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Lot Essay
In the 1970s, Andrew Wyeth was at a crossroads. After completing almost four hundred works over thirty years, mostly inspired by the Kuerner family, his neighbors in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, he faced an inspirational crisis when the patriarch of the family, Karl, became ill. A new muse entered in the form of Helga Testorf, a 38-year-old German woman helping around the Kuerner home as a nurse. For the following fifteen years, from 1971 to 1985, Wyeth created 240 works featuring Helga. He later confessed, “I was entranced the instant I saw her…Amazingly blond, fit, compassionate. I was totally fascinated by her” (quoted in Andrew Wyeth: Helga on Paper, New York, 2006, p. 12). The extent of the series was only later revealed in August 1986, appearing as headline news on the covers of Time and Newsweek. From contemplative to titillating, the Helga works have captivated audiences ever since with their intense intimacy.
In the Orchard is a wonderful example of Wyeth’s depictions of Helga out in nature. Wyeth said of his great interest in working with Helga outside, “I deliberately did Helga in all times of year and weather: outdoors and indoors. Helga says we lived outdoors—she joked that it was like living with Robin Hood.” (Andrew Wyeth: Helga on Paper, p. 38) Wyeth was interested both in how Helga blended in with her surroundings, as well as how she stood out as an individual. As the artist explained, “If it’s an outdoor person, I feel that his countenance reflects the skies he walks under.” (J. Wilmerding, Andrew Wyeth: The Helga Pictures, New York, 1987, pp. 13-14) Yet, he also described Helga as “such a blaze of sun and light” against the brown and green landscape. (Andrew Wyeth: Helga on Paper, p. 34)
In the Orchard explores Helga’s dichotomous relationship with the landscape. On the one hand, she harmoniously echoes the tree branches surrounding her, dressed in a dark sweater with her golden hair blowing in the breeze. At the same time, her form distinctly stands out against the background, her piercing blue eyes offsetting her sharp profile and palpable personality. The white of the paper, allowed to shine through the hanging leaves to represent the bright sky, creates a glow around her form. As a result, Helga is simultaneously part of the landscape and a fellow outside observer. With its blend of simplicity and intricate detail, In the Orchard eternalizes one of the most fruitful relationships of Wyeth’s career as a lasting image of grounded beauty.
In the Orchard is a wonderful example of Wyeth’s depictions of Helga out in nature. Wyeth said of his great interest in working with Helga outside, “I deliberately did Helga in all times of year and weather: outdoors and indoors. Helga says we lived outdoors—she joked that it was like living with Robin Hood.” (Andrew Wyeth: Helga on Paper, p. 38) Wyeth was interested both in how Helga blended in with her surroundings, as well as how she stood out as an individual. As the artist explained, “If it’s an outdoor person, I feel that his countenance reflects the skies he walks under.” (J. Wilmerding, Andrew Wyeth: The Helga Pictures, New York, 1987, pp. 13-14) Yet, he also described Helga as “such a blaze of sun and light” against the brown and green landscape. (Andrew Wyeth: Helga on Paper, p. 34)
In the Orchard explores Helga’s dichotomous relationship with the landscape. On the one hand, she harmoniously echoes the tree branches surrounding her, dressed in a dark sweater with her golden hair blowing in the breeze. At the same time, her form distinctly stands out against the background, her piercing blue eyes offsetting her sharp profile and palpable personality. The white of the paper, allowed to shine through the hanging leaves to represent the bright sky, creates a glow around her form. As a result, Helga is simultaneously part of the landscape and a fellow outside observer. With its blend of simplicity and intricate detail, In the Orchard eternalizes one of the most fruitful relationships of Wyeth’s career as a lasting image of grounded beauty.