Wyeth ─ Andrew & Jamie in the Studio

Father and son artists Andrew Wyeth (1917–2009) and Jamie Wyeth (b. 1946) are among the most celebrated American realist painters of the 20th century. Despite their similar habits of mind, studio practice, and rural Pennsylvania upbringing, the two artists produced strikingly different work. However, they also employed a wide range of processes in works that parallel and complement each other. This artistic conversation is evident when considering the artists’ vast output of preliminary work—much of which has remained unpublished until now—alongside their iconic paintings.

This groundbreaking publication takes a novel approach in exploring the Wyeths’ working methods and processes. Author Timothy J. Standring also provides the reader with a rare personal glimpse into the artists’ world by chronicling his visits to their studios in the Brandywine Valley and Midcoast Maine over the course of four years. With over 200 color illustrations showing works in a variety of media—including pen and ink, graphite, chalk, watercolor, dry brush, tempera, and oil—this handsome book situates each artist’s oeuvre in the context of their shared biographies, place, and artistic practices.

Timothy J. Standring is the Gates Foundation Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the Denver Art Museum.