2 comments about Andrew Wyeth: Close Friends.

1. If you have nearly every Andrew Wyeth book and decided to skip this one, think again! I checked this out by looking at one at the public library and counted over 50 paintings and drawings not found in his other books. It is an absolute must buy for Wyeth fans. The thing that struck me most as an artist and photographer was the many way he found of posing his subjects. It is a textbook on portrait painting, and the reproductions are very good, as good as you are going to get with Wyeth. I find that I go back to this one time and again.



2. I have been unable to get my hands on this book. I needed to do research on a particular Andrew Wyeth print - the artist, the subject and the person selling this print. I was able to get all the information from the library and wanted a copy of this book to help explain a "note" from the artist on this print. The book arrived in a timely manner and was in good condition. I will now look to Amazon for future hard to find books.

No comments about Andrew Wyeth - Temperas, Watercolors, Dry Brush, Drawings, 1938 - 1966 - Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts - Philadelphia, PA - 10/5/66 - 11/27/66.

1 comments about The Art of Andrew Wyeth.

1. This collection of essays, edited by Wanda Corn, covers a lot of territory. It includes background material, a lengthy section on his painstaking technique, and an interview. That's not why I came. I first saw his Helga pictures, none of which are presented here, but they were enough to get me hooked.
   
   The selection of works appeals to both the enthusiast and the novice. For the latter, there's the sentimental "Faraway" (p.82), baffling "Chambered Nautilus" (p.87), and familiar "Christina's World" (p.39). Those are enough to entice a reader into spending time on pieces no less beautiful(p.37), even if the beauty is less apparent to the first, and maybe second and third examination.
   
   Having seen the work, I have to ask how it was made. That's at least as remarkable, since Wyeth tended towards demanding media. A lot of his work is watercolor, one of the less forgiving media. Then, within watercolor, a lot of his work is done with dry brush technique, which is even more unforgiving. It is, however, the technique that Beatrice Potter used in her photo-realistic scientific studies and children's books. The most impressive, however, is Wyeth'sbody of work done in egg tempera. I've never worked in that medium, and probably never will. It demands even more of the artist, since the paint is essentially made in the moment that it's used, and makes nearly every flaw irreparable. In compensation, though, it offers good permanence, more chance for overpainting, and the highest potential for precision. I can barely imagine the technical skill and singled-minded devotion that Wyeth applied to some of these pieces.
   
   I promised something for the serious student, though, and samples pervade this book. I got the most out of seeing his sketches next to the finished pieces. Others, though, might prefer the photos of scenes he had painted, or the biographical notes, or the scholarship of the writers. The profuse examples of Wyeth's work, however, mean that it can't become dry. I recommend this to anyone who like's Andrew Wyeth's work, or could learn to - and that's just about everyone.
   
   -- wiredweird

5 comments about Unknown Terrain: The Landscapes of Andrew Wyeth (A Whitney Museum of American Art Book).

1. A collection containing a number of stunning watercolors loosely executed, rarely included in a book of Wyeth's works. Also includes many of his more labored tempera paintings.



2. When you view the work of an artist, who is to be the arbiter of what, in this case the painting is about, what it means? Do you turn to the Professional Art Critic, Art History Majors, you the viewer, or the man or woman who created the work? In this case the Artist is well and painting, and his thoughts about his work are many and well documented.

   This book on the paintings of Andrew Wyeth focuses primarily on the media of watercolor and drybrush as opposed to the egg tempera paintings that are the medium for so many of his most famous works. Mr. Wyeth takes up to 6 months for a tempera work, and completes as few as 2-4 a year. The images in this book are produced by the hundreds, and over his career amount to literally thousands of images. This book discusses and publishes many images that have never been publicly shown, and uses this body of work to advance various ideas.

   The book is a valuable addition to those who are admirers of his work, the opinions that are expressed by people other than the artist, are either critical to the book on one extreme, or mostly ridiculous from where I sit.

   Andrew Wyeth has been a target for the self-proclaimed tastemakers of Art for one reason; his art is widely admired, collected, and highly valued. These elements automatically qualify him for criticism that is so absurd; it adds a comedic aspect to the text. Then there are those who do love his work but feel they must demonstrate that, yes, he is what the critics say he is not, and even more!

