Elizabeth Meyer
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US$80,000 - US$120,000
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Provenance
The artist.
James Graham & Sons, New York.
Acquired by the present owner from the above, 1997.
Exhibited
Islesboro, Maine, Double Door Gallery, Jamie Wyeth: Images of Maine, August 3-10, 1996.
Literature
C. Crosman, et. al., Gulls, Ravens and a Vulture: The Ornithological Paintings of James Wyeth, Rockland, Maine, 2005, pp. 69, 101, fig. 60, illustrated.
James Wyeth, a third-generation painter and member of the iconic Wyeth family of artists, is known for his contemporary depictions of the Maine landscape, birds and illustrative renderings of the rural American populous. A student of his father, Andrew Wyeth, and his aunt, Carolyn Wyeth, Jamie's work displays many of the best characteristics of each artist with a strong individualism. His knack for dream-like imagery, a common quality in the works of his grandfather, N.C. Wyeth, combined with meticulous detail and a touch of humor, have made his paintings both intriguing and relatable.
The present work, Nine is a Secret, executed in 1996, combines Wyeth's consistent Maine imagery with that of his ornithological subjects. Eight ravens litter the hillside beneath the Southern Island Lighthouse prompting the viewer to consider the meaning of the artist's intended title. Tellingly, in the latter half of the 1990s, Wyeth was enthralled with the concept of using ravens and the counting of crows to foretell the future, as were many generations of poets before him evidenced by the numerous "counting rhymes" in existence. "Wyeth has always considered "Counting Crows" a cautionary tale, and to this day remains intrigued by it." (B. Heinrich, "Ravens Adapting to Ravens," Gulls, Ravens and a Vulture: The Ornithological Paintings of James Wyeth, 2005, p. 68.) One rhyme in particular references the title of the present work:
One raven bad news
Two ravens mirth
Three ravens a wedding
Four ravens a birth
Five ravens for riches
Six ravens a thief
Seven ravens a journey
Eight ravens for grief
Nine ravens a secret
Ten ravens for laughter
Eleven ravens for love
Twelve ravens good day
After
-Anonymous
While drawing from sources within literature to conceptualize the present work, Wyeth also folded in a bit of clever whimsy by featuring the waving "jolly roger" decorated flag. Perhaps a simple nod to his grandfather, whose illustrations still bring pirates to life today or, alternatively, a subtle reference to what nine crows may foretell.
This work is included in the database of the artist's work being compiled by the Wyeth Center at the William A. Farnsworth Museum, Rockland, Maine.