Sudy For The Quaker By Andrew Wyeth Analysis

While touring the Higher Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia one particular painting stood out above the others to me. A watercolor piece by Andrew Wyeth titled: “Sudy for The Quaker, 1976”. The painting is a view of part of wall in a simple room with two coats hung upon a fireplace in what might very well be the home of a Quaker, who have always been known for their simplistic lifestyle. For this piece the artist seems to have used very dull browns and greys, offset by some black and white adding to the very simple idea that the Quakers would have lived by during this time. The color usage gives a very somber mood to the painting in that it doesn’t stir any strong emotions. The parallel lines formed by the window panes, the floorboard, and fireplace draw your eyes to coats that are hung, one of which is dark colored, the other light colored. Throughout
There are very few sharp lines in the work but the artist has still been able to give a realistic look to the painting. By keeping the sizes of the objects in the painting proportionate to what they would be if you were to look at them in real life he has added a sense of realism to the painting. Much of the painting has a very geometric shape such as the windows, fireplace, baseboards and such. The coats however have a more organic shape, hanging freely and loosely on their hangers hooked to the fireplace mantle. Aside from the view outside the window and of the coats hanging upon the mantle the space in the painting is fairly empty. The artist has used a depiction of sun shining in on the floor to fill some of the space, but I think the emptiness and lack of objects speaks to the message of the painting. Being how simple the Quakers lived you wouldn’t expect to see their houses filled with objects and trinkets decorating every space. In that sense the empty space of the painting speaks to the simplicity of the Quaker