31.75 x 40 in (80.6 x 101.6 cm) including frame
Jamie Wyeth represents the third generation of an American artistic dynasty that includes his grandfather, illustrator N.C. Wyeth, and his father, painter Andrew Wyeth. Leaving formal schooling early to study anatomy and technique under his aunt Carolyn Wyeth and his father in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, Wyeth established an independent studio practice at an early age. While inheriting the family’s commitment to realist observation and local subject matter, his work diverges through tactile paint handling, unconventional cropping, and a focused engagement with rural objects and farm animals.
Executed in 1980, Pail Fence isolates a weathered split-rail fence running horizontally across the pictorial space, punctuated by a central vertical post capped with an inverted metal bucket. A low, raking light casts dark horizontal shadows across the foreground, while the hillside beyond slopes upward into deep brown and scrubby hillside foliage. Rather than treating the scene as a broad pastoral panorama, Wyeth confines the composition to a tight, frontal view, transforming a commonplace farmyard fixture into a stark geometric arrangement of wood, weathered metal, and shadow.
Working in watercolour, Wyeth demonstrates technical precision in rendering the tactile qualities of aged materials. He employs a warm, restrained palette dominated by ochres, raw umbers, and sepia tones, accented by the cool, weathered grey of the galvanized pail. Through varied techniques—including direct washes, drybrush application, and the scraping of the paper surface to expose highlights along the fence rails—Wyeth records the grain of the split wood, the uneven ground, and the crisp contrast between direct sunlight and shadow.
Frank E. Fowler, Tenneessee, USA;
Art Emporium, Vancouver;
Private Collection, Winnipeg
Major Fall Fine Art Auction
November 12 - December 3, 2026
661 Wall St, Winnipeg MB
(204) 255-5690
mayberryfineart.com
[email protected]
Contact us to make an appointment to preview this item or to sell similar works.
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Bidding Range
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Increment
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|---|---|
| $0.00 - $50.00 | $1.00 |
| $50.00 - $100.00 | $5.00 |
| $100.00 - $500.00 | $10.00 |
| $500.00 - $1,000.00 | $25.00 |
| $1,000.00 - $2,500.00 | $50.00 |
| $2,500.00 - $10,000.00 | $100.00 |
| $10,000.00 - $20,000.00 | $200.00 |
| $20,000.00 - $50,000.00 | $500.00 |
| $50,000.00 - $100,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| $100,000.00 - $300,000.00 | $5,000.00 |
| $300,000.00 - $1,000,000.00 | $10,000.00 |
| $1,000,000.00 - $2,000,000.00 | $25,000.00 |
| $2,000,000.00+ | $50,000.00 |
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