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N. C. Wyeth: A Biography

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I don't know if there is another Family that has continuously contributed to the world of art, and done so with such skill, as the 5 generations of Wyeths whose story is told in this work.

The title of my review may seem a bit odd but I believe those who read this book will find it appropriate. I read this book when it originally was published and then recently read it again. You need not be anything more than someone who loves to read to enjoy this book. While I am a great admirer of Mr. Andrew Wyeth's work and to a lesser extent other members of the Wyeth Family, I have no Art History education. The beauty of this work is that it is an incredible story on it's own, that additionally the story is true with 2 Wyeth Family members still painting, only enhances the reading. The fact this is not fiction makes the story all the more remarkable.

If you have already read about Mr. Andrew Wyeth's work you certainly will gain a great deal of insight as to why he may view his art as he does. Another wonderful book that focuses on Mr. Andrew Wyeth is by Richard Merryman, "Andrew Wyeth A Secret Life". It often seems that great artists in a range of artistic fields seem to have more than their share of drama in their lives. This is certainly the case with this 5 generational span of the Wyeths. There is also a great deal of tragedy and sadness.

Whether or not you are aware of or enjoy the work of The Wyeth Clan, they have and will continue to remain of great importance to Art History. Ranging from the illustrations by N.C Wyeth of dozens of books that are known to us all, to some of the most recognized images in the world as is the case with Andrew Wyeth's "Christina's World" from 1948, chances are you do know of the Wyeths.

The story most don't know is of the woman who is in the mentioned painting, her lifetime, and the stories and paintings that resulted from the house that she is looking towards in the painting. Not all of what you will learn is comfortable, some is sad; some behavior from members of the Family is eccentric to say the least.

What you will experience is a sweeping story that continues to this day. If an endorsement by an internationally acclaimed Artist would help, read what Mr. Barry Moser had to say about this book. And then go look at the book he was illustrating, the work he set aside to read this story. I cannot think of a more reliable recommendation.

Know the Family, know the work, or read as a novel. You will not de disappointed.

As a writer with the Philadelphia Inquirer, I have covered the Wyeth family extensively. I thought I knew everything about N.C. Wyeth, especially after reading Meryman's book on Andrew W. I thought I would get the same old background info, such as how N.C. home-schooled his kids, was a "super Dad," as Michaelis described him in a recent interview. I had read N.C. Wyeth's letters so I thought I knew all about his life before marriage. I was surprised how novel-like this bio is, not surprising since Michaelis is a novelist. (He says he has given up fiction though; he was in the middle of a stalled novel when he decided to write a magazine piece for Conte Nast Travel magazine about Chadds Ford. Then he thought of doing the bio.) I also love the 19th-century social history aspect of the book--Michaelis begins with N.C.'s grandparents. He also explains everything within a historical context (but not too heavy) so that when you read about the Wyeth's early life in New England, he mentions how others (i.e. neighbors) were also living their lives. In researching the book, Michaleis read everything from books on depression to Van Gough's letters. There is also one major family secret that every book review mentions. I wish I hadn't known about it before reading the book, because it was like reading a mystery and knowing the who-done-it.

Even if the Wyeths had had no artistic legacy, this book would still be fascinating. Michaelis tells a complex and engaging story set in a time of great change in America. Thouroughly entertaining and informative.

Although I was familiar with the paintings of Andrew & Jamie Wyeth, I wasn't aware of N.C. until I read his letters in Dorie McCullough Lawson's wonderful collection, "Posterity: Letters of Great Americans to Their Children." The brilliant writing in those letters, and the story of the tragic accident that killed him and his little grandson, made me want to know more. It led me to this book. I've just finished it, and can't stop thinking about it. If a novelist made up this saga, one might say it was just too fantastic. And yet the most fantastic thing of all is that it's true. David Michaelis weaves the tale, not just of N.C. Wyeth, but of his family and his times. Although so many people are introduced, the writing is clear and vibrant, and one never loses track of who's who. No novel could be more compelling than this saga, with twists and turns that almost had me gasping. Biography just doesn't get any better than this. Whether or not you're interested in Art, it is well worth your time. Bravo to Mr. Michaelis!

I discovered NC Wyeth accidentally as he is not known at all in France. I already had a book with some of his illustrations without any text attached to it so it was with great pleasure I read this enthralling book. What moved me the most was his profound sense of failure regardless of all the praise he was receiving. Michaelis is not so much making Wyeth's pictures talk as making Wyeth's voice heard. It is also a very vivid description of the passing of an era, through the eyes of someone, Wyeth, who is desperate for its passing. As for the book, it is a beautiful edition with carefully chosen illustrations. A great read.

This is the first book I can remember that ever compelled me to put down my own work to read. Two or three times in the past few days as I was hard at work I was overwhelmed by the need to get back to this story. What a great read this book is! I couldn't put it down. I think that N. C. Wyeth: A Biography should be required reading for all artists, illustrators, art students, art teachers, art directors, art dealers, art collectors, publishers, editors, parents, and lovers---and anyone else who wants to read a damned good book.

My brother loaned me a copy of this book because we both collect American illustrations. That qualifies some of my enthusiasm for this book a bit. I am already a fan of the golden age(s) of American illustration.
The life of N. C. Wyeth is impressively detailed by the author. He mostly uses detailed and extensive letters written by the family to piece together what would seem a very accurate account of N.C.'s life. This book helped piece together some of the influences I assumed N.C. had throughout his life. From Pyle to the war, depression, to family, it was a very complicated life for the entire family. A great read with enough personal melodrama to keep it very interesting. My only complaint was the occasional writing quirk where the author sometime wrote of the future while writing mostly a chronological book. It's hard to describe, but readers will notice this and occasionally get a little confused by the style. That's my only negative comment. (And frankly, I do not see how this writing method could have been avoided since some of the information was necessary in order to piece the story together.)

N.C. WYETH is so many things: a great biography, but also an amazing psychobiography of a family, a magisterially incisive art book, a heartbreaking chronicle of America's passage from thumping, Teddy Roosevelt-ian certainty to nuclear anxiety, from a pastoral Eden to a subdivided automated monster. So many things, and yet what I keep coming back to is how keenly David Michaelis has brought this man alive, in all his greatness and fallibility, his humanity. Forget about the arbitrary divisions between fiction and nonfiction -- this is an absolute literary achievement.

N. C. Wyeth emerges in Michaelis's nuanced prose as a tragic figure worthy of Dreiser---a man of capacious ambition and appetite, divided against himself. Michaelis brings a novelist's touch to his material, as well as a cultural historian's subtle grasp of such topics as late Victorian mourning and melancholia, the rise of American illustrators, and the changing face of fatherhood. This extraordinary book restores N. c. Wyeth to his true stature in American art and introduces a compelling new voice in American biography.

After visiting the Brandywine River Museum and the Wyeth homestead and studio, I was interested in finding out more about this artist and his family of artists. The author had the cooperation of the family and access to personal sources.

This biography is incredibly well-researched using family source documents, interviews, letters and the artist's own works to paint (pun intended) a detailed picture of a complex man. I learned a lot about how this man evolved into such a great artist, but also how he moved through life struggling with his torments. The book contains fascinating insights into his work as an illustrator and beyond as well as what makes his work so distinctive from the works of dozens of others working and learning at the same time.

Highly recommended.