ANDREW WYETH | Cordwood

Private collection, Washington, D.C.
Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Thomas
Church of the Resurrection, New York, circa 1974 (gift of the above)
Acquired by the present owner from the above

New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Two Worlds of Andrew Wyeth: Kuerners and Olsons, October 1976-February 1977, no. 37, p. 189, illustrated

Betsy James Wyeth, Wyeth at Kuerners, Boston, Massachusetts, 1976, p. 196, illustrated

The sheet is hinged to the support on the reverse of the top edge and there is minor mat burn visible along the lower edge. There are some scratches to the sheet that are inherent to the artist's process. There is minor surface cracking in the dark pigments.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Throughout his career Andrew Wyeth maintained a close relationship with his neighbors, particularly Karl Kuerner, who served as a surrogate father to Wyeth after the untimely death of his father N.C. in 1945. The Kuerner Farm, located approximately one mile from the artist's home in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, was the subject of numerous works by the artist over a period of seven decades. In Cordwood, Wyeth depicts recently chopped firewood ready to be stacked inside the shed on the Kuerner Farm. 

This watercolor will be included in Betsy James Wyeth’s forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the artist’s work.