Jamie Wyeth, Rockwell Kent and Monhegan

Posted by Press Release on May 21, 2013

On view June 15 - November 17, 2013

This exhibition examines the fascination held by American artists, particularly Rockwell Kent and Jamie Wyeth, of Monhegan, a small island ten miles off the coast of Maine.

A small island off the coast of Maine, Monhegan has long lured artists to its remote shores, promising dramatic ocean vistas, rugged landscapes and inspiring scenes of men struggling against the forces of nature. This exhibition examines the fascination that the island of Monhegan and its people held for both Rockwell Kent (1882-1971) and Jamie Wyeth (b. 1946). Although the two artists never met, their paintings, when viewed together, depict over a century's worth of Monhegan life and landmarks from vantage points many other artist never beheld. The exhibition will include examples of some of Wyeth's most recent paintings and a number of Kent's from major museum collections. Wyeth's paintings are often created with his "back to the sea," as he describes it, focusing on the people who inhabit the island, while Kent gravitates to coastal views of the Monhegan headlands.The exhibition is organized by the Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine. The Brandywine River Museum is expanding upon the original exhibition, and will include more than a dozen additional works and the debut of a new painting by Wyeth.At the Brandywine River Museum the exhibition is curated by Michael Komanecky, Farnsworth Art Museum, and Amanda C. Burdan, Brandywine River Museum. A full-color catalog of the original exhibition along with a companion publication documenting the additional work will be available.Funding for the exhibition has been provided by The Crosby Kemper Foundation, Mr. Richard Gilder and Ms. Lois Chiles, Mr. and Mrs Joseph Pyne, John and Anne Surovek, Mr. and Mrs. George Twigg III, and donors who wish to remain anonymous. At the Brandywine River Museum the exhibition is supported by The Davenport Family Foundation Fund for Exhibitions.
Image caption: Jamie Wyeth (b. 1946), Jenny Whibley Sings, 2008, Oil on board, Jamie and Phyllis Wyeth Collection.