The Art of Andrew Wyeth

Andrew Newell Wyeth (1917 – 2009) was part of the Regionalist movement and is most well known for his painting of Christina’s World, one of the best-known American paintings of the mid 20th century. In 1963, Wyeth was the first painter to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award and at the age of 91 in 2007, he received the National Medal of Arts from George W. Bush.

(Wyeth, Andrew. Christina’s World. c. 1948. tempera on gessoed panel. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. ©)

Christina’s World depicts a young girl lying on the ground in an open field, looking up and crawling towards a grey house on the horizon. The girl was Andrew Wyeth’s neighbor, Christina Olson. She suffered from polio and had lost the use of her legs. Wyeth paints her painfully pulling herself up the hillside with her arms. The painting was purchased by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1948 and its opening, brought in record-breaking attendance.

(Wyeth, Andrew. Dodges Ridge. c. 1947. tempera on gessoed panel. Smithsonian American Art Museum.)

Wyeth says, “She was limited physically but by no means spiritually. The challenge was to do justice to her extraordinary conquest of a life which most people would consider hopeless.”

(Wyeth, Andrew. The Master’s Bedroom. c. 1965. watercolor. Andrew Wyeth Private Collection.)

Andrew’s father, Newell Convers Wyeth, also known as N.C. was one of the most famous and highest-paid illustrators in the United States in the early 20th century. He illustrated popular books such as Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe, The Last of the Mohicans, and Robin Hood. Although Andrew had already mastered watercolor when he was about twelve years old, N.C. chose to tutor him extensively in art.

(Wyeth, Andrew. Winter. c. 1946. tempera on board. North Carolina Museum of Art.)

In 1945, Andrew’s life was forever changed after the tragic death of his father and nephew, who were both killed in a car accident at a railway crossing near his home in Chadds Ford. Andrew later describes that everything after that was different as though “his eyes were opened”.

(Wyeth, Andrew. Groundhog Day. c. 1959. tempera on masonite. Philadelphia Museum of Art.)

Wyeth painted with egg tempera, which is created from an egg yolk mixed with pigment. It is a unique medium to be used in the 20th century as its popularity declined after the invention of oil paint. Once mixed it cannot be stored and it dries rapidly but, it does allow for great precision and Andrew used this to his advantage as he worked countless hours to paint individual strains of hair and individual blades of grass in Christina's World.

(Wyeth, Andrew. Braids. c. 1979. dry-brush watercolor. Private Collection.)

Wyeth’s paintings of open plains lacking vegetation, weathered buildings, and subjects of people in solitude seem to create a cold wintery feel and his work is much appreciated here! 

Enjoy! :) 

References

• Andrew Wyeth.com

The Art of Edward Hopper

Edward Hopper (1882 – 1967) was a regionalist painter and produced some of the most enduringly popular images in American art. Throughout his career, he created quiet, yet riveting pictures of ordinary people and places, which in his hands became dramatic scenes that express a sense of isolation, anomie, and the bittersweet comfort of being alone.

(Hopper, Edward. Nighthawks. c. 1942. Oil on canvas.
The Art Institute of Chicago.)

Throughout his career, Hopper was fascinated by dramatic lighting, and nowhere is this more evident than in his nighttime pictures, where brightly lit interiors contrast with the darkness outside. Glowing fluorescent or electrical lights, which illuminate windows and spill onto the otherwise darkened streets, set the tone for many of Hopper's paintings and imbue the works with an air of mystery.

 

His images of New York diners, movie palaces, apartments, and offices reflect urban life in America between the world wars; his light-filled watercolors of the New England coast and its architecture evoke the austere beauty of the region.

 

(Hopper, Edward. Drug Store. c. 1927. Oil on canvas.
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.)

Born in Nyack, New York, at the end of the Gilded Age—an era of remarkable optimism and national pride—Hopper did not come to artistic maturity until the mid-1920s. Steering clear of artistic fashions and trends, he charted a course that bore the influence of many, but beyond the most general designation as an "American realist" kept him from being comfortably associated with any particular group or school.

 

(Hopper, Edward. Chop Suey. c. 1929. Oil on canvas.
Collection Barney A. Edsworth.)

The scenes he created are still and tense, and often just the slightest action—a gentle breeze rustling a curtain or an absent-minded stroke of a piano key—takes on an unspecified profundity.

(Hopper, Edward. Morning Sun. c. 1952. Oil on canvas.
Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio.)

The voyeuristic possibilities inherent in the modern city, where people lived in close proximity but often with anonymity—are especially apparent at night. Hopper frequently depicted stolen glances from fast-moving elevated trains and glimpses from windows into neighboring buildings, where figures are busy with their own private concerns, unaware or unconcerned that they are being watched. I just love the stillness of the subject matter, the vivid colors, and the shadows.

 

(Hopper, Edward. Hotel Room. c. 1929. Oil on canvas.
Collection Barney A. Edsworth.)

