Monhegan Bell 1978

This is Jamie Wyeth’s, 'Monhegan Bell', and it’s a kind of stage set of iconic American imagery. Look at the way he has laid down a wash of thin paint, like watercolor, so the bell, building and sky seem to be emerging from the whiteness of the page, not entirely defined, and caught in a state of becoming. I think Jamie must have been considering his family’s legacy when he made this painting. The elder Wyeths, N.C. and Andrew, were masters of realism, but here, he has applied a much looser, fluid style, giving the scene a somewhat ephemeral quality. See how the wet-on-wet technique makes edges blend and bleed? The bell dominates the composition, its dark frame forming a bold contrast with the misty blues, grays, and whites. It’s as if the artist is using the image of the bell as a means to ask a question. Is it a symbol of tradition, of labor, or of the sea? I like how Jamie uses the family vocabulary to open the painting to multiple interpretations. What do you think?