Andrew Wyeth was one of the best-known painters of the 20th century and sometimes referred to as the "Painter of the People" due to his popularity with the American public. Wyeth died in his sleep early Friday at age 91 in Chadds Ford, Pa.
Until the other Andy came along, Andy Warhol that is, Wyeth and Norman Rockwell were without doubt the two most widely recognized names in American art. Wyeth's museum shows were blockbusters and his sale prices strong, especially after the Japanese discovered him in the 1980s.

During his career, Wyeth gained acclaim for his realistic paintings most of which inspired by the coast of Maine because while Wyeth lived in Pennsylvania he spent all of his summers on the coast of Maine. He was deeply connected to the state.

Known for his sketchy, dry, goldenrod-and-ochre-colored scenes of working farms, rundown sawmills, nature studies, working people, military garb, and rustic interiors (he was very good at depicting peeling paint and rotting wood). Wyeth, who was the son of the well-known illustrator N.C. Wyeth, is responsible for one of the most recognized and beloved American paintings of the early twentieth century, “Christina’s World.”

Wyeth was often referenced by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz (a longtime admirer) in the comic strip “Peanuts.” In one strip the character Snoopy was presented with a bill for "psychiatric help" 20 cents and states "I refuse to sell my Andrew Wyeth". In another strip, Snoopy's prized Van Gogh painting is burned in a fire, and he replaces it with an Andrew Wyeth.

Back in 2007, President Bush awarded Wyeth the National Medal of Arts for his work of complex beauty and psychological depth and for giving the world an extraordinary and unique artistic legacy.