Andrew Wyeth, though not a native-born Mainer, was greatly influenced by Maine and its unique cast of characters. Wyeth spent a great deal of his life in Maine, creating art at his father's compound at Port Clyde, as well as at a home owned by him and his wife, Betsy, in Cushing, Maine. Like many artists, including Winslow Homer, Wyeth was a very private, almost reclusive, person. He spent much time in his studio, away from his family, and focused only on his subject. Wyeth was interested in capturing more than just the physical appearance of his subjects-he sought to capture their spirit. His paintings were not intended to be storytelling, and his subjects were not engaged in any activity.
Wyeth was born in 1917 to famous artist/illustrator, NC Wyeth, and his wife, Carolyn. According to Wyeth biographer, Richard Meryman, NC Wyeth was a strong father and a powerful influence in the lives of his children. Much of his children's education happened in the home, where they were exposed to culture-art, music, literature. NC was also instrumental in the development of Andrew's artistic style and ability. NC was a constant critic and driving force in Andrew's life-so much so that Andrew produced some work for his father's eyes and other works that were concealed from NC. This power struggle and secretiveness carried over in many ways to Andrew's marriage to Betsy.
One of Andrew Wyeth's most famous works was his 1948 painting, Christina's World, which at first glance appears to be a young girl sitting on the grass some distance from an old farmhouse. However, this was a slice of the real life Andrew Wyeth encountered in Maine. This image was, in fact, an invalid woman exerting her independence. Christina Olson, who suffered from a degenerative disease, was crawling back to her deteriorating farmhouse from a small garden she tended herself.
Many of Wyeth's works dealt with the human condition, and the inevitable-death. Paintings such as Marriage, done in 1993, Night Shadow in 1979, Adrift in 1982 attested to Andrew's fascination with death. Marriage was a painting of two sleeping people, Night Shadow was of his model Helga, laid out as if in death, and Adrift was a painting of his friend, Walt Anderson, who was dying of cancer.
Other works by Wyeth included the Siri collection-Wyeth's first series of nudes. Siri was a young girl who lived in a rural area of Maine. With her parents' permission, Wyeth began painting her-first clothed, then partially clothed, then in the nude when she was fourteen years old. The Sauna, 1968, was one of the first, semi-nudes of Siri. Siri was seated in her family's sauna, a towel draped across her lap, staring directly at the artist/viewer.
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