Portrait of Lady 1968

Jamie Wyeth’s ‘Portrait of Lady’ renders the body of a sheep with a black head using fine brushstrokes in blended shades of yellow, brown, and black. I love how the sheep emerges out of the darkness, illuminated by a mysterious light behind. Imagine the artist, Jamie Wyeth, patiently layering thin glazes of paint, each stroke adding to the animal's wooly texture. You can almost feel the roughness, the lanolin, the smell of the barnyard! I imagine he might have been thinking about his family—the Wyeths—who painted similar scenes from rural America. The black smudge of the sheep's face is in such stark contrast to its heavy coat, a dark void with those piercing, watchful eyes. It's a little spooky, right? But Wyeth's also conveying something about the animal's quiet dignity, maybe even a touch of melancholy. I get a lot of feeling from this one. 'Portrait of Lady' has a lot in common with other paintings of animals, from Rosa Bonheur to Franz Marc. It speaks to Wyeth's ongoing conversation with painters, past and present, who have found profound beauty and meaning in the natural world.