‘On the ridge where great artist moves forward, every step is an adventure, an extreme risk. In that risk however and only there, lays the freedom of Art’. Albert Camus
There are artworks that you would look at it and feel unsettled; you would look at it and wonder about its meaning, and something in you would be moved, without you knowing why.
Andrew Wyeth, ‘Christina’s World’, 1948, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
And this was exactly how I felt, while I was first introduced to the thrilling art of American realist painter, Andrew Wyeth. It was the discussion that I had with the talented poet living in Maine, US about the iconic painting called ‘Christina’s World’ (MET), that lead me to the exceptional collection by the same author, known as ‘The Helga Pictures’.
The series of paintings that I discovered few months ago caused certain restlessness in my mind – a feeling that kept me awake at night. While I was looking at the artworks again this week – there was a song by Matt Simon on the radio, that made me grasp the obvious:
‘There’s a place I go to
Where no one knows me
It’s not lonely
It’s a necessary thing’
Andrew Wyeth, ‘Her Room’, 1982
Andrew Wyeth, ‘The Wind From The Sea’, 1947
Now, let’s think of a place that puts everything else aside, a place that once found, shall never be abandoned. A place that we choose to stay in, as it feels like the only place on earth that where we could truly be ourselves.
Andrew Wyeth, ‘Day Dream’, 1980
I think you’ve might already have noticed that Whyeth’s art has the ability to bring one to that kind of place. ‘Helga Pictures’ are the provocative bridge leading to the exclusive world created and reserved just for two. There is an American poet, Red Shuttleworth, that in his poem ‘Happy Birthday Andrew Wyeth’ beautifully described the ‘electricity’ and highest intimacy between the artist and his blonde muse:
‘Borrowed attic, autumnal field: Helga comes
thirsty… drinks plain iced tea from your cup.
You speak of distant stars or newspaper
delivery boys… only Helga on the bed knows,
turning over and over, droplets of sweat
dampening an off-white Montgomery Wards
cotton sheet. Her secret. Your secret.’
You might be wondering now why are those paintings so intoxicating, misterious and moving? The truth is that only looking deeply into the relationship of the painter could explain all that remains invisible at first glance.
Andrew Wyeth, ‘Self Portrait’, 1949
While gathering information about Wyeth, I was especially interested in revealing the artists ‘secret weapon’ that pierces the onlooker heart with an ache of longing and recognition.
The beauty of Helga portraits lies in the harmony and exceptional trust that was there between the artist and his muse. Wyeth celebrated quietly being in Helga’s presence, watching her breathe, sit, sleep, exist. The ‘dazzling Prussian girl’, as the painter used to call his muse, regularly ‘barricaded herself’ in the secondary reality that was accessible only for her and the inspired artist. Place that felt like asylum and ‘run away’ from all that’s ordinary, usual and deprived of magic.
Astonishingly enough, the artist has never really intended to show his works publicly. This is what he confirmed during the only interview ‘on Helga Matter’ that he has ever had:
‘My intention was to keep ‘em hidden away until I died’, he says, ‘Then they could be revealed’.
Andrew Wyeth, ‘Braids’, 1979
Andrew Wyeth, ‘Crown Of Flowers’, 1974
In fact, over the span of 15 Wyeth created 240 artworks keeping it all secret and away from the public eye. As I learned from a little book written by Thomas Hoving, a former director of Metropolitan Museum of Art – the only person who has ever interviewed the artist on his controversial ‘artistic process’, Wyeth, believed that he could never have finished ‘The Helga Pictures’ without the public peering over his shoulder. Therefore, he did not reveal their existence to anyone, not even his wife, until the series was completed.
In my opinion Andrew Wyeth was a kind of artist who created either while in love, or did not create all. There was no other force on earth that could make him paint a masterpiece without having the heart engaged in the process. Similarly to Picasso – Wyeth couldn’t run away from the influence of Eros on his life.
Andrew Wyeth, ‘Night Shadow’, 1979
‘Wild blonde hair, most often in pigtails,
no silly grins, her full breasts, farm-fit body
summer-moist… she lets you,
roughly-handedly, at-first,
position her for the immortality
of sugar-loaded light.’
As the artist he explained during the interview with Hoving:
‘I knew right away that I wanted this relationship- if it worked- to be a secret. Because I didn’t want anyone to know that I have fallen deeply in love. (…) ‘The difference between me and a lot of painters is that I have to have a personal contact with my models. I don’t mean a sexual love, I mean real love. Many artists tell me they don’t even recall the names of their models. I have to fall in love with mine – hell, I do much the same with tree or a dog. I have to become enamored. Smitten. That’s what happened when I saw Helga walking up the Kuerner’s lane. She was this amazing, crushing blonde.’
