Тема / Топик по английскому языку:
Andrew Wyeth

Andrew Wyeth, one of the prominent living American painters, was born in 1917. The son of illustrator N.C. Wyeth, Andrew is the leading member of the dynasty of painters that includes his sisters, their husbands and his own two sons. He won fame at the age of 12 for his illustrations of «Robin Hood». He was 20 years old when he first exhibited his paintings.

Andrew studied with his father and was strongly influenced by him. His father’s style of illustration expresses sentimentality and strives for absolute reality. But very early the young artist gravitated away from his teacher. Wyett’s style is both precise and minute in detail; he is a realist influenced by photography.

He painted portraits, landscapes, seascapes and domestic scenery. His favourite media are tempera and water-colour. Wyeth’s works are easily recognized by dimly lit and deserted landscapes in tones of grey and brown, which convey feelings of loneliness and solitude. One of the keys to his works is that he creates mysteries that need resolution.

This is apparent in many of his works, such as «Inland Shell» or «Christina’s World». In «Inland Shell» he painted a shell above the leafy forest floor. The contrast between the bright shell and the dark surroundings is stark. How the shell arrived in the forest or why it is there he doesn’t explain.

Topical Vocabulary

- a prominent living painter
выдающийся современный художник
an illustrator
иллюстратор
the dynasty of painters
династия художников
to win fame
завоевать популярность
to exhibit one’s paintings
выставлять свои картины
- to be strongly influenced by smb.
быть под сильным влиянием кого-либо
to express sentimentality
выражать сентиментальность
to strive for absolute reality
стремиться к абсолютной правдоподобности
to gravitate away from smth.
отойти от чего-либо
style
стиль
precise and minute in detail
точный и четкий в деталях
a realist
реалист
- to paint a portrait
написать портрет
a landscape
пейзаж
a seascape
морской пейзаж
domestic scenery
интерьер, домашние сцены
favourite media
любимые средства выражения
tempera
темпера
water-colour
акварель
in tones of grey and brown
в серо-коричневых тонах
to convey feelings of loneliness and solitude
передавать чувства одиночества и уединенности
to create mysteries that need resolution
создавать тайны, требующие разгадки

Answer the questions:

  1. What kind of family did Andrew Wyeth come from?
  2. When did he win fame?
  3. What was Wyeth’s style in his early work?
  4. What kind of style did he develop later?
  5. What were his favourite media?
  6. What are his landscapes easily recognized by?

Translate into English:

  1. Эндрю Вайет завоевал популярность, когда ему было 12 лет; в 20 лет он впервые выставил свои картины.
  2. Эндрю Вайет входит в династию художников.
  3. На стиль Эндрю Вайета большое влияние оказал его отец.
  4. Молодой художник создал свой реалистический стиль, точный в деталях.
  5. Его стиль сформировался под влиянием фотографии.
  6. Вайет писал пейзажи в серо-коричневых тонах.
  7. Его картины передают чувство одиночества.
  8. Его картины - это тайны, нуждающиеся в разгадке.