Andrew Wyeth c. 1935

 

Andrew Wyeth Biography

Andrew Wyeth, the youngest son of N.C. Wyeth, is the most acclaimed artist in the family. He has been recognized internationally as America's foremost realist. Andrew was particularly close to his father and began studying with him at an early age.

N.C Wyeth and Andrew Wyeth Maine, 1936

He never attended school - although he had a tutor. N.C. felt that the years most children spent in school were the most critical time for an artist to perfect his craft and to absorb, and learn, to "see" as an artist. The essence of Andrew Wyeth's art is best expressed in his own words, "I search for the realness, the real feeling of a subject, all the texture around it ... I always want to see the third dimension of something ... I want to come alive with the object."

Andrew Wyeth Brinston's Mill Chadds Ford, c. 1970

Andrew respects the materials he works with and they become an influence in his work. Andrew's Drawing of a Pirate exhibits the emotion and quickness of the pen and ink media. The pen influences his lines and the drawings created represent his most abstract works.

Andrew Wyeth, 1985

Tree on Sugarloaf is one of Andrew's watercolors. Here, the strokes of his brush are even less controlled than those of the pen. Andrew said "The only virtue is to put down an idea about what you feel at the moment." This virtue is integrated into Andrew's watercolors and allows him to use this media as well as any other artist. Christina's World is Andrew's most famous painting as well as one of the best examples of the tempera media. This technique combines his drawing and watercolor skills. Andrew worked broadly at first and then concentrated on the details as he built up layers of paint.

Drawing of a Pirate

The broad appeal of this work is attested to the fact that it now hangs in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His Helga collection, which was discovered in the 1980s, received national publicity and has been on display in major cities throughout the United States. This collection shows the universal appeal of Andrew Wyeth.

Tree on Sugarloaf

There is not another painter today who would have attracted as much attention if his never before seen works were discovered. Andrew Wyeth's realism is a mix of art and life that we are all able to enjoy and understand