拍品专文
Whether seen in a weather-beated fence post, in an empty cornfield after harvest or in the wrinkled face of an old man, Andrew Wyeth's paintings bear witness to the passage of time. Marsh Hawk is among the artist's most profound representations of this theme, as the painting reveals the artist's great sense of the past and the present as expressed in the vernacular architecture and ancient farm implements of rural Pennsylvania. Wanda Corn has noted the importance of temporal qualities in Wyeth's work, writing, "Time stops as his paintings make permanent what we know to be transitory. Paths and tracks in the snow or sand, or birds in flight become as fixed and static as ancient hieroglyphs; a sunbeam's playfulness on a wall, a patch of snow in the sun, or a fleeting flush of anger on his wife's cheek are made timeless and unchanging." (The Art of Andrew Wyeth, San Francisco, California, 1973, p. 155)
Marsh Hawks of 1964 depicts the Wyeth's Millhouse in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. The title of the tempera is derived from the isolated marsh hawk sitting on a stump and seen to the left of the composition. Wyeth executed arsh Hawk during a period in which he had already achieved considerable success. By this time the artist had perfected his painting technique in tempera, a medium that allows for great detail but also retains the refined sense of surface that is so important to Wyeth's paintings. Such detail can be seen in the careful delineation of the hay wagons or in the quality of light as it falls across the stone and wood structure. Wyeth himself has described the qualities of the medium: "Tempera is, in a sense, like building, really building in great layers the way the earth was built . . . I think the real reason tempera fascinated me was that I loved the quality of the colors, the terra verde, the ochers, the reds . . . I really like tempera because it has a cocoon-like feeling of gray lostness--almost a lonely feeling." (Two Worlds of Andrew Wyeth, New York, 1976, p. 34) Marsh Hawk reflects these sentiments, as the medium of tempera is perfectly adapted to expressing his sense of timelessness.
Wyeth has described Marsh Hawk and the elements in the composition: "This tempera was done in Pennsylvania. The hay wagons were given to me by the Harveys, who lived nearby. I found their colors wonderful and their craftsmanship beautiful. I was taken by the shape of the carts and the way the wheels were built. They dated back to around 1850-1860. Their wheels and hubs were magnificently constructed. Some of my best drawings are details of them. To think that these very wagons rolled over those rugged hills of Chadds Ford! The title comes from the marsh hawk sitting on the stump in the left distance. Late afternoon light is streaking across. The wagons were all swept away in a flood down the river to Wilmington. Nothing lasts. Shouldn't."
This tempera will be included in Betsy James Wyeth's forthcoming catalogue raisonnaé of the artist's work.
Marsh Hawks of 1964 depicts the Wyeth's Millhouse in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. The title of the tempera is derived from the isolated marsh hawk sitting on a stump and seen to the left of the composition. Wyeth executed arsh Hawk during a period in which he had already achieved considerable success. By this time the artist had perfected his painting technique in tempera, a medium that allows for great detail but also retains the refined sense of surface that is so important to Wyeth's paintings. Such detail can be seen in the careful delineation of the hay wagons or in the quality of light as it falls across the stone and wood structure. Wyeth himself has described the qualities of the medium: "Tempera is, in a sense, like building, really building in great layers the way the earth was built . . . I think the real reason tempera fascinated me was that I loved the quality of the colors, the terra verde, the ochers, the reds . . . I really like tempera because it has a cocoon-like feeling of gray lostness--almost a lonely feeling." (Two Worlds of Andrew Wyeth, New York, 1976, p. 34) Marsh Hawk reflects these sentiments, as the medium of tempera is perfectly adapted to expressing his sense of timelessness.
Wyeth has described Marsh Hawk and the elements in the composition: "This tempera was done in Pennsylvania. The hay wagons were given to me by the Harveys, who lived nearby. I found their colors wonderful and their craftsmanship beautiful. I was taken by the shape of the carts and the way the wheels were built. They dated back to around 1850-1860. Their wheels and hubs were magnificently constructed. Some of my best drawings are details of them. To think that these very wagons rolled over those rugged hills of Chadds Ford! The title comes from the marsh hawk sitting on the stump in the left distance. Late afternoon light is streaking across. The wagons were all swept away in a flood down the river to Wilmington. Nothing lasts. Shouldn't."
This tempera will be included in Betsy James Wyeth's forthcoming catalogue raisonnaé of the artist's work.