If you're a fan of Andrew Wyeth as I am, you will have to make pilgrimage to The Brandywine River Museum in Chadd's Ford, PA at least once in your life. I have the great good fortune of living just a short drive away from his home and museum, and so, after much being cooped up from illness and pulling crazy overtime at work these last few months, I got out to see it for the second time...
Victoria Wyeth, his granddaughter through Nicholas, brother of Jamie, conducts brief tours discussing Andy's thoughts and process as well as a few personal experiences with her granddad which offer additional insight. I'll give you some highlights...
"Trodden Weed", a rare self-portrait of the artist, is a conjunction of several artists influence, really... The site was near where Andy's father, the famed artist/illustrator N. C. Wyeth, was killed when the car he was in was hit by a train. The boots he wears belonged to another great illustrator Howard Pyle, purchased at an estate sale. And the inspiration for it comes from an encounter Andy had in a dream with his favorite artist, Albrecht Dürer. At once, it seems a commentary on death (there seems to be a haunting fascination with death through many of Andy's works), but also the importance of noticing the mundane. In the caption beside the piece at the museum, Andy wondered how often we notice where we step, what details throughout the day we remain totally oblivious to... It reminds me of what I heard referred to once as "every moment zen"...
There's an interesting piece there called "Hideaway" -- a painting of a hollowed tree. But it didn't used to be only that. Once, some years back when he was painting it, Andy encountered a beautiful, buxom African-American waitress at one of his favorite spots. He was inspired and decided, Victoria recalled, that he had to have her pose nude for him in the hollow of the tree. Victoria was skeptical that that would ever happen, but only a couple of days later, she saw the woman nude in the tree as Andy painted. Somewhat reclusive, he could still be quite persuasive. When "finished" in 2000, the piece was called "Dryad" (Andy's wife Betsy names all the pieces), and it appeared as follows:
Unfortunately, after a while, Andy noticed that no one was looking at the tree, but rather, at the woman. And so, he took it back down and layer-by-layer, painted her back out... The piece now called "Hideaway" (image not available) features only the hollow tree and the background, but if you look closely, given the trickiness of working in egg tempura, you can still see the curve of her left arm, some of the body, and the outline of her extended left foot at the bottom.
Finally, this was an interesting note I thought I'd share with you... This piece, simply called "The Kuerners", was done at the Kuerner farm, where Andy did much of his work:
Apparently, he and the Kuerners got on quite well. So well, in fact, that they eventually gave him the key to their home, and he painted them in every manner of mood. This piece originally just had Mr. Kuerner and a moosehead mounted on the wall, but Andy removed the moose, and after being inspired by a morning argument between the Mr. and Mrs. about Mr. Kuerner going out hunting again, Andy painted her in there instead, the muzzle of the rifle in Mr. Kuerner's hand pointedly in her direction, denoting the tension as he left. Victoria once asked Andy why Mrs. Kuerner had on a black turtleneck-thing -- she thought it seemed out of place. Andy explained it continued the line of the rifle barrel, and without it, the line and the tension would be lost. Neat little observation.
The Brandywine River Museum is the home to N. C. Wyeth's works, as well as Andy's and some of Jamie's.
There's a traveling exhibit of Edward Gorey's work there as well, until May 17th, for anyone who wants to see it. I love Gorey's strange and creepy little illustrations. They even have the beaver fur coat he often is seen wearing when he depicts "An author" in his works.
And as I left the museum (after purchasing my membership, so I can go back any time without paying further), I discovered there was a black rat snake hiding in the rafters above the gate through which all patrons must enter and exit... I looked, but could never catch a good view of his head, and the ominous and mysterious nature of that seemed a fitting way to end the day after viewing some of Gorey's stuff.
Victoria Wyeth, his granddaughter through Nicholas, brother of Jamie, conducts brief tours discussing Andy's thoughts and process as well as a few personal experiences with her granddad which offer additional insight. I'll give you some highlights...
"Trodden Weed", a rare self-portrait of the artist, is a conjunction of several artists influence, really... The site was near where Andy's father, the famed artist/illustrator N. C. Wyeth, was killed when the car he was in was hit by a train. The boots he wears belonged to another great illustrator Howard Pyle, purchased at an estate sale. And the inspiration for it comes from an encounter Andy had in a dream with his favorite artist, Albrecht Dürer. At once, it seems a commentary on death (there seems to be a haunting fascination with death through many of Andy's works), but also the importance of noticing the mundane. In the caption beside the piece at the museum, Andy wondered how often we notice where we step, what details throughout the day we remain totally oblivious to... It reminds me of what I heard referred to once as "every moment zen"...
There's an interesting piece there called "Hideaway" -- a painting of a hollowed tree. But it didn't used to be only that. Once, some years back when he was painting it, Andy encountered a beautiful, buxom African-American waitress at one of his favorite spots. He was inspired and decided, Victoria recalled, that he had to have her pose nude for him in the hollow of the tree. Victoria was skeptical that that would ever happen, but only a couple of days later, she saw the woman nude in the tree as Andy painted. Somewhat reclusive, he could still be quite persuasive. When "finished" in 2000, the piece was called "Dryad" (Andy's wife Betsy names all the pieces), and it appeared as follows:
Unfortunately, after a while, Andy noticed that no one was looking at the tree, but rather, at the woman. And so, he took it back down and layer-by-layer, painted her back out... The piece now called "Hideaway" (image not available) features only the hollow tree and the background, but if you look closely, given the trickiness of working in egg tempura, you can still see the curve of her left arm, some of the body, and the outline of her extended left foot at the bottom.
Finally, this was an interesting note I thought I'd share with you... This piece, simply called "The Kuerners", was done at the Kuerner farm, where Andy did much of his work:
Apparently, he and the Kuerners got on quite well. So well, in fact, that they eventually gave him the key to their home, and he painted them in every manner of mood. This piece originally just had Mr. Kuerner and a moosehead mounted on the wall, but Andy removed the moose, and after being inspired by a morning argument between the Mr. and Mrs. about Mr. Kuerner going out hunting again, Andy painted her in there instead, the muzzle of the rifle in Mr. Kuerner's hand pointedly in her direction, denoting the tension as he left. Victoria once asked Andy why Mrs. Kuerner had on a black turtleneck-thing -- she thought it seemed out of place. Andy explained it continued the line of the rifle barrel, and without it, the line and the tension would be lost. Neat little observation.
The Brandywine River Museum is the home to N. C. Wyeth's works, as well as Andy's and some of Jamie's.
There's a traveling exhibit of Edward Gorey's work there as well, until May 17th, for anyone who wants to see it. I love Gorey's strange and creepy little illustrations. They even have the beaver fur coat he often is seen wearing when he depicts "An author" in his works.
And as I left the museum (after purchasing my membership, so I can go back any time without paying further), I discovered there was a black rat snake hiding in the rafters above the gate through which all patrons must enter and exit... I looked, but could never catch a good view of his head, and the ominous and mysterious nature of that seemed a fitting way to end the day after viewing some of Gorey's stuff.
