Winter 1946, 1946

Almost two years into a global pandemic, it is almost impossible not to see loss everywhere around us. I think we tend to avoid recognizing loss, big and small. Sometimes, the loss is too great, too big that we can’t ignore it. It is easy to get enveloped by the pain and grief. I find some artists use their artwork to work through this pain. How might we use creativity to heal? It is not a new idea, some examples are here and here. This painting by Andrew Wyeth called “Winter 1946” strikes me as particular picture on loss. Many of his landscapes feature solidarity figures. According to Wyeth, he worked on the painting for the whole winter of 1946. It was the first tempera painting he made after the death of his father, N. C. Wyeth, who was hit by a train. It is thought, this main character is the boy who found the vehicle and bodies after the train passed. It makes me think of Stand by Me, the quest to visualize loss. What might represent loss in your life? Yet, we do not get that information by just looking at the image. We get the boy, his shadow, and a cold landscape. I find the picture disconcerting. I am not quite sure why I am drawn to it, but Wyeth’s work has a way of creating an attractive mystery.According to Wyeth himself, he said of this painting: "It was me, at a loss—that hand drifting in the air was my free soul, groping." Wyeth said he regretted that he never had painted his father's portrait, but that "the hill finally became a portrait of him.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gregorymeander.substack.com