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Past Exhibitions

Past Exhibitions

Jessie Willcox Smith (1863-1935), Little Women, c. 1915, mixed media on illustration board, illustration for Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Boston: Little, Brown & company, 1915, collection of the Brandywine River Museum.

Inspiring Minds: Howard Pyle as Teacher

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As a teacher of illustration from 1894 to 1905, Howard Pyle (1853-1911) inspired the careers of both young and seasoned illustrators. This exhibition examined Pyle’s teaching methods, which honed the skills of Jessie Willcox Smith, Thornton Oakley, Frank Schoonover, N.C....

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Howard Pyle (1853-1911), The Nation Makers, 1903, oil on canvas, Illustration in Collier's Weekly, June 2, 1906, Collection of Brandywine River Museum.

Honoring Howard Pyle: Major Works from the Collections

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The imaginative and fluent work of Howard Pyle (1853-1911) has thrilled readers and inspired generations of artists. This exhibition, drawn from the museum’s collection, presented a selection of vivid paintings and decorative drawings featuring pirates, Arthurian legends, fairy...

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N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945), All day he hung round the cove, or upon the cliffs, with a brass telescope (detail) (1911), oil on canvas, collection of the Brandywine River Museum.

N.C. Wyeth's Treasure Island, Classic Illustrations for a Classic Tale

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The year 2011 was the 100th anniversary of the publication of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island with illustrations by N.C. Wyeth. The famous edition was a critical and popular success, established Wyeth among the period’s foremost illustrators, and became...

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© Jamie Wyeth (born 1946), Basket Hook, c. 1981, combined mediums and drybrush on paper, 19 ½ x 24 ½ inches, collection of Mr. and Mrs. Jamie Wyeth.

Farm Work by Jamie Wyeth

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Farms have long provided rich sources of imagery for Jamie Wyeth. This exhibition surveyed five decades of his lively depictions of farm animals, equipment and the surrounding landscape. Wyeth’s depictions of farm work and life combine his wit, artistry and sense of...

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Barry Moser (b. 1940), Self Portrait with Burin (2nd State) (ca. 1987), wood engraving on paper, 10 ¼ x 8 ¼ inches, collection of the Brandywine River Museum, Gift of Justin Schiller, 1989.

Barry Moser: Bookwright

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This exhibition featured the work of Barry Moser, the illustrator and bookwright whose limited editions and trade books transcend the ordinary, propelling each volume from a diversion into a fine work of art in its own right. Moser has illustrated and/or designed more than 300...

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Bird whistle, John Dry (or Drey), Dryville Pottery, Berks County, Pennsylvania, 1809. Signed “John / Drey / 1809.” Winterthur, bequest of Henry Francis du Pont. Photo: Jim Schneck

Seeing Red: Southeastern Pennsylvania Earthenware from Winterthur

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During the 18th and 19th centuries, red earthenware was omnipresent in the homes of southeastern Pennsylvania residents. It was supplied by both Pennsylvania German potters and regional craftsmen from other backgrounds. Although luxury items like whistles and inkstands were available,...

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N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945), War (1914), oil on canvas, illustration for War, by John Luther Long, published by Bobbs-Merrill Company, private collection

Romance in Conflict: N.C. Wyeth's Civil War Paintings

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Throughout his career, N.C. Wyeth was commissioned to paint Civil War subjects as illustrations, murals and even calendar pictures. Despite their different uses, these images presented the war-battles, soldiers and civilians-in a romantic, heroic manner which reflected a national...

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Royal Lacey Scoville (ca. 1871- 1938), Untitled (ca. 1915), water- color and ink on illustration board, Collection of the Brandywine River Museum, gift of Jonathan Godfrey Wells, III, and Peter Scoville Wells, Sr., 2005.

The Imaginary Beasts of Royal Lacey Scoville

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This special exhibition presented 38 whimsical watercolors that form an original narrative written and illustrated by Royal Lacey Scoville for his daughter Eleanore. Based on the style of Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll, and Peter Newell, Scoville tells the story of the Lazy Tom...

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Robert C. Jackson: Target the Artist, 2009 Oil on linen, 40 x 30 inches. Collection of the artist

Reality Check: Contemporary American Trompe l'Oeil

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The Brandywine River Museum of Art's collection includes numerous examples of the realist tradition known as "trompe l'oeil." A French term meaning "to fool the eye," trompe l'oeil applies to art that cleverly fools viewers into thinking they are looking at actual objects rather than...

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