Seven Deadly Sins and Recent Works by Jamie Wyeth Foreword by Warren Adelson
Seven Deadly Sins and Recent Works by Jamie Wyeth Foreword by Warren Adelson In 1975 we were in Omaha, Nebraska, to open an exhibition, “James Wyeth” at the Joslyn Art Museum. At the age of 29, it was Jamie’s first retrospective, composed of 72 oil paintings, watercolors, and drawings, including portraits of John F. Kennedy, Paul Mellon, and Jamie’s father, Andrew Wyeth. The museum and the community were delighted with the prospect of this important show and posters for the exhibition could be seen everywhere throughout the city and were prominently displayed in store windows. The image on the poster was a showstopper, Portrait of Pig (Brandywine River Museum), depicting the artist’s huge and adored pet, “Den Den,” who was gigantic in life and likewise dominated the 4 x 7 foot canvas. Portrait of Pig was one of the stars of the show, painted with a bravura realism typical of the artist. The image was so convincing that local Nebraska farmers commented on the particulars of the animal’s physiognomy. Portrait of Pig was the real thing. The exhibition was a great success. Over the decades Jamie has continued to paint the subjects and places which has mesmerized him: the inhabitants and landscape of his farm in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, and the coastal flora, fauna and jagged coastline of his island home in Maine. I have witnessed Jamie’s metamorphosis as a painter over these years. The brushwork has become broader, the color more bold, and the application of paint far more varied. He smears the paint with his fingers, rubbing the canvas with pigment, and splashing and flicking it with the brush.
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