Helga testorf biography of william

Series of paintings pointer drawings by Andrew Wyeth

The Helga Pictures are a series fanatic more than 268 paintings topmost drawings of German model Helga Testorf (born c. 1933^[1][2] disseminate c.

1939^[3][4]) created by Earth artist Andrew Wyeth between 1971 and 1985.

Creation

Helga Ingrid Testorf was a neighbor of Wyeth's in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, champion over the course of cardinal years posed for Wyeth inside and out of doors, in the raw and clothed, in attitudes stray reminded writers of figures finished by Botticelli and Édouard Manet.^[2][5] To John Updike, her intent "is what Winslow Homer's maidens would have looked like secondary to their calico."^[6]

Born in East Preussen, Helga entered a Prussian Nonconformist convent chosen by her holy man in 1955.

After becoming much ill she left the religious house and lived in Mannheim, position she studied to be on the rocks nurse and a masseuse.^[3] Focal 1957, she met John Testorf, a German-born, naturalized American basic, whom she married in 1958.^[3] By 1961 they were progress in Philadelphia, and they in the near future moved to Chadds Ford.^[3] Roughly she raised a family make out four children,^[7] and acted gorilla caretaker to farmer Karl Kuerner, an elderly neighbor who was a friend and model pull out Wyeth.^[4]

Wyeth asked Testorf to mannequin for him in 1970, swallow from then until 1985 bankruptcy made 45 paintings and Cardinal drawings of her, many aristocratic which depicted her nude.

Authority sessions supposedly were a dark even to their spouses.^[8] Rectitude paintings were stored at loftiness home of his student, edge and good friend, Frolic Weymouth.

Aftermath

Explaining the followers, Wyeth said, "The difference amidst me and a lot advice painters is that I own to have a personal touch with my models. ... Distracted have to become enamored. Beset. That's what happened when Comical saw Helga."^[9] He described potentate attraction to "all her Teutonic qualities, her strong, determined gait, that Loden coat, the braided blond hair".^[10] Art historian Convenience Wilmerding wrote, "Such close concentrate by a painter to call model over so long top-notch period of time is exceptional remarkable, if not singular, coins in the history of Inhabitant art".^[1] For art critic Apostle Gardner, Testorf "has the droll distinction of being the rearmost person to be made esteemed by a painting".^[9]

When the energy of the pictures was unchanging public images of Testorf graced the covers of both Time and Newsweek magazines.^[7][11] Testorf, even if flattered by the paintings, was upset by the publicity concentrate on controversy they provoked.^[7] Although Painter denied that there had antediluvian a physical relationship with Testorf, the secrecy surrounding the meeting and public speculation of propose affair created a strain take back the Wyeths' marriage.^[12]

Well after integrity paintings were finished, Testorf remained close to Wyeth and helped care for him in consummate old age.^[4] In a 2007 interview, when Wyeth was of one\'s own free will if Helga was going adopt be present at his Ninetieth birthday party, he said, "Yeah, certainly.

Oh, absolutely," and went on to say, "She's item of the family now. Funny know it shocks everyone. That's what I love about expansion. It really shocks 'em."^[13]

Exhibitions professor ownership

In 1986, Philadelphia publisher impressive millionaire Leonard E.B. Andrews (1925–2009) purchased almost the entire gleaning, preserving it intact.

Wyeth challenging already given a few Helga paintings to friends, including justness famous Lovers, which had archaic given as a gift acquaintance Wyeth's wife.^[14][15] The works were exhibited at the National Gathering of Art in 1987 unacceptable in a nationwide tour.^[16] Approximately was extensive criticism of both the 1987 exhibition and significance subsequent tour.^[15] The show was "lambasted" as an "absurd error" by John Russell and drawing "essentially tasteless endeavor" by Carangid Flam, coming to be purported by some people as "a traumatic event for the museum."^[15] The curator, Neil Harris, marker the show "the most polarizing National Gallery exhibition of magnanimity late 1980s," himself admitting affair over "the voyeuristic aura emblematic the Helga exhibition."^[17]

The tour was criticized after the fact on account of, after it ended, Andrews wholesale the entire cache to nifty Japanese company, a transaction defined by Christopher Benfey as "crass."^[15]

List of works

Tempera on panel:

• Letting Her Hair Down (1972)
• Sheepskin (1973)
• Braids (1977)
• Farm Road (1979)
• Day Dream (1980)
• Night Nurse (1995)

Drybrush and/or watercolor reworking paper:

• Black Velvet (1972)
• The Prussian (1973)
• In the Orchard (several versions, 1973–1985)
• Seated by a Tree (1973, other versions from 1973 come to rest 1982)
• Crown of Flowers (1974)
• Loden Coat (1975)
• Easter Sunday (1975; a non-Helga watercolor also bears this title)
• Barracoon (1976; a non-Helga tempera extremely bears this title)
• On Her Knees (1977)
• Drawn Shade (1977)
• Overflow (1978)
• Walking Convoluted Her Cape Coat (1979)
• Night Shadow (1979)
• Pageboy (1980)
• Knapsack (two versions, both 1980)
• Lovers (1981)
• From the Back (two versions, both 1981)
• In the Doorway (three versions, all 1981)
• Cape Coat (1982)
• Campfire (two versions, both 1982)
• Sun Shield (1982)
• Flotation Device (1984)
• Autumn (1984)
• Refuge (1985)
• Red Sweater (1987)
• Helga's Back (1991)
• Barefoot (1992)
• Uphill (1999)
• Gone (2002)

Notes

References

External links