Artist:
N.C. Wyeth
(American, 1882 - 1945)
Late Spring Morning
Alternate Title(s):Autumn Brook (Late Spring Morning)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: ca. 1915/1917
Dimensions:
31 3/4 × 39 7/8 in. (80.6 × 101.3 cm)
Brandywine River Museum of Art, Gift of Carolyn Wyeth in memory of her dog "Husky", 1976
Accession number: 76.13
Label Copy:
Landscape work was extremely important to N. C. Wyeth throughout his career and he explored many different painting styles to interpret his views. As part of Wyeth’s experimentation with the style of Impressionism, Late Spring Morning captures the play of light and shadow across a pasture. The palette is quite light and filled with fresh spring colors, where even the shadows glow. Though primarily thought of as an illustrator, Wyeth’s more personal paintings reflect his interest in the development of the broader art world.
Landscape work was extremely important to N. C. Wyeth throughout his career and he explored many different painting styles to interpret his views. As part of Wyeth’s experimentation with the style of Impressionism, Late Spring Morning captures the play of light and shadow across a pasture. The palette is quite light and filled with fresh spring colors, where even the shadows glow. Though primarily thought of as an illustrator, Wyeth’s more personal paintings reflect his interest in the development of the broader art world.
Research Number: NCW: 313
InscribedUpper left: N. C. WYETH (not by N. C. Wyeth); adhered to reverse of frame liner, a typed label: Late Sprint (sic) Morning / N.C. WYETH; recorded in 1976, an inscription on upper left of top stretcher, possibly in the artist's hand and now obscurred by wax lining: Late Spring Morning
ProvenanceThe artist; Mrs. N.C. Wyeth; Carolyn Wyeth
Exhibition HistoryPrinceton, NJ, 1977, no. 8, as "Late Spring Morning"; Chadds Ford, PA, 1992; Chadds Ford, PA, 1997, no numbers, as "Spring Morning"; Louisville, KY, 1998, no. 2
References
Brandywine River Museum, Catalogue of the Collection, 1969-1989. (Chadds Ford, PA: Brandywine Conservancy, 1991), p. 214 as "Autumn Brook (Late Spring Morning)"; Christine B. Podmaniczky, N. C. Wyeth, Catalogue Raisonne of Paintings (London: Scala, 2008), L.97, p. 728
Curatorial RemarksThe alternate (and confusing) title "Autumn Brook" seems to have originated with Carolyn Wyeth. She presented the painting to the Brandywine River Museum in 1976 as "Autumn Brook" but subsequent examination revealed the inscription and label that read "Late Spring Morning." In Carolyn Wyeth's inventory of paintings by her father there are two cards that may pertain to this painting, "White Horse in pasture, No. 53" and "Summer landscape with White Horse, No. 7." The dimensions of the present work are close to "Summer landscape with White Horse," which leaves the other painting unaccounted for.
Andrew Wyeth identified the scene as the brook below the Wyeth property near the what was the McGinley farm at the time.
Andrew Wyeth identified the scene as the brook below the Wyeth property near the what was the McGinley farm at the time.
Image Source for printed Catalogue Raisonne:web: transparency directly from painting; hardcover: digital photography directly from painting
Photo Credit:Transparency: none given; digital: Rick Echelmeyer, 2/2007