Tribute

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxW.Eugene Smith/ Life Magazine

HONORE' SHARRER, American Artist,

July 12, 1920 / April 17, 2009

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Honore' Sharrer, who recently died at the

age of 88, was known, throughout her

long career, for her exceptional use of color

and masterly command of detail. She is

seen in the photo, with her best known painting,

"Tribute to the American Working People",

a five part polyptych.

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The painting is reminiscent of Old Masters

and Renaissance altar pieces. The oil

painting, which took 5 years to complete,

depicts a factory worker, surrounded by

scenes of people at a picnic, on a farm,

in a parlor, and in a schoolroom.

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"Tribute" is in the permanent collection of

the Smithsonian Institution. Ms. Sharrer,

also an exponent of the Ashcan School,

developed, in later years, a style that evolved

into magic realism. Also a deep interest in

women's roles produced the paintings,

"Resurrection of the Waitress" 1984, and

" A Dream of Monticello", 1996.

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Honore' Sharrer's work is also in the collections of

the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of

Modern Art.

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Her paintings are well worth the effort of viewing.

Unfortunately my computer was being stubborn

today. I apologize for the lack of paintings,

which I truly tried to include.

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I acknowledge the information received from

The New York Times, May 13, 2009

Andrew Wyeth 1917-2009

I found out this morning that the artist,

Andrew Wyeth had died at the age of 91.

I didn't want to post the painting of the

enigmatic figure of "Christina's World".

I think that image is going to be pervasive

for quite a while, it being the one that

immediately comes to mind when Wyeth is

mentioned.

Instead I chose this painting of a

young man striding across another hill,

perhaps less mysterious, on an ordinary day.

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I greatly admired Andrew Wyeth. He was sometimes

referred to as the "Painter of the People".

This is not very good in some circles. Because

the "people" generally like art that is sentimental,

illustrative. I will let the critics who do not appreciate

his work, speak for themselves.

One can readily see that Wyeth's work is a contrast to

the Abstractions of the middle of the 20th Century.

But looking closely at many of the paintings, in addition

to strong currents of emotion, symbolism, and clear beauty,

there is an underlying abstraction at play. Contrasts and

shadows become stark angles, enhancing and sometimes

obscuring the character, mood and spirituality, always part

of the mystery of Wyeth's paintings.

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The isolation, the existential moment is similar to the

introversion that I am so drawn to in the work of

Edward Hopper, another artist who portrays the

everyday moment, the resignation of "ordinary" people.

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I write of Andrew Wyeth with gratitude for his

artistry.