John Olson's Funeral
Artist
Andrew Wyeth
(American, 1917 - 2009)
Date1945
MediumWatercolor
Dimensions21 1/2 x 29 1/2 in. (54.6 x 74.9 cm)
ClassificationsWatercolor
Credit LineCharles F. Smith Fund
Terms
Object number1945.26
DescriptionThe death of Wyeth's father in 1945 marked an influential and emotional event in his artistic career. He had a very close relationship with his father, who was tragically struck by a train when his car stalled in the middle of the tracks. John Olsen's Funeral captures the stylistic changes within Wyeth's work after his father's death. This work, unlike his prior works, has a more subdued color palette and is more emotionally charged. The Olsens were a common subject in Wyeth's work, and in John Olsen's Funeral he depicts the funeral of one of his neighbors. The viewer is immediately drawn to the dark silhouette-like figures against the light background of the house. The figures look down in sorrow, and Wyeth's brushstrokes create the illusion of motion as the carriage departs from the home.On View
Not on viewCollections