Andrew Wyeth, ‘Seabed’, 1980
Helga, on the other hand, turned out to be the this persistent, restless and most patient model that any artist could dream of. She understood the importance of her role, was discreet, deeply engaged with her whole being in the process of creation.
When I thought about the circumstances in which the exceptional artworks were painted- I can almost see how Andrew kissed Helga when she entered his house in the evenings. How they sat down, how everything fell into place. I can almost hear Andrew’s words before getting down to work on their first painting, how he pressed his lips together on a smile, feeling the happiness and excitement rise within him, stronger than the fear.
With every new painting – the affection was growing – the feeling was deeper.
‘I don’t know who I am anymore, except with you’ – must have been Andrews words while talking to Helga, or ‘To love is to be alive. In death there is none of this.’
No doubt, there was obsession and deep need to be loved in return between the two lost souls. There was also sadness and loneliness by every ‘goodbye’ that Andrew recalled during the interview – there was this ‘catching and releasing’ that went on till the end of Wyeth’s life.
When the artist wife was asked what she thought of the relationship of her husband with the model, she replied, “All I see is love.”
Andrew Wyeth, ‘Lovers’, 1981
There was also this rare, unique ‘mutual understanding’ that only real soulmates could achieve, something that made it all work:
‘If I’d see a good pose, something that enthralled me, I’d say “Stay there.”. And she would- for hours.(…) ‘I deliberately did Helga in all times of the year and weather. Outdoors and indoors. Helga says we lived outdoors – she joked that it was like living with Robin Hood’.
Andrew Wyeth, ‘Refugee’, 1985
Andrew Wyeth, ‘Cape Coat’, 1982
According to the artist – Helga Testorf was the only viewer and curator of Wyeths paintings for 15 years, before ‘the word got out and all hell broke loose.’
I found it truly fascinating to get an insight into the artist’s explanation how he felt about the entire collection:
‘Hey, they weren’t paintings to me, but attempts to discover something about this lady. They were a complex, mental process. The heart of Helga series was that I was trying to unlock my emotions in capturing her essence, in getting her humanity down onto a panel or two. The medium didn’t matter. I didn’t care if they were drawings, watercolors, drybrush hers, temperas. I didn’t sign them until they were all completed because that wasn’t what I was interested in.’
The interview by Howing that I’ve read made me realize that it was Helgas kindness, intelligence, her gentle heart and deep sympathy for Wyeth encouraged the artist to carry on, to set his spirit free:
‘When I saw she wasn’t nervous any longer, I asked if I could make drawings of her without her blouse. She didn’t mind at all’
When you look at many paintings from the collection you could see how comfortable Helga felt with the role of a model. The peace and harmony that emanate from the paintings are moving and so convincing, even though we know she had to be a part of two worlds.
The highly insightful, sensitive ‘The Helga Pictures’ are considered Andre Wyeth’s most remarkable achievement. Those artworks create a testimony of trust, love and real intimacy between artist and his muse. The secret beauty of those artworks may lay in the deep affectionate feeling, masterfully translated it into a universal, visual language of art.
The collection is not only a fascinating journey into the painters heart and soul and his secret life. It is also a proof that – both for the creators and the admirers, the art could become the greatest escape. The daring adventure, ‘the necessary thing’, the place where anything is possible and where, just like in the song, ‘one could reveal life’s mystery.’
Andrew Wyeth, ‘Sleep, Study’
9 August 2016 at 16:55
I think telling Andrew and Helga’s story is amazing and will evoke emotions in every single person that reads it and it will help them to discover or ponder their own secret place where they experience and can express their love freely and yet obliviously to the outside world.
I absolutely love it. I think you “did it again”, you created another masterpiece by , exposing and revealing to us,this magical place that is deep in our hearts and embedded in the most secret and treasured place in our soul, a place where we all live, but known only to us and not everybody around us. .A place where we go to feel and imagine the purest of love , where we feel free to express with the full force of our emotions. yet completely without the knowledge of the outside world. For me , I go there when I play certain songs on the organ that are arranged and played solely for my love, I imagine that love as I play and the emotions of that love come out in my fingers on the key board. People hear the music as I play it, but have no idea of the force within me that is creating it.
Sometimes my secret place is my imagination where anything is possible and I can imagine beautiful places as well as beautiful emotionally charged events and feel and express those wondrous feelings and thoughts of love.
