Newell Convers Wyeth Essay

Newell Convers Wyeth was one of the famous men in America during his time. This is because he was considered as one of the greatest American illustrators. He was the first to set the pace amongst the three generations of Wyeth artists. However, he was not only an illustrator but a painter as well. The work he did has become historical and is celebrated in many galleries, museums and publications as well as in other artist venues across the globe (Howell, par 1). Throughout his life, he was doing very well as an illustrator thus becoming very famous. N. C died in Chadds Ford in 1945 through an accident (Brandy Wine Conservancy 3). Wyeth gained national recognition as a result of his Scribner’s Classic Children’s Books like The Yearling, Robinson Crusoe, The Last of the Mohicans, Kidnapped, and Treasure Island among others. Wyeth believed that the deepest happiness a person can experience comes from living a simple life, and also treasuring the beauty and bounty of land and sea. Quite a number of Wyeth’s paintings were based on his feelings and own experiences. This was usually as a result of the memories of his parent’s farm where he grew up (Highlights for Children, par 1-8). N. C Wyeth started drawing when he was a child. He was being encouraged by the mother who helped him nature his gift. He began working for a magazine called the Saturday Evening Post when he was only 20years. Soon after this, his fame began to spread and his work published in other leading magazines like Harper’s weekly, Century, and Scribner’s among others (Nila McCann Spring). Despite the fact that Wyeth was an illustrator, he yearned to be known as a painter as well. The difference between the two was that illustration carried a pejorative connotation that Wyeth felt keenly all his life. In addition, regardless of the fact that commissioned work earned him income to support his family, he tried to run away from the confines of textual limitations, taking up personal paintings like landscapes, still lives and portraits. He moved from lyrical landscapes, which had an impressive style, to powerful portraits of fishermen that evoke the work of the American Regionalist artists. Nonetheless, he never attained personal satisfaction or the recognition that he wanted (Brandy Wine Conservancy 2). Wyeth was able to make three trips, between 1904 and 1906, to West America. This was after Wyeth recognized the value of Pyle’s instructions in his career. Pyle was one of the most renowned illustrators from Howard Pyle School of Art where Wyeth had joined then. During the period of the trip, he spent much of his time taking up the experience that enabled him to paint images. The painted images would allow him to come up very well and be among the top greatest illustrators during his error. Wyeth had managed to herald in Outing Magazines by 1907. He was one of the greatest painters of American outdoor life (Brandywines Conservancy 1). Early Life Nowell Convers was born on 22nd October, 1882 in a place called Needham, Massachusetts. His mother was the daughter of Swiss immigrants while his father was a descendant of the first Wyeth to arrive in the New World in the mid-17th century. His growing up in a farm made him develop a deep love for nature. He began his artistic inclinations at a very young age and the mother encouraged it. However, his father opposed this since he wanted him to use his talent more practically. He attended Mechanic Arts High School in Boston up to May 1899, where he concentrated on drafting. Through the support of his mother, he was able to transfer to Massachusetts Normal Art School and through the help and guidance of his instructor Richard Andrew; he took the line of illustration (Brandywine Conservancy 1). Wyeth married Carolyn Bockus in 1906. They met after he completed his learning under Pyle. They gave birth to five children whose names are Nat, Carolyn, Ann and Andrew. Some of these children resembled his father in his work of illustration and painting. They picked up talents for one art form or another, ranging from composing music to teaching art lessons and also to inventing (Howell, par. 3-4). N. C Wyeth trained his son Andrew through home schooling in 1932. This was after he realized that his health was failing. There were several challenges that came with school administration and also the expense of teaching his son from home. However, Wyeth managed to complete his son’s education as his teacher. After that, Andrew Wyeth continued to work under his father’s artistic guidance in their home in Maine which was named after the famous Winslow Home painting (Howell, par. 6). N. C Wyeth’s Work Wyeth is the perhaps the best and is remembered for his illustrations of other children classics done for Scribner’s. He gained national recognition with his illustrations for the book Treasured Island by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1911. He composed American stories and themes from carpetbaggers to Indians. He used color and romantic imagery brilliantly and this combined with his close attention to historical detail, enables his artwork gain a lasting place in the lexicon of American illustration. The love he had for America in-terms of its individuality and landscapes is evident in his works; that is, from the Old West to the Brandywine Hill. This was a country of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. It is said that his boldness and sometimes massive artwork expressed