my local, trusted framing shop to have the glass replaced, and I used the opportunity to see if there was any writing on the back of the print. Unfortunately, there are no other markings on the print itself. But I was able to confirm that it is a print and not an original watercolor. Since it isn’t titled, I am not sure who the dog is in the painting. It does look like the dog that is on the cover of Switheart: The Watercolour Artistry & Animal Activism of Loretta Swit, but I cannot confirm that. As a painter, Swit worked primarily in watercolor, and she was really talented! When you flip through the book, the artworks are well executed, and she often worked with bright colors. Most importantly, she brought the animals she represented in the paintings to life, and it was her passion for animals that shown through each of her works.
The addition of an artwork by a M*A*S*H actor presented a few questions for me. The M*A*S*H collection is dedicated to the production history of the series, so it might seem like a stretch including a piece of artwork that is not directly show related. It’s a fair point, and all good museums and collectors will limit themselves with a “collection policy” to maintain the integrity of the collection and to keep the collection from growing out of control. I have struggled with this, but I concluded that owning a piece of artwork by the actors is justified because Swit has said that she was painting when she worked for M*A*S*H. It is not uncommon for talented actors to have other hobbies. In fact, Swit is not the only M*A*S*H actor who was also an artist. Actors Gary Burghoff and Kellye Nakahara both found success as artists outside of their acting roles. I do have a print of a painting by Burghoff (which I plan to feature in a post later this year), but I have yet to acquire a painting by Nakhara, who passed away in 2020. The sudden passing of Swit last year was a shock to the M*A*S*H community, and I believe part of keeping her memory alive is showing aspects of her life beyond her roles in movies and on television. She made an impact as an activist and artist, and she should be well remembered for those contributions as well.
The M*A*S*H Historian 