This is truly an amazing work that relates to so many people. You did a fantastic job, I am completely blown away with your ability to express some of the deepest,most private thoughts and desires that most people have and feel.You have an exceptional ability for understanding the workings of our minds relating to the strongest feelings and emotions of all. those of love.
The layout and use of photos is perfect. The content is brilliant and your ability to lay it out for universal understanding by all who read it is an art that,in my opinion, only you in this world could do so brilliantly and beautifully:)
Great job, I absolutely love it!!!
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9 August 2016 at 17:00
Thank you kindly dear John for this beautiful comment – I am pleased to hear that you enjoyed reading my post so much. Have a beautiful rest of the day.
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9 August 2016 at 18:15
Reblogged this on Richard M. Ankers and commented:
If anyone would like to try something a bit different, extremely fascinating and beautifully revealed, I would suggest taking a look at Anna’s wonderful blog.
Thank you
Richard
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9 August 2016 at 18:16
I hope you don’t mind, Anna, but I’ve just reblogged this. I always know what to write, but never what to say ( the reason I rarely comment) so hoped this might help.
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9 August 2016 at 21:20
Thank you Richard for reblogging my post, I am honoured and flattered – but most of all, very happy you decided to share my recent ‘story on Secret Portraits of a Secret Muse’ with the readers of your blog. I know what you mean about commenting the blogs that you like – I can never find the right words that would ‘do the justice’ to the wonderful writing of somebody who has put his all heart and soul into the piece of literature. Keep on being this amazing writer – writing is the air we breathe and the sun that enlightens our days.
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10 August 2016 at 07:20
A beautiful story and wonderful example of the hidden artistic life. KP
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26 August 2016 at 07:26
Anna, Thank You for the wonderful blog post about Andrew Wyeth and The Helga Pictures. I can’t wait to share it with Helga and see her response. Was wonderful also seeing other people’s responses to your insights about Andy and Helga and the artist/ muse relationship.
2016 marks the 30th Anniversary of the official release of the Helga Paintings and even though some museums this year showed some Wyeth/Helga images together, they missed the anniversary connection.
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26 August 2016 at 07:41
Anna, Thank You for the wonderful blog post about Andrew Wyeth and The Helga Pictures. I can’t wait to share it with Helga and see her response. Was wonderful also seeing other people’s responses to your insights about Andy and Helga and the artist/ muse relationship.
2016 marks the 30th Anniversary of the official release of the Helga Paintings and even though some museums this year showed some Wyeth/Helga images together, they missed the anniversary connection.
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3 October 2016 at 00:38
Reblogged this on Greek Canadian Literature.
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12 March 2017 at 00:33
I love it so much Anna that I am now researching the three generations of the Wyeth artists.
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30 August 2018 at 10:39
A ‘tour de force’ for sure Anna. You’ve informed the reader of the facts and peeled back a corner of the veil, thus encouraging them to seek more. The artist’s muse is a special relationship at times, yet as you’ve so revealed, in Wyeth’s case the bond was love in its most complex and pure form. Without an artist’s ability to ‘see’ rather than just ‘look’, it will be difficult to imagine this relationship without physical intimacy, maybe there was, we’ll never know but like you , I doubt it. I see a joining of two people under unusual circumstances that grew to such intensity that any physical union would have been a lesser experience and may well of destroyed that which was. Wyeth was clearly a man of high emotional intelligence who ‘felt’ the world that others lived in.
‘The wind from the sea’ is my favourite painting, I am lost to reality the moment I start to ‘see’ this piece.
Nigel
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31 August 2018 at 22:24
Thank you very much, Nigel, for this very extensive and ‘poetical’ comment – I wish Andrew Wyeth was still alive and could read all of it – I am sure he’d be deeply touched by your words – as in fact, for many years both him and Helga were ‘criticised’ and even libelled for having their ‘secret relationship’ and hiding it from the world – while in fact what they did was the only way to allow the Art that was there in their hearts and heads to ‘become reality’ – they simply had to protect something that was larger than their own life – when I wrote the title ‘Art Is A Daring Adventure Or Nothing At All’ – I wanted to pay tribute not only to Andrew Wyeth and His Muse Helga – but to ALL painters, photographers, writers and all other creative souls that ‘in the process’ have to sacrifice many important things, things that have to stay away from the spotlight – as the world would not understand them anyway. We all need our ‘escape’ no matter what that is – a place where ‘nobody knows us, a place that is a necessary thing’ – I am sure you visit that place very often – as this is where the voice of creation can be properly heard and understood. Maybe ‘The wind from the sea’ represents exactly that secret place…It’s a guess, but something is telling me I might be right. Wishing you a blessed weekend Nigel & hope to read more of your posts soon.
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