Once upon a time, my partner Jan, a small dog-called Wolga and I travelled around the U.S. for a whole year. Yes, indeed, it was as romantic as it sounds …
It must have been during this trip that we came across the paintings of Andrew Wyeth.
I remember being in a small museum and seeing typical American rural landscapes much the same as the scenery I saw from my car window during the day. I don’t think Andrew Wyeth ever became very famous in Europe, so I forgot about him for many years … until the other day when I came across his paintings …
Love in the afternoon by Andrew Wyeth
His powerful but often unsettling and melancholy pictures were a barometer of American popular taste. No other contemporary artist was so closely identified with the American nation’s vision of its rural soul.
Off at sea
Home schooled on his family’s farm, Andrew never spent a day in a classroom. In 1955 he was given an honorary doctorate from Harvard.
Night sleeper
Andrew Wyeth was born in the idyllic Pennsylvania farming village of Chads Ford in the Brandywine River Valley on July 12 1917. He was a widely known but solitary figure in contemporary American art and created some of the country’s most recognizable images.
He painted meticulous depictions of rural scenes, figures and interiors.
Helga’s braids, detail
Andrew Wyeth was taught by his father N.C. Wyeth a well-known beloved illustrator Andrew’s son, Jamie Wyeth, is part of the third generation of Wyeth artists.
Official website: Andrew Wyeth
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13threads // Oct 23, 2012 at 14:20
Marion, once again, a lovely similarity! I, too love Andrew Wyeth and saw my first exhibition in Portland, Oregon USA. It was his Helga Pictures and I still think of it as the best exhibition I have ever seen and indeed have not forgotten it. His life is also intriguing. This is a beautiful post.
Marion Pannekoek // Oct 23, 2012 at 14:56
Lois what a coincidence indeed! After all these years I also still remember that exhibit, although I forgot in which state it was … I can look it up because Jan kept a log book that whole year …
The story behind those Helga paintings is rather piquant, it nearly cost him his marriage …