Andrew Wyeth’s Life, Work, and Influence on Popular CultureWell-known American artist Andrew Wyeth was born in 1917 to illustrator Newell Convers (N.C.) Wyeth and was the youngest of five children. Andrew’s father quickly recognized his son’s talent and sought to nurture it, as he did with all of his children.
Aside from his father, the one person Wyeth reported to be a major influence in his life and work was his wife Betty, whom he married in 1940; they had two children, Nicholas and James. Betty acted as a manager of sorts with regard to her husband’s art career. Andrew has credited his wife for making him the artist he came to be, not by teaching him in the way that his father did, but by believing in him and his ideas wholeheartedly and refusing to allow him to take up any other profession other than painting. Andrew’s youngest child, who came to be known by his nickname “Jamie”, followed the Wyeth family tradition, and also become an artist. Andrew Wyeth died in his sleep at the age of 91 after suffering from a short illness. An Artist in Training Perhaps one of his father’s most impressive lessons came in the form of a letter, which prodded Wyeth to paint for the purpose and love of painting, not for any desired or intended impact. According to his father, those artists who painted “to score a hit” always missed the mark. Apparently, Andrew took his father’s words to heart, never showing anyone a painting in progress in order to ensure that their opinions (whether favorable or unfavorable) would not affect the process. In Praise of Andrew Wyeth Wyeth is best known for his depictions of rural landscapes as well as portraits, especially those of a neighbor lady named Helga. He reportedly studied and painted her 247 times between 1971 and 1985 without either of their spouses knowing about the endeavor. Since his paintings reflect concrete images of both nature and people, he is officially recognized as a realist, though he himself insists that there is an undeniable abstract aspect to his paintings. Influence on Popular Culture
Although art historians will no doubt continue to debate Andrew Wyeth’s worthiness as a famed American artist and popular culture icon, one must remember his father‘s comment: it is not the consequence that matters, it is the art itself, and Andrew’s art remains.
Written
by Dan Woods
Andrew
Wyeth Prints - Inspirations
- Biography
- The Wyeth Family
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