A few years ago, a small group of friends and I visited The Brandywine River Museum in Chadd’s Ford, PA  What a lovely setting to showcase  the Wyeth Family Collection where three generations of Wyeths lived and worked. We arrived rather early and decided to grab breakfast across the street at Hank’s Place. I highly recommend their frittatas. This restaurant was a favorite of  Andrew Wyeth. It is said he would unobtrusively sit in the back table and quietly listen to some of the comments folks would make about his art. Sure would have been special to run into him here. I probably would have babbled out something like….” Hello Mr. Wyeth, I so admire your work. It must take you hours and hours to paint with those tiny little brushes, working so diligently in egg tempera like a monk. How did you manage to keep your 250 Helga paintings secret from your wife for 15 years? Are the Kuerners as strange as you make them look? Is it true that Christina of your famous painting “Christina’s World” could not walk and was literally dragging herself across that field? Of course I jest. If I had the great fortune to run into Andrew Wyeth at Hank’s place I would probably nonchalantly look the other way and keep eating my frittata but all the while hoping to make just one small eye contact. I hate hangers- on. Don’t you?

We wanted to combine a painting excursion with a museum visit. Our goal was to paint outside the museum along the lovely Brandywine stream, break for lunch and visit the collection in the afternoon. We brought our paints and easels with us and happily began working outside. Our plan ended when a torrential rain began. The museum kindly offered us refuge inside the museum. Here we could paint from inside looking out the large windows overlooking the landscape.

 I have always adored the colorful and richly painted works of N. C. Wyeth.  I was amazed to see how large and magnificently painted the original paintings for Treasure Island were. N.C. was an illustrator during the Golden Age of Illustration (1880-1920). His paintings are not bland interpretations.  They are richly painted works of art.   N.C.’s  loaded brush and bravura mark harkens back to the Venetians.  Surely he must have admired Titian.  

I saw the show at the National Gallery of Art some years back featuring the “Helga Series” These incredible paintings also made me appreciate the uniqueness of a Wyeth.