   The text did help me understand more about the method by which Mr. Wyeth creates these works, and the role they sometimes play in a major tempera piece. I loved his work before this book, and will continue to regardless of what "they" have to say. The only individual whose comments matter are Mr. Wyeth's. His thoughts are documented; I don't see the need for others to presume they know better than he what he paints, and what his intent was when he created the work.

   The book is great for the new images it brings to the public. Everything about the construction of the book is as good as you will find in a commercial publication, and the color plates are excellent. As to the text, that is left for you to decide, I am placing the stars above for the Artist and his work, not for what others have to say about it.




3. The staff of the Whitney Museum for a 1998 Wyeth exhibition compiled this beautifully printed and bound book. The stock is heavy and glossy and the colors sharp and clear. Many watercolors included have not been publicly seen for years, as many private collectors contributed their paintings for this exhibition. The dates of the compositions range from the early 30's through the late 90's.

   The two most recognized American artists of the 20th Century are Andys-Wyeth and Warhol, and they have more in common than their initials. Both are controversial and neither is as "realistic" as accused and/or categorized.

   My enjoyment of Andrew Wyeth was never diminished by the fact that I had a lot of company. Popularity does not necessarily mean inferiority in spite of what the self-consuming art world tells us. True, you have to have a certain fondness for bleak settings to properly take pleasure in most of the paintings. I often idly wondered if Wyeth ever painted landscapes in spring or summer and why he was so enamored of bare earth and beige and brown compositions. I have never seen as many abstracts as are contained in this book.

   The essays in the book are interesting, but not so prevalent as to overshadow the marvelous prints. My only complaint is the book is an unhandy shape, longer than it is tall, making it difficult to shelve. However, this is minor. Many hours of viewing pleasure are in store.




4. If this were a hardbound edition (it may exist?) it would sell for an expensive price. The color plates, index and footnotes are exquisitely designed and printed in this softbound catalog edition. Anecdotes are plentiful, critical examination controversial, but this catalog of Wyeth's work is beautifully presented and great fun to examine. The words of critics are always oddly out of place and hard to swallow and fortunately there aren't many critic's editorials contained here. It's the dozens and dozens of paintings that are in this book-exquisite! As many of A.W.'s pieces were of a comparatively large dimension-as far as water-based works go, the plates do not capture the spatial and color phenomena of these paintings, but this is as good as it gets-next to a visit to a museum to view them "live!" One would be hard-pressed to find this many unpublished, heretofore unexhibited Wyeth pieces under one roof! A very enjoyable publication!



5. Published to accompany the exhibition "Unknown Territory: The Landscape of Andrew Wyeth" organised by the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1998, following the introduction two essays discusses the critical appraisal of the artist, his approach to his work and his painting methods; the easy are illustrated throughout in colour and black and white. The catalogue of work runs from pages 51 to 199. The book concludes with a further essay which includes a number of comments by the artist. There is also a list of works included in the exhibition but no bibliography.
   
   In total there are approaching 200 illustrations, with the vast majority being in full colour, although the restrained nature of Wyeth's palette does not make this immediately apparent even in the main section of plates. The landscape format of the book accommodates well the predominantly similarly proportioned paintings and drawings, however sometimes the image is reproduced rather small relative to the page size.
   
   A very useful publication which well demonstrates the range of the artist's output even with the designation of landscape.

No comments about Andrew Wyeth Dry Brush and Pencil Drawings.

No comments about Andrew Wyeth: The Helga Pictures.

No comments about Andrew Wyeth: Temperas, Watercolors, Dry Brush, Drawings, 1938 to 1966.

3 comments about Andrew Wyeth: The Helga Pictures.

1. 
   For well over 25 years I have examined and reviewed countless paintings of the Wyeth family (N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, & Jamie Wyeth) who are all phenomenal painters. But the quality of the Compositions, the details of the clothing, nature and the human figure are an amazing spectacle when you review this book of Andrew's work. What an amazing technician he is.
   
   Whether you're an art collector, painter or art critic you will admit that this book contains some of the most intriguing and interesting art.
   
