Portrait of Pig

Throughout his life, Jamie Wyeth has been surrounded by animals of all sorts, and many have served as subjects in his work. Wyeth’s particular fascination with pigs has led him to numerous compositions of these animals, such as Portrait of Pig.

Wyeth’s process of creating any painting begins with close observation and understanding of his subject, in this case, an enormous pig named Den Den. The artist first saw Den Den at a neighbor’s farm, where he worked to create this portrait of her. Wyeth made extensive pencil sketches and studies of the pig using calipers for accurate measurement of Den Den’s anatomy. He used his studies in preparation for his final, life-size portrait. Portrait of Pig describes the animal in thickly applied layers of varying colors. The textural brushstrokes heighten the arresting form of the massive pig and her surrounding straw-strewn pen. Intrigued by her character, he eventually purchased the pig for his own farm.