Andrew Wyeth (1917 - 2009) The only artistic training Wyeth ever had was from his father, N.C. Wyeth

Andrew Wyeth (1917 - 2009) The only artistic training Wyeth ever had was from his father, N.C. Wyeth, a well-known illustrator. Andrew’s childhood was very sheltered since he had poor health and was home schooled. The Wyeth family was very close and Andrew was the youngest of five. One October day in 1945, N.C. Wyeth and his grandson perished in a car accident. A train struck their car when it got stuck on the tracks. This event in Wyeth’s life was a traumatic change in his life as well as his artwork. Rumors spread quickly after the car accident. It was possible it could have been suicide. It is possible that N.C. Wyeth’s grandson might have actually been his own son that was a result of the affair he had with Caroline, his daughter-in-law. But there is no way of knowing what happened in elder Wyeth’s mind or those last moments. Whatever the details are don’t really matter, it was still a loss that affected the Wyeth family. “Christina’s World” is probably Wyeth’s most famous image. It depicts his neighbor in Maine whom was unable to walk (most likely due to polio). She avoided using a wheelchair, thus would often crawl around her land and home. The figure in the painting is mostly Christina herself, but Wyeth also used his wife for reference when it came to the head and torso. (His wife, Betsy, was in her 20’s while Christina was in her 50’s). The house in the background is the Olson family’s farmhouse, which has become a National Historic Landmark (which one can go visit if they travel to Maine.) “The Helga Pictures” is a series Wyeth did between 1971 – 1985. There were over 240 images of Helga Testorf, his neighbor’s wife. Even though she posed for him all those years, Wyeth’s wife and Helga’s husband remained in the dark about it. Wyeth even went out of his way to keep the paintings at a friend’s house. There have been rumors the two were secret lovers, seeing as many of the paintings are nudes. Although none of them feel very sexual; they are more like serene studies and handled much as his landscapes are. A lot of debate has been publically discussed over their relationship, which led to tension in both marriages. The two said they were never sexually involved and stayed close friends the rest of their lives; Helga was at his aid in the end of his life.  Wyeth is considered to be a realist and a regionalist. Regionalism was a popular American art movement during the 1930’s. Especially because of the Great Depression, Regionalist art steered away from city life to show America’s rural landscapes and life style. Andrew Wyeth died in his sleep, at the age of 91, on January 16, 2009.  -- source link

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