Beginning with his 1933 retrospective at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Hopper received many honors in his lifetime. He himself made no great claims for his art, but his images resonate today as they did with his contemporaries, one of whom aptly described him as "a master whose poetry is realism." 

Enjoy :) 

Reference: http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2007/hopper/index.shtm 

Recommended Reading: Edward Hopper by Carol Troyen

The Art of Brent J. Lynch

Brent Lynch has enjoyed a successful career in the arts for over twenty-five years. He has been honored with many national and international awards in both communication and fine art. A powerful landscape and figurative painter, Brent uses mood, light, and movement to express his experience.

 
(Lynch, Brent J. Sloop. Oil on canvas)
(Lynch, Brent. Street Car Named Desire I. Oil on canvas)
(Lynch, Brent J. Street Car Named Desire II. Oil on Canvas)
He is passionate about painting from life and this spiritual connection resonates in his work. Brent’s daring use of color and brushstrokes, along with his unique compositional style is characteristic of his paintings. His works range from intimate portraits to large-scale mural installations, which are currently on display in galleries, institutions, and private collections worldwide.

(Lynch, Brent J. Pier 56. Oil on canvas)
(Lynch, Brent J. Port of Call. Oil on canvas)
Creating images has always been a part of Brent’s life. As a toddler, bedroom walls, floors, and even his baby brother’s bald head became his canvases. As he grew, this natural creativity and desire to find new experiences drew him into many different areas.

 
(Lynch, Brent J. Twilight Romance. Oil on canvas)
(Lynch, Brent J. Under the Stars. Oil on canvas)
During his teen years, Brent was happiest on the football field or flying down a mountain slope. Both school and life sparked his imagination and he was inspired by the works of many artists from Shakespeare to Bob Dylan and Rembrandt to Pollock.

(Lynch, Brent J. Thunderheads. Oil on canvas)

Brent spent his early career producing a large body of work from illustrated books to record covers. He was perhaps best known for his artistic event posters for regional, national and international events such as ballet, opera, and theater as well as sporting events including the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games.

(Lynch, Brent J. Piano. Oil on canvas)
(Lynch, Brent J. Place Your Bet. Oil on canvas)
The power and energy of his figurative work are due to Brent’s need to draw and compose from life, whether in a studio working with models or in the field of air painting. This spiritual connection with his subject is the cornerstone of his artwork.

 
(Lynch, Brent J. Coastal Drive. Oil on canvas)

“I have always been aware of the spiritual dimension which connects us to everyone and everything. For me, investigating a landscape, portrait, or life study transforms my perspective. The process of drawing or painting the subject becomes a wonderful way to acknowledge this relationship,” says Brent.

 
(Lynch, Brent J. Albion Ferry. Oil on canvas)
(Lynch, Brent J. Sunset Drive. Oil on canvas)
Brent is sought after and commissioned to create murals and painted installations for institutions, public buildings, and private collections. He has become recognized as a powerful landscape and figurative painter, using mood light, composition, and movement to convey his experiences. He works in a range of mediums including watercolor, gouache, oils, and French chalk. His dynamic use of color and brushstrokes along with his unique and daring compositional styles are trademarks of his work.

(Lynch, Brent J. Dog on Beach. Oil on canvas)
To read more about Brent J. Lynch and to see more of his art, please visit his website (http://www.brentlynch.net). His artwork is truly amazing and is much appreciated here! 

Enjoy :) 

Reference: Brent Lynch

The Art of Thomas Hart Benton

Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975) was from Missouri by 1934, Benton had become one of the most recognized artists in America and was selected to be the first artist featured on the cover of Time magazine. Why was he famous? He put regionalism on the map!

(Benton, Thomas Hart. Lewis and Clark at Eagle Creek. c. 1967. The Eitelijorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art, Indianapolis, Indiana.)

Regionalism is an American term that was used to describe the work of a number of rural artists from the Midwest, during the 1930s. American Gothic painting by Grant Wood is the most famous artwork from this period. Regionalists often rejected modernism and shared a humble point of view with a desire to depict everyday American life.

(Benton, Thomas Hart. Sheepherder c. 1955-60. Oil on canvas, 48 x 66 in.)

As American citizens moved toward the industrialized cities to get jobs, the middle class began to rise. Benson believed that modernism was for the elitist. Educated in Paris, he discarded the European high culture decadence that he had observed. He sketched the daily life that he encountered while he traveled on the back roads of America.

Later, he incorporated the details from these drawings into his major paintings and mural projects. He produced many works of art that depicted American folk traditions and scenery.

(Benton, Thomas Hart. July Hay. c. 1943. Egg tempera, methylcellulose & oil on masonite, 38 x 26 3/4 in. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York.)

I love the wavy swirling lines of his objects and the unique way that he paints trees, plants, and stones. You can recognize the distinctive techniques in all of his work.

Thank you Thomas Hart Benton for creating regionalism, you are much appreciated here!

Enjoy :)