The Wyeths: Three Generations @ Portland Art Museum, Oregon - Works from the Bank of America Collection

The Wyeths: Three Generations
Works from the Bank of America Collection
Portland Art Museum, Oregon
Through January 28, 2018

N.C. WYETHS (American, 1882 - 1945)

Why This Map is Invaluable, What is Your Name, My Boy?, 1907

Oil on canvas

Bank of America Collection

N.C. WYETHS (American, 1882 - 1945)

The Astrologer Emptied the Whole of the Bowl, 1916

Oil on canvas

Bank of America Collection

Drawing from the Bank of America Collection, this exhibition provides a revealing survey of works by N.C. Wyeth, one of America’s finest illustrators; his son Andrew, an important realist painter; Andrew’s son Jamie, a popular portraitist; and members of the extended family. Visitors can explore 74 paintings and drawings by artists from three generations of the Wyeth family, all showcasing a commitment to realism, technical brilliance, and narrative sensibility.

N.C. WYETHS (American, 1882 - 1945)

Cover Illustration for Rip Van Winkle, 1921

Oil on canvas

Bank of America Collection

N.C. WYETHS (American, 1882 - 1945)

Gnomes Bowling, 1921

Oil on canvas

Bank of America Collection

N.C. WYETHS (American, 1882–1945) has long been considered one of the nation’s leading illustrators, a versatile artist who was able to traverse fantasy and realism. In the early 1900s, he studied with illustrator Howard Pyle in Delaware. In 1911, he built a house and studio in nearby Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Later, he bought a sea captain’s house in Maine and in 1931 built a small studio, which he shared with his son Andrew and his daughters. The exhibition includes illustrations for books by Robert Louis Stevenson and Washington Irving as well as historical scenes, seascapes and landscapes that illuminate N.C. Wyeth’s work.

N.C. WYETHS (American, 1882 - 1945)

On the Sea Wall With John Paul Jones, 1928

Oil on canvas

Bank of America Collection

N.C. WYETHS (American, 1882 - 1945)

Eight Bells, 1937

Oil on hardboard

Bank of America Collection

N.C. WYETHS (American, 1882 - 1945)

Marines Landing on the Beach, 1944

Oil on hardboard

Bank of America Collection

Born 100 years ago, ANDREW WYETHS (American, 1917–2009) is one of the United States’ most popular artists, known for his haunting, detailed paintings in the American Realist tradition. He was influenced by the works of Winslow Homer, whose watercolor technique he admired, as well as by the art of Howard Pyle and his father N.C. While Andrew painted recognizable images, his use of line and space often imbue his works with an underlying abstract quality. The exhibition includes important works from across his career.

Although not as well-known as her brother, HENRIETTE WYETHS (American, 1907-1997) painted striking portraits, landscapes, and still lifes. She is also represented in the exhibition, as is her husband, PETER HURD (American, 1904-1984), who chronicled the landscape of the American West.

JAMIE WYETHS (American, b. 1946), like his father and grandfather, paints subjects of everyday life, turning his wry, playful eye to the landscape, animals and people of Pennsylvania and Maine. In contrast to his father—who painted with watercolor, drybrush and tempera—Jamie works in oil and mixed media, creating lush painterly surfaces. The 17 paintings in the exhibition represent all periods of his career.

“We’re excited for our community to see the evolving legacy of one of America’s most illustrious artistic families,” said Brian Ferriso, The Marilyn H. and Dr. Robert B. Pamplin, Jr. Director and Chief Curator of the Portland Art Museum. “As the Museum approaches its 125th anniversary this fall, it’s clear that a big part of our mission is to celebrate, support, and spark the spirit of creative inquiry that the Wyeths represent, from one generation to the next. We are grateful to Bank of America for its generosity in lending this collection.”

Curator: Brian J. Ferriso, The Marilyn H. and Dr. Robert B. Pamplin Jr. Director and Chief Curator.

PORTLAND ART MUSEUM
1219 W Park Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97205
www.portlandartmuseum.org