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Farnsworth Art Museum
3 reviews for Farnsworth Art Museum
This lovely museum showcases the Wyeths, Andrew, his father J.C. and his son Jamie. J.C. was an illustrator and I was astonished to see books I'd read as a child, "The Yearling", "Treasure Island" were illustrated w/ his very distinctive work. My introduction to Andrew Wyeth was in college. "Christina's World". I didn't particularly like it. But I found I fell in love w/ Norman Rockwell's work when we visited his studio in Stockbridge MA, so I was curious what would happen when I saw Andrew Wyeth's original works and I liked them. I was surprised to discover I liked the watercolors better than I did the tempera, but I liked the detail possible in the tempera.
The 6th floor held needlework samplers, quilts and woodcarvings. On the 4th floor Andrew Wyeth's paintings took up a large gallery and an adjacent gallery held a collection of "folk art", paintings (two by Grandma Moses), ship models and other related pieces. There was also a spacious and comfortable library w/ a large stone fireplace. Down some stairs were galleries of contemporary Maine-related American art, one devoted to Louise Nevelson's sculptures, others to different artists. The museum is of a manageable scale and is easily navigated. J.C. and Jamie's works are shown in a separate building, the Wyeth Center, across the street. J.C. is on the first floor and Jamie is on the second. Jamie had several paintings accompanied by interesting stories, particularly one of JFK. An elevator that goes between the two is HUGE and contains two, maybe 10 foot, benches, one along the back wall and one along one side. I've never seen that, so of course I had to sit on one.
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My husband and I first stopped by here about a decade ago and it was wonderful. Rockland's a great little town along the coast and we thought we'd just stop by to see the Wyeth paintings, since that's what the Farnsworth is most known for. But the rest of the American art is great to see. The museum spans two buildings and the layout is sensible.
The day we went, I remember it was a bright, warm fall day and there were plenty of people but not too crowded.
There was something truly genteel about the place and I remember that this was one of many great days on that vacation in the mid-90s.
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Ah. The good old Farnsworth. Since I grew up in Rockland, I grew up with the Farnsworth. And, when I was 19-20 years old I even worked there! The Farnsworth is a point of pride for Rockland. The focal point of the museum is the Wyeths. N.C., Andrew, and Jaimie. I love them all but N.C. is my favorite. All 3 generations summered in Maine and Andrew and Jaimie still live in Maine. Because of this I have had the pleasure of meeting both Andrew and Jaimie (my mom says she even dated Jaimie for a bit as a teenager. I am not sure if she is telling the truth!), as well as Helga, the inspiration for a few of Andrew's paintings. The Wyeth Center is it's own building in a restored church. It is quite impressive and lovely.
I love this museum. It houses American art, many of which are 18th and 19th century artists such as Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Sully, Childe Hassam, Maurice Prendergast, etc... It also has the second largest collection of art by sculptor Louise Nevelson. They also have revolving exhibits, so check back to see what they've got!
I worked there selling tickets, so I had some time to read while I worked. I scoured their library and borrowed many books. I read Andrew Wyeth's biography which was fascinating. Their gift store also has some quirky items that make great gifts.
Finally, the Olson house is a part of the museum although it is a 20 minute drive outside of town. This is the home made famous in the Andrew Wyeth painting "Christina's World."
If you are ever in the Rockland area, The Farnsworth is a must!!
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