Osborne Hill (Crows in a Landscape)

In this sweeping vista of the Brandywine Valley from Osborne Hill, Wyeth provides a literal birds-eye-view of crows as they soar over the valley. It was a viewpoint that the artist would use often to varying degrees, imparting a sense of drama and discomfort in the viewer—as if one was hovering or floating above the scene.

Osborne Hill was an important Revolutionary War site, being the highest point in the area and the place from which General William Howe directed the movements of the British army during the 1777 Battle of the Brandywine. Wyeth had a lifelong fascination with war and was particularly drawn to the historical connections between the surrounding Brandywine landscape and the iconic battle with the British.