Wyeth, Andrew (Newell)

(born July 12, 1917, Chadds Ford, Pa., U.S.—died Jan. 16, 2009, Chadds Ford) U.S. painter. He was trained by his father, N.C. Wyeth. His subject matter comes almost entirely from the area around Chadds Ford and around his summer home in Cushing, Maine. Though his technique is precise and detailed, he uses it to achieve an unreal, visionary quality. His palette is restricted largely to earth colours. His famous Christina's World (1948), depicting a polio victim seemingly trying to climb a hill, exemplifies his mastery of unusual angles and his use of light to pinpoint time. Between 1971 and 1985 Wyeth secretly painted Helga Testorf, his neighbour in Chadds Ford, creating hundreds of images of her, including nudes. He was the first painter ever awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1963) and the first artist to receive the Congressional Gold Medal (1990). His son Jamie also had a successful painting career.

Find more information on Wyeth, Andrew (Newell). Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Wyeth, Andrew (Newell).