First Impressions: Andrew Wyeth

by Richard Meryman

Andrew Wyeth was born into a family where drawing was like breathing and his famous artist father was his stern teacher-until Andrew, as a teenager, escaped into the countryside to find his own subjects and a unique way to see and paint.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

92 pages, Hardcover

First published May 25, 1991

Reviews

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am interested in art and different styles, but really have a limited knowledge. I wanted to know more about Andrew Wyeth after reading, A Piece of the World. This was a good overview of the painter and he was much different then I assumed. He came from a family where he had, a loving, but overbearing father, who was an illustrator. He had 4 other sibling. All were creative, theatrical, eccentric, and involved as a family. The father, N.C. Wyeth is an illustrator. He is kind to his children, but can also be a bit overwhelming. He has the biggest influence on Andrew’s life and art work. I thought the family might have had many problems, but they appear to enjoy life together. Andrew Wyeth is known for his paintings of the country, nature, and rural America. Many saw him as a painter of Realistic paintings, but he rejects this idea completely. He saw himself as an abstractionist expressing himself through reality. He was quite theatrical and loved play acting, collecting toy soldiers, and was fascinated by the war. He was fascinated by contrast, things appearing different then how they appeared on the surface, and keeping the dark images hidden, but really visible when examined. His most famous painting was, ‘Christina’s World’, which A Piece of the World is a fictionalized tale of Christina Olson’s life. At this time, he fully releases his true artwork and uses fantasy, distortion, anger, creativity, strength, and sensitivity to the Piece. He becomes a painter in his own right and makes a lasting impression on the concept of art. Really glad I read this, made me understand Christina Baker Kline’s Book much better and Andrew Wyeth as a person.

[Jena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Andrew Wyeth es un pintor muy querido y admirado en los Estados Unidos. el artista nació a principios del siglo XX en un pueblito de Pensilvania. Su adorado padre fue un ilustrador de libros muy conocido, principalmente por sus ilustraciones para los libros de Robert Louis Stevenson como "la Isla del Tesoro", que alguna vez leímos cuando fuimos muy niños y vimos esas ilustraciones, por lo tanto, su familia fue a su imagen y semejanza, pero el más destacado fue Andy.
Nunca quiso ilustrar libros, prefería ver a su alrededor y crear su propia obra. Tampoco le gustaba pintar al óleo, su medio favorito fue el temple, es decir, usar pigmentos con yema de huevo como aglutinante. No sé si quería imitar a los pintores medievales como Marino Marini que pintaba en este medio, o él era muy chapado a la antigua.
Sus obras más conocidas son esa serie del "Mundo de Cristina". Cristina era una mujer inválida por la polio que nunca quiso usar una silla de ruedas o muletas y para movilizarse se arrastraba por los pisos. Andrew fue su gran amigo y la pintó en varias ocasiones. Aunque el autor dice que sus cuadros son muy coloridos yo siempre los he visto bastante tristes, pero no por eso deja de ser un magnífico pintor.

[Jolanta (knygupė) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is for juvenile readers...So... I liked it just because it's about ANDREW WYETH, one of my favorite North American painter.

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd book; I can't decide whether I hate it or love it. I sense that the author was trying to write a text for children that would draw them in with its references to childish obsessions of Halloween, war, and all scary things --and yet convey the idea of there being much more to the story, without scaring them too much. The whole book has a disjointed, ominous tone, hinting at an abnormal fantasy life, although I wonder if, for any artist, this is as truly bizarre as the author hints. I wish Merryman would say more about himself, and the relationship between himself and the artist so I could unlock the puzzle a bit further. I've always liked Andrew Wyeth's art, and now my curiosity is piqued.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent biography of Andrew Wyeth, though there are often confusing pronoun references where you are not sure whether the author is referring to N. C. Wyeth or son, Andrew. Photographs and reproductions of Andrew's work enrich the book tremendously.

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I became hooked on Andrew Wyeth's work after reading the book A Piece of the World.

I enjoy his style which basically reveals his life story.