THE ART OF N.C. WYETH

For over 25 years, N.C. Wyeth was regarded as the foremost illustrator of books and magazines in the United States. His artwork for iconic tales of romance and adventure has become synonymous with the stories themselves, familiar to multiple generations of readers. Some of the best-known characters in literature have become nearly indistinguishable from the images he produced.

- Daniel Zimmer

EARLY LIFE

Newell Convers Wyeth, born in Needham, Massachusetts, was the eldest son of Andrew Newell Wyeth, who operated a grain business in Charlestown, Massachusetts, and Henriette Zirngiebel Wyeth, granddaughter of the Swiss-born director of the Harvard Botanical Gardens. The Wyeth lineage traces back to Welsh roots (having arrived in North America in 1645), and their family history is entwined with significant events in American history. The Zirngiebels contributed sturdy French-Swiss lineage rooted in the vast 19th-century immigrant experience. Convers, as he was known, was raised in a family that cherished and nurtured this vibrant and diverse heritage, which profoundly impacted his work throughout his life. The modest Needham farm where Wyeth spent his early years heightened his appreciation for nature, supplying the animals and scenery he sketched during his childhood. Despite initial hesitation from his father but with his mother’s encouragement, he attended Mechanic Arts High School in Boston to study drafting, followed by the Massachusetts Normal Arts School. It was there that an instructor recommended he pursue a career in illustration. Wyeth briefly studied under artist and illustrator Eric Pape before spending the winter and spring of 1902 learning from Charles W. Reed, a book illustrator with vivid Civil War recollections. Throughout his life, Wyeth acknowledged his studies with Pape and Reed in biographical accounts.

HOWARD PYLE