Bound To Stay Bound

Bulletin for the Center... - 03/01/2014 Few artistic families have achieved the success of the Wyeths, with significant American painters in three generations: N. C. Wyeth, his son Andrew Wyeth, and Andrew’s son Jamie Wyeth. Rubin traces the life and exploits of these artistic generations, following the family’s creative tendencies generally (“Everybody in my family paints, excluding possibly the dogs”) and focusing specifically on the lives of N. C., Andrew, and Jamie. As usual, Rubin has performed extensive research, including interviews with Jamie Wyeth, and the book is rich with quotes about the Wyeth family’s life and art, so the daily life of painting and country pastimes is vividly conveyed. What’s missing, however, is any additional perspective—it’s rarely made clear how an artist’s work related to ongoing artistic modes or what influence it left outside of the family, so readers may not learn why the Wyeth family is of interest in the first place. Additionally, the book never explicitly justifies its focus on the three most famous Wyeths in light of the stated artistry of the whole family (Carolyn Wyeth in particular seems to get short shrift, with her teaching of Jamie a greater focus than her own artistic career). Layout is elegant and austere, with contrasting, often white text against colored pages, and most spreads include a crisply framed reproduction of a Wyeth work (though actual photographs of the Wyeths are disappointingly sparse). Novices will need more context, but readers looking to imagine an artist’s life for themselves or just keen to hear the stories behind some of the twentieth century’s most iconic images may be intrigued by the human and artistic portraits here. End matter includes a list of locations of Wyeth artwork, a list of sources, and an index. DS - Copyright 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 03/01/2014 *Starred Review* Similar in format to Rubin’s Wideness and Wonder: The Life and Art of Georgia O’Keeffe (2010) and Delicious: The Life and Art of Wayne Thiebaud (2007), this colorful little book takes on the challenge of introducing three generations of artists in the Wyeth family, and it appears to be the only book on any of the Wyeths published for young people in more than 20 years. A student of Howard Pyle, N. C. Wyeth found early success and a lasting reputation for his dramatic illustrations in magazines and books. Trained by his father, Andrew Wyeth is remembered for his realistic portraits and landscapes. Apprenticed early in life to his father, Jamie Wyeth is best known for his haunting paintings of people and animals. While focused primarily on the artists’ lives and their work, the clearly written text also describes the Wyeth households and family dynamics from generation to generation. Rubin adroitly meets the challenge of presenting three artists in one book, letting each story flow naturally into the next, while the occasional narrative overlap reinforces the story as a whole. The clearly written and engaging text, the well-integrated design elements, and the excellent reproductions of paintings and photos make this an informative, visually appealing presentation. - Copyright 2014 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 05/01/2014 Gr 7 Up—Reminiscent of the Duchamps of France, the Wyeths are a family of painters: three generations, in fact, of artists. Here, the author gives a chronological account of how the Wyeth men came to be painters and of how their lives intersected. This "first family of American art" began with Newel Convers (N.C.), Massachusetts-born in 1882, oil painter and noted illustrator for both major magazines and a series of children's classics such as Treasure Island. His son Andrew (1917–2009), whose initial artistic success came at the young age of 20, originally used watercolors to create scenes of Maine life, then switched to tempera to paint works such as his poignant "Christina's World." Andrew's son Jamie, the only one of the three still alive, uses combined media to create his portraits of dogs, friends, and neighbors. The text is clear, concise, and very complete for such a slim volume. While the family's existence in the Pennsylvania countryside and the sea coast of Maine often seems idyllic, Rubin does not shy away from recounting family eccentricities, disagreements, and problems. The women in the three artists' lives are shown to be important influences in the men's work, but all of them remain in the background. This well-told biography is beautifully illustrated with color reproductions of all three artists' works and a few black-and-white family photos. While Robert D. San Souci used N.C.'s illustrations to accompany his picture-book text in N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims (Chronicle, 1991), and Richard Meryman's First Impressions: Andrew Wyeth (Abrams, 1991) is recommended for teenagers, Rubin's is the first title to combine the lives of all three artists in a work geared to a middle school audience. An ideal introduction to the Wyeths.—Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, formerly at LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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