Andrew Wyeth's The Blue Door

The Blue Door was painted by American artist Andrew Wyeth on a 29” by 21” piece of watercolor paper. In this painting, he used aquarelle as it currently lies in the Delaware Art Museum along with his other works; Tennant Farmer, Hussey’s House and Arthur Cleveland. The Blue Door was finished in the spring of 1952 and purchased from Wyeth on the 23rd of September the same year. The floor and walls are mainly composed of wooden/ ceramic panels parallel to each other. The surface of each (floor and walls) are implied to have gone though many decades untouched and unfixed as they are rough and dirty. The source of light is evidently the window to the right of the door as it brings light onto parts of the door, walls, floor, basket and bucket. The bucket hangs on the nail attached to the wall between the door and window and there is a basket under the window sitting on a ceramic surface. The blue door is age-weary as it shows signs of peeling and it reflects off the light emanating from the window. Contrast is the easiest principle of design to spot as there is great use of notan in the painting and distinction between the light from the window and the dark room. There are radial and asymmetrical balances in this picture for the floor designs are parallel and repeating thus being symmetrical and there is no part repeated in the general overview of this painting. Wyeth also uses line to draw the viewer’s attention to the door as the lines in the floor, walls, ceiling and windows all point towards the door. Andrew then uses contrast and line to create emphasis on the door for it’s the focal point of the painting. Positive and negative space is created through Wyeth’s outline of the door and its surroundings. In the Blue Door, the paintin...

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...would view life from a mental and spiritual perspective, did he love his profession and how he mastered his painting techniques. The wide range of tints and shades of numerous colors were blended to create the designated appearance, but how did he mix his pallet and create those colors to perfection without doing a mistake, all can be revealed by the master himself?

Works Cited

"Andrew Wyeth." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 03 Nov. 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. .

"Past Exhibitions Andrew Wyeth." Welcome to the Flint Institute of Arts. 8 July 2011. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. .

"€œSomething Waits Beneath Early Work by Andrew Wyeth, 1939- 1969." Delaware Art Museum. Delaware Art Museum, 29 Mar. 2006. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. .