Major Wyeth Exhibition Is On View At NBMAA

NEW BRITAIN — History, politics and art collide in a major exhibition of the works of renowned illustrator N.C. Wyeth and his grandson, James Wyeth, currently on view at New Britain Museum of American Art.

Entitled “One Nation: Patriots and Pirates Portrayed by N.C. Wyeth and James Wyeth,” the exhibition reflects the social and political values of the past century. “One Nation” brings together some 80 drawings and paintings that challenge viewers to find their own definitions of “patriot” and “pirate,” primarily in the political arena.

Coinciding with inaugural celebrations in the nation’s capital, the exhibition was presented in the Rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., from Jan. 14-26. 

 “This remarkable body of work by two generations of Wyeths shows the artistic and political juxtaposition of grandfather and grandson.  It reveals how much has changed in America in less than a century,” said Douglas Hyland, director of the New Britain Museum of American Art.

The exhibition provides “the unique ability to trace a century of changes and challenges in our nation through a single family, and to speculate on how their respective time periods may have influenced their work,” said Lauren Raye Smith, curator of “One Nation.”

The exhibition was organized by Farnsworth Art Museum of Rockland, Me., and is sponsored by the MBNA Foundation.

N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945) was a prominent illustrator of classic novels and magazine articles, who was also called upon by the US government and military agencies to create patriotic images.

His period of greatest productivity, from 1912 to the time of his death in 1945, encompassed a time when this country was involved in two world wars and being “patriotic” was viewed as every citizen’s duty.   N.C. Wyeth portrayed this sense of patriotism on government posters and other art that, in effect, became symbols of an era.

He also illustrated books such as Poems of American Patriotism, Cease Firing and The Long Roll, depicting historical figures such as Paul Revere, George Washington and Stonewall Jackson in a glorified, idealized light.

James Wyeth (born 1946) is clearly a product of a later generation, whose concept of patriotism was quite different than his grandfather’s.  Coming of age in the tumultuous 1960s, James Wyeth reflects a changing sense of patriotism and a loss of public innocence in his art.   The Vietnam War and Watergate were key events that shaped the scope and focus of much of his work.

One of his best-known portraits, “Draft Age,” depicts a boy of 18 in a black leather jacket and dark sunglasses, the picture of defiant youth during the Vietnam era. James Wyeth later painted a posthumous portrait of President John F. Kennedy, apparently in a moment of indecision. Robert Kennedy once said the painting made him think of the way his brother looked during the Bay of Pigs invasion. 

During the 1974 Watergate trials and Congressional hearings, James Wyeth also was commissioned by Harper’s magazine to record the events as they unfolded. 

The exhibition will travel to the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, Penn., and the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Fla., following its stay at New Britain Museum of American Art until April 29.

An independent, not-for-profit organization dating back to 1903, the New Britain Museum of American Art was founded by private citizens for the enjoyment and education of the public. Located in a turn-of-the-century house since 1937, the museum has since expanded its space to 19 galleries.

Museum leadership embraced the idea early on that its collection would focus exclusively on American art. Today, after nearly 90 years of steady growth, the collection numbers nearly 5,000 oils, watercolors, drawings, graphics and sculpture, spanning more than 250 years of American art.

New Britain Museum of American Art is at 56 Lexington Street in New Britain. Hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, noon to 5 pm; Wednesday, noon to 7 pm; and Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for senior citizens, $2 for students, and free for visitors age 12 and under. The museum is handicapped accessible. It can be reached by calling 860/229-0257.

Docent-guided tours for adults and children are available by appointment during the morning and public hours. Sunday gallery talks are scheduled throughout the year.