Andrew Wyeth - Painter in the American Tradition

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American Artists: Featuring Andrew Wyeth

All about Andrew Wyeth, including a biography, famous prints, and links to other 20th century American artists.

Andrew Wyeth Biography 

Andrew Wyeth is one of the foremost American artists of the twentieth century. He is a painter in the American tradition, capturing the people and landscapes of his country on canvas.

Born in 1917, Andrew Wyeth was one of five children born to N.C. Wyeth, the well-known illustrator, and Carolyn Bockius. The family lived in Pennsylvania; Wyeth's painting was certainly influenced by the regional art traditions of the area. The Wyeth family was highly creative. Wyeth was mostly home-schooled and did not attend any college or university. He also did not receive any formal artistic training, but his parents recognized and nurtured his talent.

Growing up between the World Wars, Andrew Wyeth came of age in a bleak period of history. Artists of his generation were turning inwards, unable to make sense of the world around them. For many, this meant exploring an Abstract Expressionist style in which all forms and figures are lost. Wyeth adopted an entirely different style although, like his artistic peers, his art was private and subjective. His paintings demonstrated the anxiety and isolation felt by the common American. His style was realistic; he portrayed rural themes, landscapes and figures in shades of brown and grey. He used mostly water-colors and tempera to paint. Despite the realism of Wyeth's work, the influence of Abstract Expressionism can be seen in his unusual compositions and juxtapositions.

Wyeth held his first exhibit in 1937 in the town in which he was living, Port Clyde, Maine. Two years later, he married Betsey James. The couple developed a creative partnership which certainly guided and influenced Wyeth's work. The couple, with their two sons, spent their winters in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania and their summers in Cushing, Maine. These rural environments are frequently represented in Wyeth's work.

In 1943, The Saturday Evening Post used Wyeth's The Hunter as its cover. At this time, Wyeth began to gain national recognition. Wyeth rose to greater fame in the 1950s and 1960s, despite the fact that his style differed greatly from that of the abstract painters making headlines at the time. His realistic and haunting style resonated with the mood of the American people. In 1963, Wyeth became the first artist to be nominated for the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Wyeth's most famous model and subject of numerous works was Christina Olson. Following her death, Wyeth painted Helga Testorf for over a decade. He created over 240 studies of this model. These images, known as the Helga Suite, are perhaps the best known and most loved of Wyeth's works.

In 1990, Wyeth was the first artist to win the Congressional Gold Medal. His body of work had a great impact on his generation and it still resonates with modern audiences.

Content taken from: www.AaronArtPrints.org

Andrew Wyeth on Amazon 

Andrew Wyeth: Autobiography

Amazon Price: $19.79 (as of 12/21/2009) Buy Now

Andrew Wyeth: Memory & Magic

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Andrew Wyeth: A Secret Life

Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 12/21/2009) Buy Now

Andrew Wyeth: Painter of the People 

Andrew Wyeth

Andrew Newell Wyeth (born July 12, 1917) is an American realist painter, also known as regional art. He is one of the best-known of the 20th century and sometimes referred to as the "Painter of the People" due to his popularity with the American public.

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20th Century American Artists 

As a frontier land, and later as a developing nation, the American artists were heavily influenced by the styles in art already developed to a high point in the mature societies of Europe. In the course of the 19th century, however, the country developed distinctive variations on the European models. Finally, by the middle of the 20th century in painting and sculpture, U.S. masters and schools of art were exerting a powerful worldwide influence over art.

This period of artistic leadership coincided with the country's increasing degree of international political and financial leadership, and reflected the nation's prosperity. Because of the great size of the country, stylistic variations developed within this main line of artistic growth. Regions that had been settled by different European nations reflected their early colonial heritage in artistic forms to a decreasing degree through the middle of the 19th century.

Differences persisted between the art produced in the city and that produced in the country within the various regions; rural artists, trained or untrained, were isolated from current trends and competitive pressures and produced highly individual modes of expression that were imaginative and direct, independent of prevailing formal conventions.

Read more about American Artists by visiting Aaron Art Prints - List of American Artists.

Andrew Wyeth Pictures 

Cárcamo by elbragon

Cárcamo

IMGP3562 by sorkin

IMGP3562

ME18 Olson House, Maine by lcm1863

ME18 Olson House, Ma...

Sod farm by lynnmwillis

Sod farm

Dodge's Ridge by unforth

Dodge's Ridge

Guest Room Fireplace by auntjojo

Guest Room Fireplace

Christina's World by unforth

Christina's World

Andrew Wyeth: Lovers by freeparking

Andrew Wyeth: Lovers

 by Kevin N. Murphy

 by Kevin N. Murphy

automatically generated by Flickr

My Andrew Wyeth Bookmarks 

20th Century American Art

What's Your Favorite? 

