Friday, January 16, 2009
Andrew Wyeth, 1917-2009
The New York Times has reported the January 15th death of painter Andrew Wyeth, one of my favorite artists. His work depicted a distinctly "American" landscape, and often the harsh realities of rural life, especially in his native eastern Pennsylvania. I'm naturally attracted to his watercolors, which often possessed a non-watercolor look because of his masterful use of the drybrush technique. He also favored use of egg tempera, an ancient, difficult medium (developed centuries before the invention of oil-based paints) that conveys an unmistakable look and depth to his works. (Another American favorite and Wyeth contemporary, George Tooker, also uses this egg tempera medium.) To read the Times full obituary for Wyeth and see a slideshow of some of his more famous paintings, follow the Times link above.
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3 comments:
Was sad to hear this news. Wyeth's work included some of my favorites (including the window that you've shown here.) I'd not seen the others, thanks for sharing. I love the moods he creates. The last picture here is so cold and lonely and desolate, kind of disturbing.
Oh--I hadn't heard. So sad. I've been a fan since I can remember--earilier than high school. Saw the Three Wyeth's exhibit years ago at the Kimbell in Ft. Worth.
Amazing amazing artist. He will be missed.
Oh my! I was just going to say that an exhibit of his work at the High Museum here in Atlanta ('05) marked my first visit to the museum, but I suddenly saw the dead animal hanging from the barren tree in the last painting! As One Wink said, very cold, desolate and disturbing! This is a vivid reminder of the dialogue between my husband and myself about Wyeth's work. We tended to agree that he seems to have been a rather angry individual.
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