A Day of Artistic Intensity

We began the morning in Chadds Ford at the Brandywine River Museum which features art from the three generations of Wyeths who all lived in this area.  So esteemed were they, local residents protected them from visitors by denying they had seen or even heard of them even when one of the Wyeths might be standing right near by.

A few weeks ago, back in Shelbourne, VT, we visited a traveling exhibit of their art.  From the wonderful docent we had there and the second wonderful one we had here at their museum, we got a basic lesson in their art.  Again, no photos allowed.

Our tour started with Newell Converse, the first of the Wyeth artists.  He made his reputation early as an illustrator for major magazines.  Robert Louis Stevenson personally asked him to illustrate his popular books.  Many of the original drawings of Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins are displayed.  Other writers followed suit in requesting his work.  N. C.  fought hard to affirm his reputation as a “serious” artist and not just an “illustrator”.  Many of his paintings of storms, boats and fishermen give a sense of vertigo, as if he were looking down upon the scene.

N.C. had five children.  Three became artists, one a musician and one a mechanical engineer.  He taught art but had his son-in-law teach Andrew, the most famous of his children.  Andrew broke from his father’s use of oils and rich colors and chose to paint in tempera (watercolor) mixed with eggs from the local WaWa Market.  His color palate was more muted. 

One of Andrew’s subjects was his neighbor and his neighbor’s home.  He painted what we might consider mundane and made it worthy of intense contemplation.  We saw a couple of his paintings of Christine, the subject who has made him so well known.

Our time there was too brief and we were unable to tour the houses.  We shall have to come back.  One lesson we would like to pass on, the audio tour of this museum repeats what is printed beside the pictures.  Save the few dollars it costs and follow the live docent who will enrich the experience.

After leaving the Wyeth Museum, we returned to Philadelphia to join Barbara and Bob on the Old German Township House Tour.  These are homes from the 1880s to early 1900s and have been or are being restored.  They are homes that are lived in now and we met some of the owners. 

The first home we visited, Oaks Cloister, is akin to a museum as the owners have a rich array of collectibles. 

It was the home for the architect of the Pennsylvania State Capitol and has many similar features including a ceramic copy of a wooden alterpiece carved by Alexander Calder (father of the artist famous for mobiles).  The 20-room mansion, though a private home, is frequently used for major fundraising events. 

 We enjoyed talking to the present owner of the home and to his restorer who has spent eight years working on this fabulous home.  Though it did not seem so to us, it continues to be a work in progress.

The next three homes, though very large and quite beautiful, did seem more liveable.  The second had been in the Pettit family for decades, six with the last owner.  Too much stuff and a fire all but destroyed the home.  Now it is a notable residence featuring cut-glass windows and an inviting porch that sweeps around most of the house.

In nearby Mt. Airy we visited a home that, for a time, had been part of the Combs College of Music.  It has been restored to its original beauty and is a very liveable home for the family.  It is a home where contrasts work well.  The house was built in 1896 and showcases the owners’ collection of African-American art well.

Our last house is a prime example of what persistence and commitment can do.  The original owner lost his cigar business and, thus, the house.  After a series of owners, it was bought by Daddy Grace, founder of the United House of Prayer of All People of the Church on the Rock of the Apostolic Faith.  Later the house fell into great disrepair.  The current owners have spent five years restoring walls, flooring, and ceilings.  They are less than half way done but what they have accomplished makes us want to return for the completed home.  Good luck to them.

We took a dinner break at a local pub.  Across the street from Barbara and Bob’s home is the Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting Hall with Greet the Light, A James Turrell Skyspace.  We will try to describe this serene and lovely experience because no photos are allowed.  At sunset, in silence we entered a rectangular Quaker meeting hall filled with wooden benches.  People who had arrived before us were seated or lying on the benches, window ledges or the floor.  We took our seats and raised our heads to experience the evening. 

The middle of the ceiling has a rectangular hole that (and this is where words may fail) changes color as the LED lights rimming the ceiling change color.  The result is an opposition of color, orange lights, teal center; yellow lights, blue center.  The colors vary in intensity from light to vibrant.  The many shades gradually change over about an hour.  A couple of times an airplane flew overhead reminding us that we were looking at blank space even though our minds saw colors.  This was a most pleasant and unique experience which we look forward to doing again. 

We bid a fond farewell to Barbara and Bob and look forward to returning to be with them and learn what plans they have for us.