Portrait of Pig by Jamie Wyeth (Interpretation and Analysis)

Portrait of Pig
Source: The Brandywine River Museum

In this time of stress and isolation for many people around the world, I thought it might be uplifting to chat about a rather whimsical painting, Portrait of Pig by Jamie Wyeth.

Jamie Wyeth is a member of the famous Wyeth family, and is the son and grandson respectively of celebrated painters Andrew Wyeth and N.C. Wyeth. Although he’s probably not as well known as his relatives, he’s certainly a famous and talented painter in his own right.

Wyeth has a bit of a flair for paintings of animals, and Portrait of Pig is probably his best known effort in this category. According to my research, Portrait of Pig is the product of Wyeth’s efforts to capture the character of a particular pig named Den Den. The painting is life size and uses a painterly style to re-create the bristly texture of Den Den’s hair.

Although it is a charming and entertaining painting, Portrait of Pig also represents the fundamental search for truth and meaning in ordinary, everyday things. While this characteristic is not unique to modern art, it is a principal that is common in twentieth and twenty-first century art. Portrait of Pig does not seek to convey any sort of message or narrative; it is simply a faithful representation of a pig. Wyeth’s painting reveals that simple, truthful images of everyday things are meaningful in and of themselves. Simply put, a pig doesn’t have to be anything other than a pig; the pig’s essential pigness is valuable in its own right.

However, what sets Wyeth’s painting apart from a photograph of Den Den (which, empirically would be the most accurate image of the pig) is Wyeth’s determination to capture the essence of Den Den’s character. He studied her at length in order to create a piece of art that revealed her inner, as well as her outer, characteristics. In this way art is a valuable method of revealing truth.

The Brandywine River Museum, which owns many Wyeth family paintings, describes the painting in the following words: “Throughout his life, Jamie Wyeth has been surrounded by animals of all sorts, and many have served as subjects in his work. Wyeth’s particular fascination with pigs has led him to numerous compositions of these animals, such as Portrait of Pig...Intrigued by her character, he eventually purchased the pig for his own farm.”

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.