Andrew Wyeth: Memory & Magic [Hardcover]

John Wilmerding (Introduction), Anne Knutson (Contributor), Kathleen Foster (Contributor), Michael Taylor (Contributor), Christopher Crosman (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 8, 2005

Prior to the 1960s, Andrew Wyeth enjoyed a stellar reputation as a rising star in the art world. Since then, critics and scholars have largely ignored him. Wyeth, however, who is age 88 at the date of publication, has continued to paint, to the delight of his admirers, collectors, and the art-loving public. Now, in association with the High Museum exhibition, Andrew Wyeth: Memory & Magic takes a fresh look at the work of one of America's most beloved artists.In examining his entire oeuvre, the book celebrates the artist's ongoing love affair with everyday life-domestic, natural, and architectural. Found throughout Wyeth's work, these objects form patterns that illuminate core themes and reveal the artist wrestling with issues of memory, temporality, embodiment, and the metaphysical. Organized chronologically and thematically, the book explores how the artist's approach to these subjects was formed in his early career, and has been revisited in new and surprising ways in recent years.Andrew Wyeth: Memory & Magic comprises 150 tempera paintings and 50 drawings and watercolors-including his most-famous works, but also many published here for the first time.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In this post-post-modern era—when no single artistic movement can pretend to claim dominance, and the "shock of the new" has pretty much worn off—the American realist tradition is starting to look better and better, and no living artist encapsulates that tradition more definitively than Andrew Wyeth. With the overhyped (Time and Newsweek covers!) late '70s controversy over the Helga paintings pretty much forgotten, now is a good time for the kind of serious reassessment facilitated by this lavish retrospective. Its different essays—of uniformly high quality—emphasize various aspects of Wyeth's oeuvre. Taylor explores the early work's surprising connections to surrealism, for example, while Knutson's movingly personal essay investigates the artist's lesser-known depictions of everyday objects, and Crosman outlines the pivotal role of the artist's wife, Betsy. Together, the essays place Wyeth within a number of overlapping contexts while honoring the singular path that this American master walks. (Entering his 90s, Wyeth is still very much a going concern and the book reproduces a number of his recent paintings.) The illustrations, which include works by artists who have influenced Wyeth, advance these arguments while making for a gorgeous book. (Nov.)
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About the Author

Anne Knutson is guest curator for the exhibition Andrew Wyeth: Memory & Magic. Kathleen A. Foster is the Robert L. McNeill, Jr. Curator of American Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.Michael R. Taylor is Associate Curator and Acting Head of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Christopher Crosman is Director of the William A. Farnsworth Library and Art Museum in Rockland, Maine.John Wilmerding is the Christopher B. Sarofim Professor of American Art at Princeton University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli; 1ST edition (November 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847827712
• ISBN-13: 978-0847827718
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 0.8 x 11.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #220,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Master's Magic, November 23, 2005

By 

Sam Torode - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Andrew Wyeth: Memory & Magic (Hardcover)

Most people are surprised to learn that Andrew Wyeth is still alive and painting. Even more surprising is that, at almost 90, he continues to experiment with his technique and create great works like "The Carry" (2003)-which should have been on the cover of this book. For me, the main attraction of this book was the reproduction of "The Carry" and several other recent works (I wish there had been more). The rest of the paintings (over 100 in all) provide a good overview of Wyeth's career, focusing on landscape and still life (few figures and portraits). Two introductory essays attempt to rehabilitate Wyeth's reputation as a modernist against the popular misconception that he's a sentimental realist, and another sheds new light on Betsy's role in his life and work. Overall, an indispensable addition to any Wyeth library. After reading the book, I can't wait to see the exhibit!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMERICAN MASTER, March 16, 2006

By 

Shannon Deason (Houston) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Andrew Wyeth: Memory & Magic (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book on America's greatest living painter. I have alway loved Andrew Wyeth's art, it so singular to him, totally unique. You can tell he was influenced by Whistler, but his work is his own. This book has vivid images of Wyeth's best work and the text is highly informative. I was thrilled when I saw this book, it is the best I have seen on Wyeth's vast catalog of paintings. Wyeth is truly an American Master, thank you Ms. Knutson for a job well done.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive, February 18, 2006

By 

Tere (Halifax, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Andrew Wyeth: Memory & Magic (Hardcover)

I am so impressed with the quality of this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Wyeth, or anyone who enjoys collecting beautiful books.
There is so much here in terms of information, and the colour plates are really fantastic. Great book.