In an era thats known as the Golden Age of illustration, illustrator Newell Convers Wyeth (akaN.C.
Wyeth) was one of its superstars.
The American painter contributed illustrations to over 100 books and painted over 4,000 images.
His realistically rendered pictures visualized classic tales likeTreasure Island,The Last of the Mohicans,andRobinson Crusoe.
Wyeth also created illustrations for advertising campaigns such as Coca-Cola and Kelloggs Foods.
N. C. Wyeth, ca.
N. C. Wyeth, ca. 1920. Charles Scribner’s Sons Art Reference Department records, 1839-1962. (Photo:Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution)
Charles Scribner’s Sons Art Reference Department records, 1839-1962.
(Photo:Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution)
Who Was N.C. Wyeth?
Early Life and Education
N.C. Wyeth was born in Needham, Massachusetts, in 1882.
He was interested in art from an early age and was encouraged by his parents to pursue his drawing.
He enrolled in art schools during his youth and attended private classes taught by artists.
For Wyeth, that meant heading West on three trips between 1904 and 1906.
He spent that time working as a field hand and being a mail carrier.
He depicted the experiences in drawings that dramatized the Old West.
The success ofTreasure Islandkept Wyeth illustrating with Scribners.
Advertising was also part of Wyeths portfolio.
His clients included Cream of Wheat, Coca-Cola, and General Electric.
In addition to working with printed matter, Wyeth was nationally recognized as amuralist.
This began the first of many murals done in the 1920s and 1930s that often depicted historical events.
They were important, and well-known illustrators (like Wyeth) were legitimately famousand making a lot of money.
Illustrations, after all, were produced en mass for readers of all kinds.
Because of their accessibility and often ephemeral nature, they werent seen as precious as paintings.
The subject matter wasnt considered high-brow like a work shown in a gallery.
Wyeth felt this friction and attempted to escape it by cultivating a painting practice outside of his illustration career.
Wyeths Family and Untimely Death
In 1906, Wyeth married Carolyn Brenneman Bockius.
They lived in Wilmington, Delaware, before moving to Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, in 1908.
In 1911, Wyeth purchased 18 acres of property where he built a house and studio.
His grandson, Andrews son, isJamie Wyethwho has followed in his footsteps as a painter.
He was 62 years old.
The collision killed both him and his young grandson who was nearly 4 when he died.
His estate in Chadds Ford was restored to its original appearance around the time of his death.
Its now managed by theBrandywine River Museum, and you might take a tour of his home and studio.
Was N.C. Wyeth related to Andrew Wyeth?
Wyeth House in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania (Photo:Dmadeo, via Wikimedia Commons,CC BY-SA 3.0)
Yes, N.C. Wyeth was Andrew Wyeth’s father.
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