Contemporaries

We are not supposed to think about them this way, but Andrew Wyeth (above, "First Drawing" of Helga) and Picasso (below, early drawing of Fernande Olivier, 1906) are contemporaries. Period. And it is intriguing to compare them. Granted Wyeth was born in 1917 (in fact he recently had a birthday, July 12, belated happy birthday Mr. Wyeth), so Picasso was drawing this eleven years before Wyeth was born. (And Wyeth, amazing child prodigy that he was, wasn't born with a pencil in his hand.)

But Picasso lived until 1973 (born 25 Oct 1881; died 8 April 1973) so they shared much of the 20th century together. And each one dominated parts of the 20th century.

I can remember when Wyeth really was the most famous living artist (except Picasso) and yet his name was NEVER spoken in art school.

I used to like to mention him just to vex my teachers!

This internet version of the drawing does not come near the experience of seeing it. It is truly an amazing picture. I saw the actual drawing when Wyeth's Helga pictures were exhibited at the National Gallery of Art. In 1987? The drawing is stunning for its surety and delicacy and sense of breathing life. She is "doll size" but you feel as though she could stand up and walk away.