We spent Valentine's Day afternoon with Andy Warhol, Rudolf Nureyev, Rockwell Kent, Judge John Sirica, President Bush's Scotties and seven sinning seagulls (as in "seven deadly") at the Brandywine River Museum's Jamie Wyeth retrospective.
I'm certainly no art critic, but I thought it was an enjoyable and wonderfully put together exhibit, stretching from Jamie's childhood pencil drawings (he showed promise even then) through his recent work, in which he depicts a vivid recurring dream where he is standing with his father on the rocky coast of Maine's Monhegan Island.
I was especially struck by the actual physical texture of the paintings -- in "Bale" he actually used bits of hay in the paint, and the artist used thick layers of paint to depict the fleece of the sheep "Lady" and the ice in "Ice Floe" and "Berg."
In addition to his well-known portraits (like "Draft Age," Nureyev as Don Quixote, and the posthumous painting of President Kennedy), there are many paintings of animals, including dogs, chickens, ravens, owls, sheep, goats and horses. Two "tableaux vivant" were charming: they were imaginative, dollhouse-style dioramas depicting Andy Warhol's fashionable milieu in 1970s Manhattan. There are lots of paintings of Andy Warhol -- and one by Andy of Jamie.
One painting I had never seen before was of pediatric cardiologist Helen Taussig of Johns Hopkins. According to the label, it got a mixed reception when it was unveiled because it emphasized her fierce intelligence rather than her gentler side.
The show is at the River Museum through April 5. If you go, don't miss the photograph of Jamie Wyeth as you start the exhibit on the second floor -- it was taken by local photographer Jim Graham.
A special shout-out to the Unionville friends who gave us passes to the show -- very much appreciated!
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