In the United States died painter Andrew Wyeth

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In Pennsylvania, 16 January at the age of 91 died in his sleep the American artist Andrew Wyeth (Andrew Wyeth), reported AFP.

Wyatt died at his home in his native city Chedds-Ford. The exact cause of death has not been named.

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Andrew Ueyet and the Great American Loneliness


  At Rockwell Kent and Andrew Wyeth are very different destiny ... Kent all his life wandering the globe, as if someone was chasing him, sought unity with nature in the most remote corners of the world. A life of Andrew Wyeth flowed between his native Pennsylvania and Maine, where he traveled for the summer. He was a confirmed homebody. Yet there is something that unites these two artists, but also Hopper, and many lesser-known Americans - is the Great American Loneliness. The cult of personality - is the pain of America and both its glory. Every American, independently solving their problems, thereby creating the foundation of American society. Without this, the cult would not have been a great country as no Kent, Wyeth, Hopper would not be the Great American painting XX century.

Andrew Wyeth was born in 1917 in a small town Chedds-Ford, in Pennsylvania, the son of renowned book illustrator and painter Newell Converse Wyeth. Andy studied art from his father. Almost lived almost entirely in their native lands (valley Brendivayn), and summer months spent in Cushing (Maine).

His first exhibition of landscapes 20-year-old Andy in the Gallery Macbeth brought him a triumphant success - in one day all the works were sold. Success was accompanied by and following the exhibition of watercolors, and led to the election of E. Wyeth member of the National Academy of Design.

In 1955, Andrew Wyeth became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1977, was elected a member of the French Academy of Fine Arts, in 1978, becoming an honorary member of the USSR Academy of Arts and in 1980 he was elected to the British Royal Academy.

What is he, this romantic twentieth century? "I deliberately do not like to travel, - wrote in his diaries, Andrew Wyeth. - After a journey you'll never go back the same - you make more knowledgeable ... I am afraid of losing something important for my work, perhaps, naivete."

In 1940 Andrew married Betsy James, which was destined to play a big role in his work. Betsy was not only his model, but the Secretary, critic, consultant. She invented stories of his paintings, gave them names, advised him to abandon the bright colors. In 1943 they had a first-born Nicholas, and three years later - James, who also became a very famous artist.

  In October 1945, the father of Andrew and his three-year nephew, were killed when their car got stuck on railroad tracks in front of a moving train. The death of his father drew a line under youth Wyeth. Response to the death of his father became tempera "Winter". After two years in Maine, farm Olsen was written most probably the famous painting masters "Christina's World".

In 1948, Wyeth began writing Anna and Karl Kuerner, neighbors Chedds-Ford. Their farm is located just a few yards from the spot where his father died.

Fields, meadows, forests and hills Chedds-Ford, became for him not just a homeland, but a meeting place with the greatest affection. This was the winter of 1985. In his autobiography, the artist writes: "And then on top of the hill seemed a small figure in a green coat with a cape out of fashion. Covered with last year's withered grass, illuminated by dazzling light of an endless winter this hill suddenly came up. In this slender woman whose arm was hanging in the air, I saw himself, his restless soul. "

According to Wyeth, "it was a decisive turning-point in his life." He looked into her gray eyes thoughtful northern and realized that once again wants to live and write. He asked: "What's your name?". But my heart already knew - like whatever her name, wherever she lived - he was not in his power to forget these blonde hair, the soft wheat fuzz above her upper lip, the shy blush on his pale cheeks. Man, freed from the accidental circumstances of time, "here, perhaps, the theme of his work with Helga.

Is the most famous series of paintings by Wyeth - making a total of 240. Perhaps the phenomenon of exceptional, if not the only thing in the history of American painting. His favorite model - German girl Helga Testorf with a neighboring farm, he drew and wrote for 15 years, hiding their work from everyone, even from his wife. That was his main theme and the main love of his life.

Intuition and imagination - a sure way of knowing the truth, rather than abstract logic or scientific method. Following Whitman artist Wyeth prints of the twentieth century American art to the world level, because he sees in every human traits, which are typical of not only the people of America but for all. In a simple woman, Helga, who worked on a nearby farm, it opens the whole world and treats it as part of the universe. Even drawing her naked, he seemed to understand that this is only part of the mainland, which is called the soul. The eyes of Helga, her unique sad smile imbued with a particular sense of life. Through the love the artist reflects on old age, youth, death and life. Their relationship could guess from the long walks in the vicinity of Maine, who so loved Andrew Wyeth and Helga. She was, and always looking ahead, looking for something, often could not see, and turned to look at Andrew. But he hastily sketched. In his eyes, Helga saw a reflection of what lies ahead, and he added to the reflection of something of themselves. What they were looking at this small patch of Chedds-Ford under a huge snow-air above his head? Common sense? Happiness? Or peace and quiet, which badly needs a human heart? The most ordinary things: turning the beloved head, and the wind behind her, an open window - Wyeth with great power of the artist was able to raise at an unusually emotional heights. He, like selindzherovsky hero Holden Caulfield, carefully guards his little girl playing in the rye. Of course, the experience of generations has not passed for the gift of Wyeth, in his creative mind came a kind of alloy, and the portraits of Helga can be equally well seen and dyurerovskuyu completeness, and Renaissance principles of pictorial space. But this is only the sum of the parts. The main thing - not this. The main thing - these colors are always lively eyes with cold water, this affectionate mischief in the corners of the mouth chubby, and yet her affection, as a light snow, rushing, flying ...

In the work of Andrew Wyeth noticeable traits characteristic of the American realist tradition: the idealization of American farming, addicted to his native land, the accuracy of the image visible, sometimes close to the topographic illusions. But all this combined with the inherent subtle poetic perception of reality makes it possible to link it with the direction of magical realism. I EndryuUayeta always felt a certain tension. Rather, even surreal rather than realistic.

Engravings depicting Wyeth works enjoyed great popularity, including the politicians - among them the owners were Dwight Eisenhower and Nikita Khrushchev.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy awarded the artist's highest civilian award, America - the Medal of Freedom. And in 1970, Wyeth became the first artist whose exhibition of paintings was held in the White House during the life of their creator.

Andrew Wyeth was an honorary member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (now Russia Academy of Arts), a member of the French Academy of Fine Arts and the British Royal Academy.

In 2007 the artist was awarded the National Medal of Arts, which he was in the White House gave the U.S. president.