Family tree

The Wyeth family were united by bloodline – and by their love of landscape. Victoria Rose describes the three generations and their roots in American art

In a corner of Chester County, an hour west of Philadelphia, there is a place where the artworks created by the Wyeth family are just as familiar as the rolling landscapes they frequently feature. From N. C. Wyeth to his son Andrew to his son Jamie, the talented family has influenced the world of art for well over a century. But there is more to the story than oils, watercolors, and egg emulsions – a tale of generations intrinsic to the American artistic landscape.

Newell Convers Wyeth was originally from Needham, Massachusetts, but was drawn to Wilmington, Delaware, to study at the Howard Pyle School of Art. Pyle was one of the leading illustrators of his day, painting for Harper’s Magazine, among others, and authoring The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, accompanied by his vivid illustrations. He originated the Brandywine School of Art, which would influence illustrators such as N. C. Wyeth, Norman Rockwell, and Maxfield Parrish, and continue to impact artists for generations after, including many members of his own family.

N. C. Wyeth had five children with his wife Carolyn, three of whom became artists themselves. Their daughters Henriette and Carolyn were talented artists in their own right, creating unique styles which played with the techniques they had learned from their father and developing them over decades. The family settled in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, among gentle hills and sweeping farmland, where N. C. Wyeth built both a home and studio. They spent their summers in Port Clyde, Maine, on the rocky, coastal shoreline also featured in many works by the various artists of the extended family.

In October 1945, N. C. Wyeth was killed in a tragic accident near his home, along with his namesake grandson. His family stepped in to continue his work and legacy, including a series of murals depicting the Pilgrims at Plymouth, commissioned by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, which were completed by Andrew, along with John McCoy, an artist who married another of Wyeth’s daughters, Ann.

Andrew was the youngest son of Wyeth, and would become one of the most influential and well-known artists of the mid-20th century in the United States. Acclaim came early when his first one-man show of watercolors at Macbeth Gallery in New York City launched him into the spotlight at the age of 20. Andrew built upon his success over decades, supported by his wife Betsy, who managed his career and was a guiding force throughout his life.

"He was frequently known to say, “I paint my life,”..."

As a realist painter, Andrew took the lessons learned from his father as well as Peter Hurd, the husband of his eldest sister Henriette who taught him to use egg tempera, to create his own unique regionalist style. His most frequent subjects were the people and places close to him, whether in Pennsylvania or Maine. He was frequently known to say, “I paint my life,” a perspective reflected in his most famous works.

One of Andrew’s most famous paintings, Christina’s World, is from 1948, early in his career. The iconic work has impacted artists for generations, inspiring endless interpretation, references, and even sci-fi homages. The figure in the painting is Anna Christina Olson, a neighbor of the family in Maine, who had a degenerative muscular disorder and was unable to walk. Wyeth frequently used Olson and her brother as subjects, as well as their picturesque home and lands. The painting was bought by the Museum of Modern Art after its first exhibition and has been a mainstay of their collection ever since, an icon of modern American art.

Andrew continued to cultivate his style, which intentionally was less ‘picture-making’ than the Brandywine School of his father and Pyle. His artworks tend to have a simpler range of color, celebrating earth tones, depicting spare landscapes, or focusing on specific elements that draw the viewer’s eye. He was extremely prolific, creating dozens of studies for most works before beginning to paint the final artwork. The emotional impact of his works create strong reactions in viewers, even when the subject’s face is turned away.

There was a whimsy to Andrew’s work as well as his life. He was fascinated by classic films featuring romantic heroes like those played by Errol Flynn, and would invite family and friends (including famous ones) to recreate epic sword battles, either in miniature or full-size dramas. Halloween was especially favored by the entire Wyeth family, and pumpkins – carved or whole – featured in works throughout the generations.

That whimsy had a strong impact on Andrew’s son Jamie, who continues the artistic legacy of his family today. Jamie was taught by his father and his aunt Carolyn, whose influences can be seen in his work, as well as the illustrative style of his grandfather. Working in oil along with the watercolors and tempera preferred by his father, he also ventures into mixed media, etching, drawing, and other mediums.

Jamie’s portraits are perhaps his most well-known works, including subjects such as Andy Warhol, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John F. Kennedy, and his own father. But his pieces that capture the imagination include more macabre subjects, invasive thoughts come to life in both two and three dimensions. Dead Cat Museum, Monhegan Island, from 1999, brings these interests together in intriguing detail. Featuring Kyle Murdoch, a young neighbor from their shared island, the foreground is a darkly humorous specter of entertainment, a sign promising not only the aforementioned cats but also lemonade and Nintendo, for an additional fee. The crowd of summer visitors in the background seems less enthused about the attraction, at least at the moment.

Perhaps that infusion of the fantastic in their artworks, from the swashbuckling pirates of N. C. Wyeth to the yearning emotions of Andrew to the lurid wonder of Jamie, is what has drawn viewers and collectors for over a century. A watercolor landscape invites you to scramble over the jagged rocks toward the welcoming whisp of smoke from a chimney, an elusive smile from a dramatic figure makes you want to be in on the joke. Beyond the masterful compositions, a Wyeth painting includes something that must be perceived, rather than simply seen.

Victoria Rose is Editor of the BrandyWine Art Guide.

American Art | 19 November | New York

For enquiries, contact Morgan Martin on morgan.martin@bonhams.com or +1 646 565 0475