: Sixty-five years ago, the director of a new museum called the
Currier Gallery of Art featured a promising 21-year-old painter
named Andrew Wyeth in a solo exhibition. Maud Briggs Knowlton had
been impressed by the work of the young artist, and she was not
alone. Two years earlier, Wyeth's debut at the prominent Macbeth
Gallery in New York City had sold out so quickly the gallery
owner lamented that the paintings were gone before his best
clients had even seen the show.
Today, Andrew Wyeth is an American icon, a revered master of
realism and a noted, if reluctant, celebrity in the art world.
The Currier Museum of Art, known for its unique combination of
intimacy and excellence, is a renowned cultural institution
celebrating its 75th anniversary. And once again, the Currier is
honored to present an exhibition of paintings by Andrew Wyeth.
From October 8 through January 10, the Currier will host "Andrew
Wyeth: Early Watercolors," an exhibition of 52 watercolors and
two temperas painted by the artist during the first 15 years of
his career. Many of the works are from the collection of the
artist and his wife Betsy, and have not been exhibited publicly.
Andrew Wyeth was born the youngest of five siblings on July 12,
1917, in Chadds Ford, Penn. His father, famed illustrator N.C.
Wyeth, taught all his artistic children. But Andrew, frail in
health and demonstrating perhaps the most promise of all, was
carefully nurtured by his father in the studio.
Wyeth's early watercolors reveal a rich and sometimes bold
palette, an original vision and an authentic sense of place. They
reveal the land and people Wyeth cherished both in his home of
Chadds Ford and coastal Maine, near Port Clyde, where he has
spent his summers since youth. The boldly painted, rarely seen
watercolors are distinctly different from the subdued tones and
fine detail of Wyeth's later work in tempera. In the 1940s, his
palette became more muted, and his focus turned more frequently
from the broad landscape to a single object or group of objects.
"Andrew Wyeth: Early Watercolors" highlights another early
association between the artist and the Currier. In 1951 the
Currier organized his first major retrospective, in collaboration
with the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine. By this time,
Wyeth had achieved national fame with cornerstone paintings in
tempera, like "Winter," 1946, "Wind from the Sea," 1947, and
"Christina's World," 1948.
Two gallery talks will further explore the life and work of the
artist. On Thursday, October 21, exhibition curator and Currier
director Susan Strickler will present "Andrew Wyeth and the
American Watercolor Tradition." This illustrated talk will
explore Wyeth's place within the tradition of watercolor painting
in America.
On Thursday, November 18, Christopher Crosman, director of the
Farnsworth Art Museum and Wyeth Center, will present a fresh look
at Wyeth's iconic painting "Christina's World," placing it in the
context of Wyeth's long career and American art in general. This
talk, entitled, "Andrew Wyeth in Context: Christina's World
Revisited" also examines connections between Wyeth's work and
that of Thomas Eakins, Edward Hopper, and contemporaries
including the Abstract Expressionists.
Music-lovers can celebrate Wyeth's work with an "Homage to Andrew
Wyeth" on Thursday, November 4, at 6 pm, when Allen Barker will
play piano music inspired by the watercolors of Andrew Wyeth,
including a composition by Ann Wyeth McCoy, the artist's sister.
On Thursday, December 30, 1 to 4 pm, artist-in-residence Ann
Trainor Domingue demonstrates the techniques and challenges of
watercolor painting in the museum's court. And, at 2 pm every
Thursday through Sunday during the exhibition, the film,
Andrew Wyeth: Self Portrait - Snow Hill will be shown in
the Currier's auditorium.
Admission to the exhibition "Andrew Wyeth: Early Watercolors" is
$4 for adults, in addition to regular museum admission. Nonmember
regular admission to the museum is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors
and students and free for children under 18. Because of expected
high demand for programs related to this exhibition, reservations
are necessary for the gallery talks. Call 603-669-6144, ext 108
to reserve tickets, which are free with museum admission. Space
is limited.
On Thursday, December 16, admission to the exhibition is free for
all New Hampshire residents, courtesy of Citizens Bank
Foundation.
To accompany the exhibition, the Currier has published a
full-color, 72-page catalog ($24.95, softcover). After leaving
the Currier, the exhibition travels to the Farnsworth Art Museum
in Rockland, Maine from April 5 to July 31.
The Currier is at 201 Myrtle Way, and is wheelchair
accessible. Museum hours are: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday,
11 am to 5 pm; Thursday, 11 am to 8 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm.
For information, 603-669-6144, ext 108, or www.currier.org.
