The last of this round's eight matches pits Andrew Wyeth (7-1, 84-26, .764) and Charles Sheeler (5-1, 42-29, .592)? They're two of the bigger names in 20th century Unitedstatesian painting, but although they trod the Earth at the same time, for a while, Wyeth was born when Sheeler was 34 and must have seemed like one of those dang kids today to the older man. If I was Sheeler heading into this match, I would be pretty nervous looking at Wyeth's vote ratio and the slate of Name artists that he has already sent packing. On the other hand, Sheeler didn't make it to the Sixth Round by not being popular with the IAT voters. Enough talk. Let's look at some paintings.
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| Wyeth's "oblique self-portrait," Trodden Weed. |
1917 - 2009
American
Wyeth’s technical resources are remarkable. His work displays a strong linear quality, and within his limited palette—consisting mostly of earth tones—he achieves a subtly extensive range of colour. His paintings are precise and detailed, yet he moves them beyond photographic naturalism by imbuing them with a sense of subjective emotion. This work also exemplifies his use of unusual angles and his mastery of light.... Art historians have often characterized Wyeth’s work as sentimental and antithetical to the abstract trajectory of 20th-century art. In the face of such criticism, Wyeth’s work has always been popular.
- The Britannica
- Defeated Jack Butler Yeats in Round 1.
- Crushed fellow American Grant Wood in Round 2.
- Trounced Frederic Leighton in Round 3.
- Lost to Michelangelo by a single vote in Round 4. YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!!
- Lambasted James Abbot McNeill Whistler in the Left Bracket Fourth Round.
- Defeated Velázquez in Left Bracket Fourth Round Elimination.
- Crushed Jan Steen in the Left Bracket Fifth Round.
- Beat J.M.W. Turner in Fifth Round Elimination.
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| Self-Portrait, 1925. |
1883 - 1965
American
As he entered the 1950s, Sheeler developed a distinctive late style. He still depicted urban architecture and industrial facilities, but he reduced objects to flat planes, rather than volumes, and pared away more detail than ever before.... He also devised complex, multiple-viewpoint compositions by overlapping two or more photographic negatives of the same subject and then transferring the resulting, synthesized image to canvas.... He left behind a body of work that explored the balance between abstraction and representation, photography and painting, an increasingly mechanized present and a more homespun past, uniting all these aspects in a skillful (and occasionally ambivalent) tension.
- - The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
- Beat Cindy Sherman in in Round 1.
- Defeated Jan Siberechts easily in Round 2.
- Beat Georges Seurat in Round 3 by a two-vote margin. YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!!
- Beat Kurt Schwitters in Round 4 by a safe margin.
- Defeated Paul Signac in Round 5.
14 comments:
Wyeth!
Sheeler
I'll throw in a vote for Wyeth.
Wyeth - but you know that guy in the hat is his father (N.C.) and not Andrew, right?
Karen B -- Nope! I mean, you're right, but I missed it. Young Andy didn't make things easy for me by eschewing direct self-portraiture, but I found some indirect self-portraiture to fill the gap.
Feel free to jump in there on the other contests.
Wyeth Wyeth Wyeth Wyeth Wyeth Wyeth Wyeth Wyeth Wyeth
Oh, this is a lovely pairing. And I'm solidly for Wyeth, but maybe there will some big wonderful Sheeler show someday that I get to go see. Because I'd really like that.
I vote for Helga! ...um, I mean, Wyeth.
Tough choice, but I'm going with Wyeth.
Wyeth
Mariah is with Wyeth on Facebook.
Susan voted for Sheeler quite a while ago, but I flubbed the transfer!
For me, I don't think it would've been much of a contest at any time, but I do have to say that Wyeth has been growing on me as well--Wyeth, definitely, and more emphatically now than previously!
Wyeth rounds out the Sweet Sixteen easily, beating Sheeler ten votes to two. He'll take on Rembrandt next!
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