Follow

N. C. Wyeth, Draftsman of Childhood Imaginations

Tradition and Sanity

Billowing white clouds drift across a pastel blue sky, throwing a patchwork of soft shadows on the glistening leaves of trees. Above, an ivy-clad tower stands against the light-filled clouds, its warm rock shaded by their nebulous quilting. A light breeze ruffles the dry grass with a sighing sound. Chests heaving and panting, their shining mail glistening, two knights pause in combat. Their sculpted muscles and clenched hands, their wide-footed stances, exude a sense of power, of intense strength — of energy directed, laser-beam-like, against the other. The jewel rich colors of the fighter’s tunics offer another visual point of tension: the strongest primary colors, blue and red, add their own force to the stand off.  This painting is one of a set of Arthurian illustrations by the American illustrator N. C. Wyeth (1882-1945). Wyeth, and his teacher Howard Pyle, are probably the most famous figures of a particular artistic movement: the so-called Brandywine school of illustration. In this episode we will look at what makes their work special and, in particular, important for the formation of children's imaginations. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.traditionsanity.com/subscribe