Andrew Wyeth: Looking Out, Looking In

 I found the National Gallery of Art exhibition Andrew Wyeth: Looking Out, Looking In to be haunting and breathtaking. These paintings focused on windows, with "The Wind from the Sea" as its centerpiece, depict bleak and austere interiors and landscapes. The paintings are so precise, and delicate, and the images convey such a sense of isolation. In spite of the lovely light throughout these works, there is an emotional darkness.

For some reason I had dismissed Wyeth in my youth. I'm not sure why. Perhaps I thought he was dry, irrelevant, and dated. I'm not sure. But these paintings, particularly taken as a whole, are beautifully powerful.