Andrew Wyeth, NC Wyeth and Buck
Andrew Wyeth died yesterday at his home in Chadds Ford Pa. I somehow feel close to the Wyeth family although I never personally met any of them.
Andrew’s father NC Wyeth was a part of my young life through his glorious illustrations His work was included in many of the tales that I read as a young boy. His dramatic work in Treasure Island, King Arthur and especially Kidnapped made these tales come to life in my youthful reading.
When NC was killed in a tragic accident in 1945 I read the account of his death over and over in the Philadelphia Bulletin. It was like losing a favorite uncle with the realization that he would no longer contribute to my life. NC Wyeth did however continue to contribute to my life. I reread every book I owned that contained his illustrations and sought others that I had not read. Wyeth helped me to have a lifelong interest in art and reading a good tale. NC Wyeth was not happy that his study with Howard Pyle as part of the Brandywine School led him to a successful career as an illustrator and overshadowed his fine efforts with serious art. When reading those tales containing his illustrations I was not yet interested in the difference between illustrations and fine art. There is no doubt that his illustrations had a profound positive effect on me in coming to an understanding of the value in life of art and literature.
I don’t exactly remember when I first saw a print of Andrew Wyeth’s Christina’s World but I recognized that the Wyeth’s were not out of my life quite yet. Wyeth’s work in Chester County evoked an understanding at new depths of nature and the beauty of that rural setting that was only a short drive from my home. Prints of Wyeth’s work were in my office throughout my business career. A new phase of my relationship with the work of the Wyeth family started when a grist mill on the Brandywine River was converted into the Brandywine River Museum.
The Brandywine contains works by NC and Andrew as well as works of Andrew’s son Jamie. Hennrieta Wyeth Hurd is there, as is a tribute to Howard Pyle the father of American Illustration and NC’s teacher in Wilmington and Chadds Ford. The Brandywine River Museum is my favorite museum. I have visited many of the great museums in Europe and America. There is no argument that each of the museums has wonderful work, (who can argue with the Mona Lisa) The Brandywine’s unique setting on the historic Brandywine River, it’s size and the American art that is contains make this a very special place for me and thousands of others. I have been there more times than I can count with my children and later my grandchildren. The Christmas season is special at the Brandywine with the trees decorated with ornaments made of berries and things that grow. The Wyeth family art is in a place that works in a special way with their understanding of rural life and their subjects.. Someone once said “If you want to be remembered you need to do something worth the writing or write something worth the reading” Andrew and the entire family have done something worth the writing and in addition we have the pleasure of seeing the art that the writing is all about.
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Loved this article. I too am a great fan and have been to the Brandywine as well as the Rockland Museum in Maine.
We had just moved to Ct from Cal, I think 1975 when the big blockbuster retrospective was on display at the Met. I was in awe especially since it was my first visit to the Met. I think I went three times, and particularly loved the Helgas’ I still have the catalog here in Longmont.
My absolute favorite is the landscape, I think ’sign of snow’.Also ‘Christina’s World’ at the Modern; it is like visiting old friends.
I loved his comment about not painting anywhere else but the Koerner’s farm and the summer Maine environs, as he said there was a lifetime of inspiration there.
We were in Naples, Florida maybe three years ago and went to their outstanding museum. The place was packed for a Monday and we had to park at a church and shuttle to the museum. When I saw the banner outside ‘The Three Wyeths’ I understood why. Also that day there was a sold out lecture by Sir Thomas Hoving on the Helga series and 900 people showed up! Thanks for the memories.I loved the full page obit in the Times. It is worth pulling up CAROL