By Design: The Worlds of Betsy James Wyeth

About The Authors

William L. Coleman, PhD, is Wyeth Foundation Curator of the Andrew and Betsy Wyeth Collection and director of the Andrew & Betsy Wyeth Study Center.  Kendall DeBoer is assistant curator of modern and contemporary art at Colby College Museum of Art. David Michaelis is best-selling author of Eleanor, Schulz and Peanuts, and N. C. Wyeth.  Francesca Soriano, PhD, is associate curator of American art at Farnsworth Art Museum. Jamie Wyeth is a painter and the son of Andrew and Betsy Wyeth.

An open book shows a panoramic color photograph spanning both pages. The image depicts a cluster of weathered, grey wooden houses and outbuildings situated on a rocky shoreline in Maine. In the foreground, a calm body of water reflects the blue sky and white clouds. Tall green reeds grow along the water’s edge in the lower right and left corners.

An open book showing two images related to maritime textures. The left page is a painting of yellow-toned fishing nets stretched out to dry on tall poles along a coastline. The right page is a full-bleed, close-up photograph of white, intricately knotted netting bunched together, highlighting the geometric patterns and shadows of the mesh.

An open book with two photographs. The left page shows a bed with white linens and a decorative lace or fringed canopy hanging above the headboard. The right page is a dark, moody photograph of a wooden interior wall where a woven basket and pieces of driftwood are mounted as decor.

A landscape-oriented open book rests on a white surface. The left page features a full-bleed color photograph of a three-story white clapboard house on Allen Island, Maine, under a clear blue sky. A stone wall and grassy path lead to the centered front door. The right page is a pale blue-grey, featuring the title "Allen Island and Benner Island, Maine" in a black serif font, followed by a two-column list of essay titles and authors.

An open book displays two contrasting photographs. The left page shows the interior of a rustic wooden building with exposed ceiling beams and light wood floors. A large, historic birchbark canoe is displayed on a wooden trestle in the center of the room. The right page features a full-bleed photograph of a white house at night, illuminated by a bright light source from the front against a pitch-black, starry sky.

An open book featuring two interior scenes centered around long dining tables. The left page shows a painting by Andrew Wyeth, The Evening Meal, depicting a spare, dimly lit room with a long table and a chandelier. The right page features a full-bleed color photograph of a similar room, warmly lit by many candles on a long table where two people sit at opposite ends, creating a glow against the dark wooden walls.