Storms and shipwrecks contrast with tranquil horizons in the portrayal of island life at the current exhibit at the Brandywine River Museum. Amanda C. Burdan, curator for the Jamie Wyeth, Rockwell Kent and Monhegan exhibit,  guided visitors through artwork whose creation spanned a century.

Describing the process of selecting work to display for this exhibit, Burdan said there were many spirits. The spirits of the lost souls of the D. T. Sheridan shipwreck, the spirits of two artist who never met yet are somehow connected and the spirit of artistic legacy all  haunt the gallery.

The current exhibit is an expansion of the exhibit which opened at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine in 2012.  In that exhibit, the work of artist Jamie Wyeth was on one side and the work of Rockwell Kent was on the other. For studying the artists, that presentation worked.

Burdan wanted to convey the island, Monhegan, itself.  For this she had the gallery opened up by removing walls because you need space to see the sea. She learned from the writings of the great seascape painter Winslow Homer that a painting changes when viewed from different distances.

The exhibit begins two artists’ painting of the wreck of the D. T. Sheridan. Kent’s painting has clean lines of the remains of the tugboat and rocky shore. Precisely painted birds survey the wreckage flying over a calm sea which belies its part of the calamity.

Wyeth’s painting more than 60 years later shows a more weathered hull. In the foreground are spirits hovering around their lost ship. One of the spirits has florescent waving hair echoing the florescent cloud wisps on the far horizon. This exhibit is the first showing of Wyeth’s Shipwreck first in a suite of untoward occurrences on Monhegan Island.

Next to Wyeth’s Shipwreck is Portrait of Rockwell Kent, second in a series of untoward occurrences on Monhegan Island. The portrait shows artist and palette with a dark figure plummeting from the cliff in the background. The figure is thought to represent Kent’s former model who died while staying at Kent House.

The third of the series is being painted now.

More spirits appear in Wyeth’s two works created after his father’s death. In Recurring Dream two figures are standing on boulders looking out to sea.  Both are dressed in fisherman rain gear. They are said to be N. C. and Andrew Wyeth. In Sea Watchers, the elder Wyeths are joined by Andy Warhol and Winslow Homer. All look to the sea.

Although most of the exhibit is land and sea scapes, patriotism of the local people is shown by each artist in his own way. In Islanders Wyeth shows unassuming folks sitting on a porch with a flag draped over almost half of the house. In Memorial Day Kent shows islanders laying lilacs on graves in Monhegan Island cemetery.

Many of the paintings of the exhibit, both Kent’s and Wyeth’s are on loan from the personal collection of Jamie and Phyllis Wyeth. Not only has Wyeth collected Kent’s paintings, he purchased Kent’s house.  Kent House is the subject of one of the Wyeth’s island paintings.

For those interested in learning more about the exhibit, the curator will be giving two more talks.

Burdan will be giving a talk entitled, “Rockwell Kent: Notes on Roofing” on July 24 at 2 p.m. In this lecture, the curator will explore how Kent’s broader experiences on Monhegan—he worked as a lobsterman, architect and builder—may have influenced his paintings.

Unlike many artists who come to the island, Wyeth paints with his “back to the see,” concentrating his attention on the people and man-made landmarks rather than the epic seascapes. Burdan will focus on Wyeth’s choice of subject matter on Monhegan on August 21 at 2 p.m.

The exhibit continues through November 17. Catalogs of the exhibit are available in the Museum gift shop. The museum will be giving detailed presentations about each artist.

For hours and upcoming programs go to http://www.brandywinemuseum.org.

About Emily Myers

Emily Myers has lived and worked in Chadds Ford for over thirty five years.  She founded the parent company of Chadds Ford Live, Decision Design Research, Inc., in 1982.  ChaddsFordLive.com represents the confluence of Myers' long time, deep involvement in technology and community. Myers was a founding member of the Chadds Ford Business Association and currently serves on its board of directors.  Her hobbies include bridge, golf, photography and Tai Chi. She lives with her husband, Jim Lebedda, in Chadds Ford Township.

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