Rachel
The emergence of Realism tackled the 20th century directly, featuring one of America’s most highly regarded artists, Andrew Wyeth, as the focal point. Early in Wyeth’s artistic career, Realism was slowly pushed aside and Abstract Expressionism took the throne, often diluting the attention he received for his works. Considered strictly as a Realist artist, Wyeth had the ability to capture a moment in time, a fleeting emotion, a single breath, as though it was happening in front of the viewer. He focused an inordinate amount of energy on the reality of the piece, producing a perfect rendering of his subject.
Landscapes, always a popular focus for every art movement, produce a need to capture the essence of when it was viewed or imagined; Winter 1946 showcases Wyeth’s impeccable skill for capturing not only the setting and vivid detail of the nature surrounding the figure, but also the emotion visible on his subject. Painted after Wyeth’s father’s death, the artist grieves for the lack of his father, apparent by the dismal and grey-toned color; the figure runs, a representation of Wyeth himself, as “pursued by death, [but] liberated from his father's authority” (Winter 1946). Many art historians believe that the death of his father began his focus on emotion, and Winter 1946 is a pivotal example of his exploration of loss and fragility.
His second most iconic image in American art is Christina’s World, completed in 1948. This painting exposes the pain and longing of both Anna Christina Olson, the subject of this piece, and Andrew Wyeth. The muted colors enhance the stark reality of their emotions and draw the viewer closer as though they were sitting next to Christina watching her crawl back to her house. The vivid detail of the landscape and the subject, right down to the wisps of hair gently floating off her head, cement the reality of the pain experienced by both artist and subject. The symmetry of this piece draws the eye upwards, from the bright pastels of Christina’s dress to the glowing sky, as an allusion to hope, that the girl might make it back to her house, and the more figurative notion that Wyeth himself might be able to survive his own struggles.
The greatest testament to Realism in America is Andrew Wyeth’s Braids, one of 240 in a series called The Helga Pictures. One of the most remarkable aspects of The Helga Pictures is that Wyeth focused on a single person over the course of fifteen years, something that many art historians consider an unusual, if not unheard of, practice for American art (Portrait of Helga Testorf). The stunning detail of this portrait combined with the simple lighting heightens the viewer’s awareness of Wyeth as an artist and Helga as model; the artist’s attention to detail gives the viewer an intimate connection with this moment. Often times, Wyeth’s work will transport a person effortlessly to a different time, mindset and location in the blink of an eye. The bitter reality of his pieces calls out for help to save him from his own troubles, but also presents itself very nakedly as truth and yearns to be accepted.
Works Cited
"Portrait of Helga Testorf, 1979 by Andrew Wyeth." Andrew Wyeth. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2013. <http://www.andrewwyeth.org/Portrait-of-Helga-Testorf.jsp>.
"Winter 1946 by Andrew Wyeth." Andrew Wyeth. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2013. <http://www.andrewwyeth.org/Winter-1946.jsp>.
Pohl, Frances K. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
Wyeth, Andrew. Braids. 1979. Tempera. Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE. TFAOI. 2002. Web. 1 May 2013. <http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/3aa/3aa244.htm>.
Wyeth, Andrew. Christina's World. 1948. Tempera on gessoed panel. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. About.com. Web. 1 May 2013. <http://arthistory.about.com/od/famous_paintings/ss/andrew_wyeth_christinas_world.htm>.
Wyeth, Andrew. Winter 1946. 1946. Tempera on board. North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002. Print.
The emergence of Realism tackled the 20th century directly, featuring one of America’s most highly regarded artists, Andrew Wyeth, as the focal point. Early in Wyeth’s artistic career, Realism was slowly pushed aside and Abstract Expressionism took the throne, often diluting the attention he received for his works. Considered strictly as a Realist artist, Wyeth had the ability to capture a moment in time, a fleeting emotion, a single breath, as though it was happening in front of the viewer. He focused an inordinate amount of energy on the reality of the piece, producing a perfect rendering of his subject.
Landscapes, always a popular focus for every art movement, produce a need to capture the essence of when it was viewed or imagined; Winter 1946 showcases Wyeth’s impeccable skill for capturing not only the setting and vivid detail of the nature surrounding the figure, but also the emotion visible on his subject. Painted after Wyeth’s father’s death, the artist grieves for the lack of his father, apparent by the dismal and grey-toned color; the figure runs, a representation of Wyeth himself, as “pursued by death, [but] liberated from his father's authority” (Winter 1946). Many art historians believe that the death of his father began his focus on emotion, and Winter 1946 is a pivotal example of his exploration of loss and fragility.
His second most iconic image in American art is Christina’s World, completed in 1948. This painting exposes the pain and longing of both Anna Christina Olson, the subject of this piece, and Andrew Wyeth. The muted colors enhance the stark reality of their emotions and draw the viewer closer as though they were sitting next to Christina watching her crawl back to her house. The vivid detail of the landscape and the subject, right down to the wisps of hair gently floating off her head, cement the reality of the pain experienced by both artist and subject. The symmetry of this piece draws the eye upwards, from the bright pastels of Christina’s dress to the glowing sky, as an allusion to hope, that the girl might make it back to her house, and the more figurative notion that Wyeth himself might be able to survive his own struggles.
The greatest testament to Realism in America is Andrew Wyeth’s Braids, one of 240 in a series called The Helga Pictures. One of the most remarkable aspects of The Helga Pictures is that Wyeth focused on a single person over the course of fifteen years, something that many art historians consider an unusual, if not unheard of, practice for American art (Portrait of Helga Testorf). The stunning detail of this portrait combined with the simple lighting heightens the viewer’s awareness of Wyeth as an artist and Helga as model; the artist’s attention to detail gives the viewer an intimate connection with this moment. Often times, Wyeth’s work will transport a person effortlessly to a different time, mindset and location in the blink of an eye. The bitter reality of his pieces calls out for help to save him from his own troubles, but also presents itself very nakedly as truth and yearns to be accepted.
Works Cited
"Portrait of Helga Testorf, 1979 by Andrew Wyeth." Andrew Wyeth. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2013. <http://www.andrewwyeth.org/Portrait-of-Helga-Testorf.jsp>.
"Winter 1946 by Andrew Wyeth." Andrew Wyeth. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2013. <http://www.andrewwyeth.org/Winter-1946.jsp>.
Pohl, Frances K. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
Wyeth, Andrew. Braids. 1979. Tempera. Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE. TFAOI. 2002. Web. 1 May 2013. <http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/3aa/3aa244.htm>.
Wyeth, Andrew. Christina's World. 1948. Tempera on gessoed panel. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. About.com. Web. 1 May 2013. <http://arthistory.about.com/od/famous_paintings/ss/andrew_wyeth_christinas_world.htm>.
Wyeth, Andrew. Winter 1946. 1946. Tempera on board. North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002. Print.