The Farnsworth Art Museum complex brings together a representative collection of three generations of the Wyeth family: Newell Convers Wyeth, his son Andrew and his grandson James. The artwork, which I would personally refer to as romantic realism, is of extraordinarily high quality and is housed in a superb setting in the middle of Rockland.
Upon entry to the museum ($10.00 adult, 2006), the visitor finds an extraordinary collection of Andrew Wyeth’s watercolours dating from 1938 to the 1990’s. He is considered one of the best-known and most collectable of living American artists.
The works of his father and of his son, Jamie, are found in the Wyeth Center, a converted church, to the rear of the main museum building. N.C. Wyeth began summering in Maine in 1920 and son Andrew would launch his career there with his first show at the age of 20 and his first museum show at the Farnsworth Art Museum in 1951, thus the link to Maine.
In the Wyeth Center, the N.C. Wyeth Gallery contains a number of works which strike a familiar chord, for Wyeth was an illustrator of books. Scribner’s Treasure Island for example, with its 17 illustrations by Wyeth, is still very collectable. The seascapes and country scenes found here are the result of his Maine summers and are a reflection of his desire to be taken seriously as a painter. Upstairs are the works of James Wyeth, who, like his grandfather, prefers to work in oil. The center, with its collection of exceptional works, is a wonderful space and in fact, all the gallery spaces in the Farnsworth Museum are expansive, the ceilings high, the lighting effective… a wonderful place to contemplate art.
In the Maurine and Robert Rothschild Gallery is the museum’s permanent collection of works by New England artists who were inspired by Maine and the Maine coast. The collection, Maine in America, is particularly fine and features works that allow the visitor to trace Maine’s development from colonial times. Artists included in the exhibit range from the 19th century (Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer and Gilbert Stuart) to the 20th century (George Bellows, Rockwell Kent, Andrew Winter and more). Further galleries feature some of the finest of modern American art, all built around a solid core of artists who live and work in Maine.
Downstairs, in the Tim, Micah and Sam Galleries, we found an exhibition of the works of Maine artist, Frederick Lynch. Although I found his work difficult, it served as counterpoint to the realism of the Wyeths and allows one to consider the diversity in art. In the nearby James Gallery we found a selection of works by Robert Indiana… silkscreens and serigraphs. Included is his most recognizable work, "Love" (1990) which placed him in the middle of the Pop Art movement. The museum has also purchased the sculpted version of the painting which is outside next to the Wyeth homestead.
For more, go to FarnsworthMuseum.