Brandywine River Museum Analysis

Located in a historic Civil War era grist mill by the river, the Brandywine River Museum is home to native artists and much more. Here you can see some of the best American realism painting by Andrew Wyeth, his father N. C. Wyeth who was a renown children 's illustrator, and another family member, Jamie Wyeth.

This collection is home to mostly serene landscapes and lovely still life studies. There are also a number of classic example of American illustration by artists such as Howard Pyle and Maxfield Parrish. These pieces are highlighted with natural light by a clever system of mirrors. The museum sits on a 15 acre lot, surrounded by gardens and natural beauty.

The Approach

One of the first things that I noticed was the impressive gardens

The native trees, shrubs and wild flowers found here are hardy, able to thrive in the poor soils left by the last ice sheet. The floodplain forest includes silver maples, swamp white oak and sycamore. When I was there I was treated to a showy spring explosion of beautiful flowering dogwood. They provided a nice splash of color against a backdrop of growing green leaves.

If you look around the Route 1 bridge you can see what 's left of the 19th century stone mill dam. The mill itself is now the Museum. I enjoyed seeing what was left of the old mill-race. It 's to the far right of the trail.

I really enjoyed the wetlands section. At the observation platform I was able to see lots of different types of birds. My personal favorite was the great blue heron who was delicately fishing for her supper. The snapping turtles were also out. They quite photogenic! I didn 't cross the meadow to visit the John Chads House. That historic home was one of the main inspirations for the paintings and art by the Wyeth Family. Just seeing it whet my appetite for the museum itself.

The Museum 's Wyeth

I really enjoyed the illustration of pirates called Endpaper Illustration Treasure Island. This is a bold yellow and white drawing of scalawags on the march. They look just like you 'd want a pirate to look, with hands full of old guns and long swords. Each man has a jutting chin and an air of menace. This art was originally used in a 1911 version of the book.

The Poetry of Nature

I was lucky enough to see this display of landscape art from the Hudson River School. These paintings are from the golden era of America landscapes, a period stretching from 1818 to 1886. The Hudson River School is also considered to be the first American art movement. The art they created was nation wide. My favorite was titled Morning in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

This peaceful piece features a colorful scene from the Blue Ridge Mountains. Rich greenery grows from nearly every surface. Some colorful mountain bushes are tucked into trees and rocks around a still pond. A golden sun is spilling across this peaceful little valley. Nearly lost are two fishermen, out for an early breakfast. The whole thing is just a marvel of detail.

There was much more to see and do. Lunch, for example! If you are ever in the area or are a lover of real American art, I would recommend dropping by on an