Art is the Solution

Witching Hour Source: Chadds Ford Gallery As we continue to celebrate the Halloween season, I want to introduce a rather unsettling piece of art: the Witching Hour by Andrew Wyeth. Wyeth is perhaps one of the greatest painters in American history. His work is iconic, forming an indelible image of American life and culture, especially in the mid-twentieth century. Although Wyeth’s work spanned a multitude of subjects, the Wyeth family had a special affinity for Halloween, thriving off the fantastical imagery associated with the holiday. Eerie themes are common in Wyeth’s work, as well as in his son, Jamie Wyeth’s, paintings. Wyeth once explained his work in the following words: There’s witchcraft and hidden meaning there. Halloween and all that is strangely tied into [my paintings]. For me, the paintings have that eerie feeling of goblins and witches out riding on broomsticks—damp rotting leaves and moisture—smell of make-up—as a child, the smell inside of a pumpkin when a candle is li...

Faraway Source: Arthur There are few artists more quintessentially American than Andrew Wyeth. His art captures twentieth century American life with an undefinable yet vital energy. His paintings typically feature neutral color schemes and deceptively simple compositional choices; however they pack a big emotional punch. Faraway is a good example of this aspect of his work. The piece depicts a young boy—Wyeth’s son Jamie, who would later become an artist himself—sitting in a field, gazing at something the viewer cannot see. He wears a black coat and a fur cap; he grips his knees as though trying to keep warm. The field itself is full of dry, yellowed grass, which might represent autumn or winter. The sense of cold and barren sterility of the field adds a melancholic air to the piece. The meaning of the title Faraway is a little unclear; although, it is clear that it holds the secret to understanding this piece. The title could refer to Jamie’s state of mind, referencing his wistful, ...

Master Bedroom Source: Amazon Andrew Wyeth is one of the most famous painters in the history of American art. Wyeth hails from the great Wyeth family of artists, which includes his father, the illustrator N.C. Wyeth and his son Jamie Wyeth. His work is now recognized as among the most iconic images of American life and culture. Master Bedroom is one of his most famous and recognizable paintings. It portrays Wyeth’s dog Rattler asleep on a white bed. The room is unremarkable, adorned only with white walls and a single window. The simplicity of the bedroom conveys a calm sense of serenity, imbued with quiet dignity. According to my research , the painting recounts an evening when Wyeth, coming home after a long day, found the dog already asleep in his bed. Wyeth's granddaughter, Victoria, quoted Wyeth in an interview, "You know, dogs are the damnedest thing. They just take over the house." While the painting was originally intended as something lighthearted, it has b...

Winter Fields Source: Whitney Museum of American Art Andrew Wyeth is perhaps one of the greatest painters in American history. He hails from the great Wyeth family of artists, which includes his father, the illustrator N.C. Wyeth and his son Jamie Wyeth. His work is iconic, forming an indelible image of American life and culture (especially in the mid-twentieth century).  Today, I’m going to talk about one of Wyeth’s most memorable and evocative paintings: Winter Fields . The piece depicts a frozen crow, lying stiff and dead in a brown, shriveled field. It is an unusual painting, zeroing in on the dead bird with laser focus. The fields and buildings in the background are comparatively small and insignificant. This unusual point of view creates a poignant scene that strikes straight to the heart of the viewer. Many art historians have interpreted this painting as a commentary on the wave of death and violence produced by World War II. Wyeth completed the painting in 1942, as t...

Christina's World Source: The Museum of Modern Art Out of all the iconic American painters, Andrew Wyeth is perhaps the best known. Wyeth is a member of the great Wyeth family of artists, which includes his father, the illustrator N.C. Wyeth and his son Jamie Wyeth. There is something about his work that captures the best of American culture and the American spirit. His oeuvre conveys a sense of quiet dignity and determination. Perhaps the best example of this theme of quiet, inner strength in his work is Christina's World , one of Wyeth’s most memorable and well-known pieces. Christina's World depicts a woman sprawled in a field of withering grass. Her face is turned away from the viewer, gazing at a grey farmhouse and barn in the distance. Wyeth painted Christina's World after being inspired by his neighbor Anna Christina Olson, who had a muscular tradition that did not allow her to walk. Instead, Olson chose to drag herself along the ground, refusing to acc...