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This week we move into a gallery of American art of the early twentieth century. The introduction to this series, about the Wadsworth family and the Wadsworth Atheneum, is here. For all posts in the series, click here.

Andrew Wyeth, Chambered Nautilus, 1956

Generally I prefer N.C. Wyeth‘s work to that of his son Andrew. But a few works by Andrew do move me, including this one. This portrait of Andrew’s mother-in-law was painted during her final illness, when she was confined to her bedroom. The nautilus shell at the foot of the bed – a metaphor for her condition – is a stunning bit of painting; I’ve never seen anyone make tempera (a water-based paint) glow quite that way.

Andrew Wyeth, Northern Point, 1950

This view over Penobscot Bay, Maine, is the other Andrew Wyeth that I’m happy to look at again and again. Take away that glowing orb on the lightning rod and I wouldn’t care about the painting a bit … put it way up there, contrasted with the textures of grass and rock and sea, in a canvas proportioned and framed just like this, and I’m enthralled.

Norman Rockwell, The Young Lady with the Shiner, 1953

In the 1950s, June Cleaver and other young ladies didn’t get into fights … or did they? This one looks very pleased with herself, and utterly unconcerned about the consequences of the fight as she waits outside the principal’s office.

Reginald Marsh, Wooden Horses, 1936

This one caught my eye because it didn’t look like a merry-go-round you’d put your kid on. These wooden horses at Coney Island could “gallop” at up to 25 miles per hour, and their intended riders were Greatly Depressed adults, not children. Nathan’s hot dogs and the Wonder Wheel are still at Coney Island, but alas, the Racing Derby has gone.

Abastenia Saint Leger Eberle, Rag Time, 1911

Can’t you hear the music? This girl looks like a cousin of Eberle’s Girl Skating, 1906, which I used in a Sunday Recommendation back in 2018.

Next week: more highlights from the Wadsworth Atheneum.

Wadsworth posts on American art

When I visited the Wadsworth, visitors were sent through the galleries in reverse chronological order due to social distancing. If you’d rather read the posts in order (seventeenth through twentieth centuries), the sequence would be as follows. Part 1 is the introduction to the series.

• part 12: 16th to early 19th centuries, including Copley, Trumbull, and Earl
• part 2: late 18th c., including Copley and Earl

• part 3: early and mid-19th c., early Hudson River School, including Cole and Church
• part 11: mid-19th c., including the Colt legacy and the Charter Oak
• part 4: mid-19th c., including Church and Bierstadt
• part 6: late 19th c. painting and sculpture, including Church, Remington, and Bierstadt
• part 5: late 19th c. painting, including Church and Heade
• part 9: late 19th and early 20th c. painting and sculpture
• part 10: late 19th and early 20th c. sculpture, including MacMonnies and Frishmuth
• part 8: early and mid-20th c. painting and sculpture, including Andrew Wyeth
• Part 7: survey of images of Niagara Falls, from the 17th to 21st centuries, including Trumbull, Cole, Bierstadt, and Church.

More

• In Getting More Enjoyment from Sculpture You Love, I demonstrate a method for looking at sculptures in detail, in depth, and on your own. Learn to enjoy your favorite sculptures more, and find new favorites. Available on Amazon print and Kindle formats.
• Want wonderful art delivered weekly to your inbox? Check out my free Sunday Recommendations list and rewards for recurring support: details here.