Chadds Ford’s Artistic Legacy

The N.C. Wyeth House and Studio makes a lovely trip in the early Spring. One can visit the house and studio via a guided tour which leaves from the Brandywine River Museum and is definitely a must see for Wyeth fans. N.C. Wyeth is primarily known as an illustrator but worked on other subject matter as well. The property is only available for tours with limited dates and times, so please check the website at brandwyine.org for more information.

The site is described on the website as follows: In 1911, with the proceeds from his illustrations for Treasure Island, the artist N.C. Wyeth purchased 18 acres of land near the village of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Possessed, he described it as “the most glorious site in the township.”

The house and studio, located five minutes from the museum, retain much of their original character. The main studio, with its spectacular Palladian-style north window, still contains many of the props that were essential to the work of an illustrator, including a birch-bark canoe and a collection of firearms. A full-size mural painting, displayed in a soaring 1923 addition, helps tell the story of Wyeth’s career. The house, with its country furnishings, reveals a more intimate picture of family life.

The N.C. Wyeth House and Studio is a National Historic Landmark and a member of the Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

A view of the house and barn.
The barn
A look inside at some of the downstairs rooms is included in the tour.
A view of the side of the barn with some artists at work.
The palatial windows of the Studio open Wyeth’s workspace up to natural light.
“Island Funeral” – this is now one of my favorite works by Wyeth. The original was in the Museum.
I particularly liked this book shelf with the ships’ models and the animal which I think is a river otter.
A work depicting William Penn and the founding of the Commonwealth.
The artists tools as he left them the day he died.

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