Why Do Critics Still Hate Andrew Wyeth?
(For the record, I don’t.) Daniel Grant writes: ‘As every scorned artist is always reminding us, the critics hated the Impressionists, too. But within about 10 years of their first group exhibitions, the French Impressionist painters were both beloved by the public and esteemed by critics. Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) has one of those—the love and admiration of the general public—but critical acclaim is still largely absent for the painter who is best known for his highly detailed depictions of rural life. At best, one might say that the most virulent haters are dead or are moving on, but the void is still not exactly filling up with love. Maybe there is some grudging respect, which might count as a victory for this most singular of artists.’
