I know I say this article will be about the entire family, but that's a lot of information to pack into one piece, so I will focus on N. C. Wyeth for now. N.C. (Newell Convers) Wyeth started the family tradition by becoming the most celebrated artist of his time. His son, Andrew, daughter, Carolyn and Andrew's son, James, all became celebrated artists as a result of N.C.'s examples and teachings. . His other two daughters, Ann and Henriette, became vessels of other creative pursuits.
"Every artist is a magician, aspiring to create an illusion that will mystify and entertain." - Greg Albert, The Artist's Magazine, May 2000.
The above quote did not come from any article or particular passage I read about this family; I'm including it because I thought it did very well exemplifying the mastery of these artists. When you view their work, you can't help but to be caught up in the mystical beauty of their compositions. Some of the subject matter is a bit off for my personal tastes, but the talent beyond that makes up for that.
Upon going through N.C. Wyeth's studio, much could be learned about his passions and pursuits. For example, he collected every National Geographic printed in his lifetime and kept them stacked neatly upon bookshelves. These same shelves also possessed copies of Harper magazine and other periodicals from which he gleaned ideas for various projects. Other bookshelves lining his studio carried hundreds of books proving his strong commitment to learning. And on final example would be his twenty-volume collection of Henry Thoreau who happened to be one of Wyeth's heroes. It's amazing how much can be learned abut someone by the way they surround themselves with things in the rooms which the spend the most time.
"First Farmer of the Land" is the last piece he was working on when he was killed. It was dated for the day before, October 18, 1945, and was to be completed for Country Gentlemen magazine. At the time of his death at the railroad crossing where he and his grandson, James, stalled on the tracks in his car, Wyeth was one of the best-loved painters in America. He stayed faithful to oils for many years, than switched to egg tempera. His huge zest for life and enthusiasm was often carried out in his work. I noticed this, myself, as I browsed through online galleries while researching for this piece.
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