James H. Duff

Perhaps nowhere else is Andrew Wyeth’s highly distinctive style more palpable, or moving, than in Snow Hill. His masterful tempera painting of 1989 provides a visual and poetic summary of the Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, residents who had provided artistic inspiration at key points in Wyeth’s career. With the figures depicted in a snowy landscape high above Kuerner Farm, a property of great personal significance to the painter, this enigmatic composition resonates with an elegiac air. Among Wyeth’s most popular works, Snow Hill in some ways encapsulates the spirit of his entire career. James H. Duff, a close acquaintance of the artist for more than three decades, invites an expansive reading of the work, including the wide-ranging art historical influences on this singular American artist.… (mere)

A very nicely done book on three generations of the Wyeth family, with essays on their lives, artistic development, critiques of some of their works, and of course a large complement of lovely reproductions of their paintings. Two members of the Wyeth family would fall within my top 20 list of favorite artists: N.C. and Andrew. My only regret here is that Andrew Wyeth's stark and lovely "Christina's World", perhaps my favorite painting ever (and which I was privileged to see personally in New York City last year) is not represented here.… (mere)