N.C. Wyeth, “Imagination.”  brandywine.doetech.net/Detlobjps.cfm?ObjectID=1531102&amp… 

            In the many days ago, young people–especially boys–didn’t like to read any more than they do today.  People (parents, teachers, librarians, writers, and publishers) who wanted young people to grow up to be readers snapped up books that they thought kids would actually want to read.  (Fortunately, this awful idea has now been rejected.) 

In general, these people unquestioningly accepted traditional stereotypes about gender roles and characteristics.  Boys were supposed to be adventurous, physically active, self-reliant, brave, and dirty.  As a result, they glommed on to authors who wrote about adventurous boys and young-men in dramatic situations.  They also sought to make these stories even more appealing by peppering the books with vivid illustrations.  Basically, this strategy worked like a dream.  The books engaged kids as life-long readers even after they had matured to the point where they didn’t want to be pirates anymore.  Probably some of them didn’t entirely grow up and went out in search of adventure.  It’s just my opinion, but I don’t see the harm in either one. 

            What is good and what is bad about these stories and illustrations? 

            First, many of these stories, and therefore many of the illustrations, were set in the past.  From my selfish perspective, they’re great because they make people see the past (i.e. History) as really interesting dramas involving real human beings.  This is way better than the kind of guff that appears in most school and college textbooks.  “Bore the balls off a pool table,” as one colleague said. 

Second, they make people want to read.  Reading is essential to all higher-order thinking.  It’s also the source of immense pleasure.  This gives it the bulge on playing video-games. 

On the other hand, these books were directed at white kids.  They don’t show much interest in promoting tolerance for diversity or sensitivity to emotional distress.  Nor are they concerned with contemporary urban problems and all the barriers to success raised up by society.  They tend to take the more simple-minded position that Evil exists, that Courage is required to confront it, that Ambition is a good thing and that the Individual is responsible for his or her fate.  So, they aren’t much in tune with modern opinion. 

Still, they are interesting artifacts of a bygone time.  As such, they can be examined for what messages they convey.  What you find below is not great art.  (Although, to be fair, Vincent Van Gogh said that Pyle’s pictures “struck me dumb with admiration.”)  It is powerful illustration of books and magazine stories.    

Howard Pyle (1853-1911) was born in Wilmington, taught at Drexel, and then set up his own art school in the Brandywine Valley.  He became a popular illustrator of stories about historical subjects.  His influence can still be felt.  For example, no one knew how pirates actually dressed.  Pyle made that up for his pictures.  Hollywood costume designers then just borrowed the “Pyle look” when making movies about pirates.  Compare some of Pyle’s pictures with Errol Flynn movies from the 1930s, or Captain Hook in the animated movies, or Johnny Depp’s “Jack Sparrow” and you will see what I mean. 

Pyle’s greatest student was N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945).  Wyeth was born in Massachusetts, but moved down to the Brandywine to study with Pyle.  He never left.  He’s the ancestor of all the other Wyeth artists whose work can be seen at the Brandywine River Art Museum.  (NB: see my colleague’s comment above.)