his ‘largeness of spirit’. He is also said to have painted murals on a heroic scale by one of the biographers (New World Encyclopedia, par 2-4). He managed to complete over three thousand works during his career. Being an illustrator, some of his famous works included publications like Kidnapped, Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island and Robin Hood. Between 1925 and 1935, he completed some of his most exhilarating pieces of work, among which were several experimental pieces that were seen as heroic compared to his commissioned work (Howell, par 2). The success of Treasured Island insured Wyeth along his career. Scribner’s illustrated many classic stories in his succeeding years. The most famous titles are; â€Å"kidnapped (1913), The Black Arrow (1916), The Boy’s King Arthur (1917), The Mysterious Island (1918), The Last of the Mohicans (1919), The Deer slayer (1925) and The Yearling (1939). † In addition, he created illustrations for other publishers. Examples of such books are Robin Hood by David McKay(1917), Robinson Crusoe by Cosmopolitan (1920), Rip VanWinkle by David McKay (1921), Men of Concord by Houghton-Mifflin (1936) and Trending Into Maine by Little Brown (1938) (Howell, par. 2). Books like Treasured Island and Robinson Crusoe by N. C Wyeth are the most historical and famous. They also have a maritime adventure and an Island as a center element of their schemes. In addition, the historical language used in every one of them is similar as well as one of the same nautical terminology like stern, bow and aft among others. This is utilized because of the aforementioned similarities (Enotes, par1-3). Checking closely, the characters in these two books are alike only in the most basic ways. In Robinson Crusoe, for example, Crusoe is a male just as are Long John Silver and Hawkins. In addition, both central character are seamen and in the case of Hawkins, they were trying to become such. On the desolate island, young Jim Hawkins is trying to survive as a lone boy in the world of men just as Crusoe tries. On the other hand, both books are written by male authors and that the masculinity tone is seen in both books. In this case, as one reads these books, each story helps them to gain a perspective into the oceangoing world of the past. May be a better comparison could be drawn between Stevenson’s in Kidnapped and Defoe’s in Robinson Crusoe because there are better similarities existing in these books (Enotes, par. 2-3). His work also contains religious paintings. For example in 1923, he is said to have been commissioned by the Unitarian Layman’s League to do a series of paintings which included ‘The Parables of Jesus’. His most superb religious work that consisted of three hinged panels painted for the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at the Nations Cathedral in Washington D. C seems to be welcoming believers. It consisted of Jesus surrounded by a host of heavenly angels. The wordings are, â€Å"Come unto Me, All Ye that Labor and Are Heavy Laden, and I Will Give You Rest† (New World Encyclopedia, par. 13). His other works included; Mowing (1907), Long John Silver and Hawkins (1911), The Fence Builders (1915), September Afternoon (1918), Dying Winter (1934), The Alchemist (1938), Deep Cover Lobsterman (1939), The war Letter (1944) and the Nightfall (1945) (New World Encyclopedia, par. 23). Assessment of N. C Wyeth’s Work It was appropriate for Wyeth to start his work at his young age. One of the reasons is because he was able to leave an impact after he died in that his work is still remembered to date. He also was able to raise his son Andrew as his successor and the son become famous too because he was doing very well. It was also of importance to begin his work at an early age since he was able to publish so many books like Treasured Island and Robinson Crusoe (Amazon Par. 1-3). In addition, this golden age work of Wyeth played an important role in uplifting and pursuing work in illustration. The period of golden age work was also recognized for unparalleled brilliance in publication of journal art which had not been seen before. Also N. C Wyeth plus other students were able to carry on Howard Pyle’s work and this also brings out the importance of his beginning work at a young age (Jo Ang, par 4-5). N. C Wyeth was also able to perfect his work over time by starting his career at a young age and this enabled him to gain fame in America and other nations too. The fame is evident in his created images for magazine advertisements and calendars, painting for big companies like Wheat Company, Coca-Cola, Blue Buckle Overalls, Steinway &Sons, New York Life Insurance among other (Brandy wine Conservancy 3). Conclusion Wyeth is remembered since he was one of the greatest illustrators in America and who created nearly 4,000 works during his golden age from 1903 to 1945 when he died. However he never achieved the personal satisfaction or public recognition that he wanted. N. C Wyeth gained national recognition as a result of his Scribner’s Classic Children’s Books like The Yearling, Robinson Crusoe, The Last of the Mohicans, Kidnapped, and Treasure Island among others. All these books are read even to date. Work cited Amazon. com. 1996-2010. The Amazon. com Review, 2010. Web. 15 May 2010 . Brandy wine Conservancy. N. C. Wyeth Biography. Brandywine River Museum, 2009. Web. 14 March, 2010, . Enotes. com, Inc. Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe, 2010. Web. 15 May, 2010,