Wyeth, Andrew (1917-2009), probably ranks as the most popular American painter of his time. He became best known for his realistic and thoughtful pictures of people and places in rural Pennsylvania and Maine.
Wyeth’s paintings show uncrowded rural scenes that are reminders of earlier American life. His works include pictures of old buildings with bare windows and cracked ceilings, and abandoned boats on deserted beaches. Such scenes portray the remains of past activity rather than the accomplishments of the present. Wyeth also depicted the people he knew. In 1986, he revealed a group of works representing a neighbor named Helga. She had been one of his favorite subjects for 15 years.
Wyeth painted in a style that follows the tradition of Thomas Eakins and Winslow Homer, two American Realist painters of the late 1800’s. His work is often extremely detailed. Wyeth painted in egg tempera, a medium that allowed him to represent tiny details and gave his pictures a smooth, delicate surface. He also used a water-color technique called dry brush.
Andrew Newell Wyeth was born on July 12, 1917, in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. His father, N. C. Wyeth, was a noted illustrator. He gave Andrew an appreciation of disciplined drafting skills. Andrew Wyeth’s son Jamie is also a painter. Andrew Wyeth died on Jan. 15, 2009.
