When N.C. Wyeth purchased 18 acres outside of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, in 1911, he found his place and his pace, saying, “This is the little corner of the world wherein I shall work out my destiny.” He built a home and studio on a hill overlooking the valley — setting down roots that have nourished three generations of artists. The couple raised five talented children near the Brandywine River and spent summers on the coast of Maine, where N.C. loved to paint local subjects, landscapes, and seascapes.
N.C. taught his children to draw and paint as illustrator Howard Pyle had taught him; three grew up to become artists, including Wyeth’s youngest son, Andrew. At age 15, Andrew began several years of intensive artistic training under his father. In 1937, at the age of 20, Andrew had his first one-man show of watercolors at the Macbeth Gallery in New York City — all paintings were sold by the second day. Today, Andrew is recognized as one of the 20th century’s most important American artists.
When Andrew died in 2009, he passed the torch to his son Jamie, the third internationally famous Wyeth artist to carry on the family’s artistic tradition and legacy of painting the Brandywine region, inspired by its people and landscapes.
All three generations of Wyeth artists have painted for The Saturday Evening Post.
The Wyeth Family
Wyeth Family Genius by Edgar Allen Beem
In equal parts adored by the public and belittled by critics, three generations of Wyeths have created an astounding art legacy.
Wyeth Covers
All three Wyeths — N.C., Andrew, and Jamie — have had their artwork featured on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post. N.C.’s work was featured on six covers, while the art of Andrew and Jamie graced one cover each.
N.C. Wyeth
The Art and Life of N.C. Wyeth by David Apatoff
The illustrator who got his first big break painting covers for the Post would go on to found America’s greatest art dynasty.
Andrew Wyeth
The Post Remembers Artist Andrew Wyeth on His 100th Birthday
Artist Andrew Wyeth has long been a controversial figure in the art world, but his effect on it is undeniable.
Jamie Wyeth
Jamie Wyeth: Born to Paint by Irene Rawlings
Jamie Wyeth, the youngest member of America’s first family of art, had an artistic legacy to maintain, and he did it on his own unique way.