Appreciating all that makes America special

The Arts: Andrew Wyeth

Christina's World is Wyeth's most famous image. It depicts his neighbor in Maine who, due to an unknown illness, was unable to walk. Uploaded by bu.edu.

“The Painter of the People.” Some artists would recoil from that reputation, fearing it describes someone like Thomas Kincaid. For Andrew Wyeth, it simply meant that he painted recognizable scenes in a realist style they could appreciate. For Wyeth, it’s high praise indeed.

Those who paint in a realist style are often given short shrift by the high muckamucks of the art establishment. Seems to me, however, that we can appreciate both the brilliance of an innovative abstractionist and the discipline of a gifted realist. And that, Wyeth most certainly is.

He painted the people and landscapes around his home in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania and his summer home in Cushing, Maine. He was influenced by the poetry of Frost (Great American Things, April 27, 2009) and Thoreau, particularly their representation of nature. Of course his father, N.C. Wyeth, gave him every advantage, as well as training from an early age.

And the finished paintings? Well, they speak for themselves.

“Snow Hill”

Uploaded by tabathayeatts.com.

“Late Harvest”

Uploaded by redellwhite.com.

“Master Bedroom”

Uploaded by askdoglady.com.

“The Meter Box”

Uploaded by borghi.org.

“Big Room”

Uploaded by watsonwildlife.com.

“Red Barn”

Uploaded by lwy.hyosung.daegu.kr.

“Wind from the Sea”

Uploaded by gwennseemel.com.

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One Comment

  1. Master Bedroom definitely my favorite!