Fallen 1975

Jamie Wyeth’s painting, *Fallen*, shows a close-up view of a fallen tree rendered with delicate brushstrokes. I’m wondering if he was trying to capture a specific moment, like the instant right after the fall? The way the tree is painted, it's almost like a portrait of a body. See how the broken roots reach up like limbs? It makes me think of the artist lying on the forest floor, maybe for hours, observing the patterns of light and shadow. The neutral tones against the stark white of the tree trunk create such a sharp contrast, it feels like a metaphor for life and death, or decay and rebirth. Painters like Wyeth and Fairfield Porter taught us how to see the extraordinary in the ordinary, capturing everyday moments with such beauty and vulnerability. It’s a testament to how artists across generations continue to find inspiration in the world around them.