EXTRACTS: Illustrators issue 23 © 2018 The Book Palace (96 PAGES in Full edition)

40 fan of cars, which he thought were a passing trend, and would have much rather preferred living in the country- side, which he did for most of his life, and being a farmer instead of an artist. Nonetheless, that would never have given us the opportunity to see some of the most stunning pictures that would influence countless other artists. Like Gustave Doré (maybe the best illustrator of the 19th century), Wyeth would rather have been remembered as a painter, but like Doré, was better known as an illustrator; maybe both being the best illustrators from their respective centuries. As previously mentioned, Wyeth worked mainly in oils, sketching the drawing directly onto the canvas before painting over it. He always worked wearing knickerbocker trousers and tennis shoes, and usually smoked a pipe while painting. If pressed, he could accomplish a painting in under three days, and throughout his career, aside from illustrations, also did murals, and landscape paintings. Ever the country boy, like his mother he preferred the rural life to living in the city.Three of his five childrenwere also artists — Andy became the renowned painter, one of his daughters became a concert pianist, and his eldest son Nathaniel was the inventor of the manufacturing process that produces plastic bottles for soft drinks and mineral waters, a method used all over the world. The Wyeth artists continued into a third generation with one of Andy’s sons, Jamie. l l Further information can be found in David Michaelis’ excellent biography of N. C. Wyeth. Text continued from page 35 TOP: Santa , oil on canvas, ca. 1932. Cover illustration in colour for ‘A Christmas Bulletin of the Best Books of 1932’ (New York: The Baker & Taylor Company, 1932). ABOVE: Wyeth in a profile pose, ca. 1920. Photographer unknown.