   Andrew Wyeth is a master at creating depth in each picture. The justaposition of figure to landscape or figure to interior items seems to be a heighted sense of "knowing" in Andrew's work. This book helped me to conclude that Andrew Wyeth is a genius who is in full command of his materials. If you think Steven Spielberg is a great film producer than it won't be hard for you to conclude that Andrew Wyeth is also a great painter.
   
   The details in the picture "Farm Road" are excellent. Helga's hair is detailed as if painted with a laser while the leather strap from the bag she is carrying appears worn like real leather. The muted colors of green, brown and reddish tones in the coat and the rich transparency of light emanating from her cheek are amazingly done with subtlety and richness you will appreciate.
   
   My degree in Accounting allows me to be able to count the hundreds of amazing things that are going on in each work while my degree in Art allows me to appreciate the quality of the brush work and the transparency range in each painting.



2. I don't mean that Helga was his lover. Still, the artist has an intense experience of his model, and Helga was his model for 15 years.
   
   This is an outstanding book in lots of ways. The subject matter is beyond belief, and the reproductions are good. The visual content is organized well: major pieces are chronological, and sketches and studies are gouped with the pieces they support. I find it very helpful to see the sketches, and see all the variations that Wyeth tried before committing to a more dmanding piece. Those groups of drawings are drawing lessons themselves, in how to explore a visual idea. The text is a bit thin, and says nearly nothing about Helga herself - not a flaw in the book, so much as a step short of what it could have been.
   
   Most of all, the pictures are simply lovely. Helga was a very handsome woman, in her 50s in the lastest of these pictures. Not 'pretty' maybe, but very beautiful - at least, she is presented as very beautiful, and very real. Some of the nudes studies show her arms crossed, oddly compressing her natural curves. That just makes the pictures more genuine for me, showing her as she is, not made up to some anatomical ideal.
   
   Explanatory text could have been more explanatory, but that's OK. The large majority of the book is just the pictures themselves, and I don't mind being alone with them.
   
   //wiredweird



3. Yes, this IS one of the great Andrew Wyeth books. Everyone interested in this great American artist will love it. This was my first Wyeth book. It was on my shelf for a long time, and I knew I liked his work. After my retirement in 2001, I began painting with watercolors and looked around for some work I liked for inspiration and found only Winslow Homer and Andrew Wyeth. Later, I was fortunate to see the Helga show in Omaha and found out how amazing Wyeth really is. I spent hours looking at these paintings trying to figure out how he was able to balance areas of color that looked almost poured on next to areas of almost photographic detail. I have read that that's what they call drybrush technique. Well, maybe so, but I call it sheer genius. As with all Wyeth reproductions in books, this one is good, but after you have seen the actual paintings, they are but pale shadows. Nevertheless, I love this book. It is the next best thing to being near a museum where you can see the originals. Wyeth is indeed an inspiration.

2 comments about Wyeth at Kuerners.

1. Stunning egg tempura illustrations by one of America's finest. Wyeth gives us a peek of his train of thought by including many preliminary sketches. A must have for the master and the apprentice of the arts.



2. This is one of the wonderful Wyeth books. As difficult as it is to reproduce Andrew Wyeth's masterly paintings and drawings (a truly impossible job) this large volume gives one at least a taste of his genius. It is like going out on his artistic journeys with him sketchbook in hand. You get to see masterworks from the first pencil drawings to the finished product. I am amazed that you can pick this one up at such a low price these days, but maybe everyone who loves Wyeth already has this book. I paid $50 for a copy and thought I was fortunate. It is a must buy book for every serious watercolorist. Wyeth opens your eyes to the world.

1 comments about Christina's World: Paintings and Prestudies of Andrew Wyeth.

1. This book is the same size as the Wyeth At Kuerner's book and just as good. Indeed, it is the companion volume according to the back flyleaf. There are 105 pre-studies, 128 four-color illustrations and 28 photographs. Of course, it is about the most famous painting in this century by an American artist, but also includes all of the work Andrew did out at the Olson farm indoors and out. One really has to appreciate these fine books that show the stages of a great artist's work. There is really nothing else quite like them.