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Painter Andrew Wyeth Dead at 91

'Polarizing' Pennsylvanian known for 'Christina's World'

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 16, 2009 9:56 AM CST

(Newser) – Andrew Wyeth, a painter both celebrated and scorned in the art community, has died at 91 at his home outside Philadelphia. In his paintings, the “polarizing” figure depicted a rural America of fallow fields, faded colors, and weather-beaten people, writes Michael Kimmelman in the New York Times. He was vastly popular with the public while critics generally attacked him, “saying he gave realism a bad name.” His painting Christina’s World, however, was iconic.

Wyeth came from a family of artists in rural Pennsylvania, including his famed illustrator father, N.C. The younger Wyeth's first show was in 1936. Christina’s World, in which a disabled woman pulls herself across a field, made him famous, though he considered it a "complete flat tire" upon completion. By the 1980s, his paintings were selling for millions. “I think the great weakness in most of my work is subject matter," Wyeth once said. "There’s too much of it."

Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth.
"Christina's World" by Andrew Wyeth.   (Flickr)
In this Nov. 15, 2007, file photo, painter Andrew Wyeth, of Chadds Ford, Pa., right, walks with President Bush as he receives the 2007 National Medal of Arts.
In this Nov. 15, 2007, file photo, painter Andrew Wyeth, of Chadds Ford, Pa., right, walks with President Bush as he receives the 2007 National Medal of Arts.   (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, file)
In this Feb. 23, 1964, file photo, artist Andrew Wyeth stands in front of his farm in Chadds Ford, Pa.
In this Feb. 23, 1964, file photo, artist Andrew Wyeth stands in front of his farm in Chadds Ford, Pa.   (AP Photo)
Andrew Wyeth is seen in this 1977 file photo. Wyeth has died at the age of 91 at his home outside Philadelphia.
Andrew Wyeth is seen in this 1977 file photo. Wyeth has died at the age of 91 at his home outside Philadelphia.   (AP Photo)
In this 2004 photo, artists Andrew Wyeth, right, and his son, Jamie, smile after receiving the Avatar Award for Artistic Excellence from the Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia.
In this 2004 photo, artists Andrew Wyeth, right, and his son, Jamie, smile after receiving the Avatar Award for Artistic Excellence from the Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia.   (AP Photo/Chris Gardner)
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COMMENTS
Showing 1 of 1 comment
Guest
Jan 16, 2009 12:30 AM CST
His art was beautiful! You will be missed.

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