Robert Frank: The Americans

Robert Frank: The Americans

In 1958, the first edition of Robert Frank's <i more...0 points

Gil Elvgren: All His Glamorous American Pin-Ups (Taschen 25th Anniversary Special Editions) by Charles G Martignette, Louis K Meisel

Gil Elvgren: All His Glamorous American Pin-Ups (Taschen 25th Anniversary Special Editions) by Charles G Martignette, Louis K Meisel

Post-depression America was in desperate need of a more...0 points

Andy Goldsworthy: A Collaboration with Nature by Andy Goldsworthy

Andy Goldsworthy: A Collaboration with Nature by Andy Goldsworthy

Scottish artist Andy Goldsworthy uses a seemingly more...0 points

Kirby: King of Comics by Mark Evanier

Kirby: King of Comics by Mark Evanier

Jack Kirby created or co-created some of comic boo more...0 points

The Painter from Shanghai: A Novel by Jennifer Cody Epstein

The Painter from Shanghai: A Novel by Jennifer Cody Epstein

<b>Reminiscent of <i>Memoirs of a Geis more...0 points

Andrew Wyeth Blogs 

Saying goodbye: Jackson, Cronkite, Wyeth, Updike among artists, entertainers ...
But others were still active in their 80s and 90s, including choreographer Merce Cunningham, painter Andrew Wyeth, broadcaster Paul Harvey and those two ...
Hoving fiercely defended Wyeth
The recent death of Thomas Hoving brings to mind his close link to Andrew Wyeth. Hoving died Dec. 10 at age 78 in California, Wyeth on Jan. ...
Wyeth painting sells for $6.9M at NY auction
NEW YORK ? An Andrew Wyeth painting of his teenage son standing on a bluff overlooking the St. George River in Maine has set the second-highest auction ...
Museum and gallery events | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/18/2009
Dolls From the Ann Wyeth McCoy Collection. Closes 1/10. Brandywine Heritage Galleries. Andrew Wyeth Gallery. NC Wyeth Gallery. Bayard & Mary Sharp Gallery. ...

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Sites of Interest 

Andrew Wyeth - Christina's World
Christina's World was Andrew Wyeth's breakthrough work, propelling him to fame. It remains his best-remembered work as well.
Andrew Wyeth - Master Bedroom
Why Master Bedroom is one of Andrew Wyeth's most popular paintings.
Andrew Wyeth Prints
Everything Andrew Wyeth, from his inspirations, to the Wyeth family tree and museum collections.
LensMasterWorld.com
LensMasterWorld.com is a directory for squidoo lensmasters.

Andrew Wyeth Merchandise 

Andrew Wyeth: Autobiography

Amazon Price: $19.79 (as of 12/21/2009) Buy Now

Andrew Wyeth: Memory & Magic

Amazon Price: $32.97 (as of 12/21/2009) Buy Now

Andrew Wyeth: A Secret Life

Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 12/21/2009) Buy Now

Big Oak Framed Andrew Wyeth Master Bedroom Dog On Bed

Amazon Price: $193.00 (as of 12/21/2009) Buy Now

An American Vision: Three Generations of Wyeth Art: N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, James Wyeth

Amazon Price: $23.10 (as of 12/21/2009) Buy Now

Top 3 Andrew Wyeth Paintings 

If you don't agree, let me know!

Christina's World

The painting was inspired by a neighbour of the Wy more...0 points

Andrew Wyeth Master Bedroom %u2013 dog on bed

It is also interesting that Wyeth titled the paint more...0 points

Groundhog Day

We can assume that Wyeth delights in presenting di more...0 points

"I dream a lot. I do more painting when I'm not painting. It's in the subconscious."

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  • Reply
    Gil Warzecha Gil Warzecha Jul 4, 2009 @ 1:05 pm
    In case the weblink didn't come through on the last email, it's http://www.cafepress.com/gilwarzecha/6631055. Thanks again! http://www.gilwarzecha.com/
  • Reply
    Gil Warzecha Gil Warzecha Jul 4, 2009 @ 1:02 pm
    I really like the way you've designed this site and included some great info. Thanks so much for featuring my Weyth Homage photograph! I linked this page in my site to try to help increase interest in Weyth. The link is here. Wyeth is one of those arists that - I beleive - should be more known. Thanks again! /www.gilwarzecha.com/>
  • Reply
    johnnymangiante johnnymangiante Aug 23, 2008 @ 9:28 pm
    Hey thanks for the comment. You have a great lens too!

Andrew Wyeth on Amazon 

The Great Artists

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The Artists' Specials 6 DVD Collector's Set

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Great Women Artists Box Set

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Against the Odds: The Artists of the Harlem Renaissance

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live

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