The Art of Brandywine River Museum of Art (12/28/2019)

Saturday, December 28, 2019 (continued)
The Brandywine River Museum of Art specializes in 19-20C American Art with a focus on those artists who practiced in the Brandywine valley. The museum is renowned for its collections of works by members of the Wyeth family. From April to November, you can also tour N C Wyeth's house and studio, and Andrew Wyeth's studio.

The Boxers (1926-1931, by Mahonri Young, a Socialist-Realist sculptor)

The Wyeth Family (1948, by Arnold Newman) shows
N C Wyeth in a portrait in the center, flanked by portraits of his parents;
N C's oldest daughter, Henriette, is seen in a self-portrait on the shelf
along with a photo of her husband, Peter Hurd; sitting from L to R are
John McCoy, Ann Wyeth McCoy, Carolyn Wyeth, Betsy James Wyeth
(wife of Andrew), Carolyn Bockius Wyeth (wife of N C), Andrew Wyeth,
Caroline Pyle Wyeth (wife of Nathaniel), and Nathaniel Wyeth

Portrait of Carolyn Wyeth (1931, by Henriette Wyeth, the eldest child
of N C; she married artist Peter Hurd and moved to New Mexico)

A Wet Night at the Round-up; Round-up Bar (1973, by Peter Hurd,
who studied under N C, married Henriette and returned to his home
state of New Mexico, where he managed to use egg tempera as
more of a wash for an impressionistic feel)

Betsy's Pumpkin (1935, by Carolyn Wyeth, the second child
of N C, who, unlike the other Wyeths, did not paint figures,
and tended to pare down forms to simple and bold shapes)

Andrew Wyeth was the youngest child of N C, and received his training only from N C. He became friends with a fellow student, John McCoy, and they were to be brothers-in-law when McCoy married Ann Wyeth, the youngest daughter of N C.

My Father's Studio (1934, by Andrew Wyeth)

Studio Still Life (1934, by John McCoy)

August (1974, by George A Weymouth, whose family were friends of N C;
he was to marry the daughter of John and Ann Wyeth McCoy)

Miss Olson (1952, by Andrew Wyeth, was created four years after
he painted Christina Olson in Christina's World)

Christina Olson was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, and was unable to walk, which limited her world.

Spring (1978, by Andrew Wyeth, who often used his neighbor,
Karl Kuerner, as a subject, depicts him encased in ice)

Snow Hill (1989, by Andrew Wyeth, seems to be a memorial
to persons he had painted in the past, and he joked that in this
painting they are celebrating his, Andrew's, death)

The Raven (1980, by Jamie Wyeth, the second and
youngest son of Andrew Wyeth)

Nureyev - Purple Scarf (2001, by Jamie Wyeth)

Jamie Wyeth was the third generation of Wyeth artists, and he experimented with different drawing and painting mediums, and surfaces.
The Brandywine River Museum of Art also features American illustrations, as N C Wyeth was a successful illustrator. Currently there is a special exhibition, "Cinderella & Co - Three Fairy Tales Reimagined."

Illustration from The Three Little Pigs, An Architectural Tale
(2010, by Steven Guarnaccia)

An illustration from The Three Little Pigs (1996-1997, by Steven Kellogg,
who had the pig brothers operating a wafflery)

Goldilocks and the Three Bowls (c 1900,
by Jessie Willcox Smith)

Illustration from Goldilocks and the Three Bears (2003,
by Barbara McClintock, story retold by Jim Aylesworth)

A Cinderella Fantasy (date unknown, by Beatrix Potter,
where she envisioned rabbits playing parts in fairy tales)

Cinderella (c 1912, by John Hassall),
has an Art Nouveau feel

Illustration from Adelita, A Mexican Cinderella Story
(2002, by Tomie Dipoala, where the family
housekeeper fills the role of the fairy godmother)

Illustration from Yeh-Shen, A Cinderella Story from China
(1982, by Ed Young, story retold by Ai-ling Louie)

Having started on the third level of the museum, we finally found Newell Convers (N C) Wyeth on the second level. He studied under Howard Pyle in Wilmington, DE, and was to soon become a popular magazine illustrator. The first book he illustrated was Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Old Kris (c 1925, by N C Wyeth)

Andy with Fire Engine (1922, by N C Wyeth,
of his youngest child) (KSS)

Newborn Calf (1917, by N C Wyeth)

A photo shows that two figures were added later to increase sales appeal,
but later the painting was altered to reflect the original composition) (KSS)

Illustration (1916, by N C Wyeth) from
The Mysterious Stranger, A Romance by Mark Twain

 The ground floor gallery holds the Heritage Collection.

Some Fell Among Thorns (c 1887, by William T Richards)

Some Fell on Good Ground (c 1887, by Wm T Richards)

Covered Bridge on the Schuylkill; The Red Bridge
(c 1913, by Walter Elmer Schofield, who is
considered to be one of the Pennsylvania Impressionists)

Portrait of Miss Mary du Pont (1906, by Jefferson David Chalfant);
she wished to be painted with her new electric lamp to show
that she had an up-to-date lifestyle)

Which is Which? (c 1890, by Jefferson David Chalfant, who
is better known for his trompe l'oeil work)

The Canadian Mounted Police on a "Musical Ride" - "Charge!"
(1887, by Frederic Remington; painted in black and white
in order to be more easily reproduced by wood engraving)

Saying Prayers (1943, by Horace Pippin, an African-American who
was a friend of N C Wyeth, and learned to paint with his left hand
after a World War I injury impaired his right arm)

Raspberries detail ( date unknown, by Lilly Martin Spencer, who
supported her family of husband and 13 children with her painting)