961. Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009),

American, Braids, 1977.

Tempera on panel, 41.9 x 52 cm.

Private collection. American Realism.

 

 

Andrew Wyeth

(1917 Chadds Ford – 2009 Chadds Ford)

 

Andrew Wyeth, the youngest of five children, sprang from an unusually artistic family. His father, Newell Convers Wyeth (1882-1945), a distinguished illustrator, gave him a rigorous artistic training. Two of Andrew’s siblings were noted artists as well as his own son James. Early in his career, Andrew was noted for his impressionistic watercolours. His mature style was characterized by realistic interpretations, overt beauty and an almost photographic exactitude. For over fifty years his landscapes and interiors were consistently realistic and succeeded to convey a strong emotional current. His later works often contained symbolic elements, such as his most famous work, Christina’s World (1948) which depicts his wife Betsy Merle James. Wyeth’s most important subjects were his neighbours and their farms, his wife and her family. Consequently, he is referred to as the ‘painter of the people.’ According to Webster’s American Biographies (1984), he is one of the best-known American painters of the twentieth century.