We needed to buy the Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport at one of the stops and we had some time before we could check in. My friend Carole’s colleague suggested we check out the Brandywine River Museum of Art. Brilliant!
Our entrance fee was part of the Passport, but I also would have entered for free because I am a member of the Crocker Art Museum with a North American Reciprocal sticker. Plus I received the member’s discount at the gift shop.
The building is adapted from a historic mill on the Brandywine River. The stairwell and elevator are in the round tower and it was surrounded by large floor to ceiling windows. There are three floors of galleries.
We went to the 3rd floor first because I was anxious to view the special exhibit, “Get the Picture: Contemporary Children’s Book Illustration.” It was wonderful. I am fairy book godmother to several children because reading is fundamental to a child’s creativity and success. And because it is delightful to read children’s books. I discovered several new books including my new favorite: The Boss Baby by Maria Frazee.
There are three generations of Wyeths featured in the museum. NC Wyeth is the patriarch. He was an accomplished painter and illustrator. You may have seen his illustrations of Treasure Island. His sister was also talented. Then his son and daughters were talented and his son-in-laws also painters. His son Andrew Wyeth has a gallery too. His paintings are also in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other high profile galleries. His son Jaime Wyeth is also featured with his many portraits, children’s book illustrations and other paintings.
Our admission is good for 2 days so we are hoping to go back tomorrow for the tour of NC Wyeth’s home and studio. It will cost an extra $8 but it seems like a bargain to us.
I bought some children’s books at the gift shop, plus postcards. There was good selection of a beautiful variety of books, cards and posters. There is also a cafe but we didn’t get a chance to try it.
I don’t think you have to be an art aficionado to enjoy this museum. The setting is beautiful and galleries full of mostly landscapes and other appealing pictures. Check it out when you are near Wilmington, Delaware.
Next day: we went back to the museum and bought the ticket for the tour of NC Wyeth’s home and studio. We boarded the shuttle bus with one other person and rode to the family home within a few miles of the museum. The docent met us at the drive and gave a very informative tour of the home. Then we reboarded the bus to drive up the hill to NC’s studio. Wow. If I were a painter I’d have serious studio envy. The north facing windows were conducive to painting. There was a room for props, a main studio for illustrations, still lifes and portraits, then you step into the studio designed for painting huge murals. Impressive.
americanjulie.com 
Ironic….I happened to see a NC Wyeth illustrative painting on the Antique Roadshow on PBS tonight (ha ha ha ha…..that show fascinates me). It was worth $250,000 they thought at auction and the owner had called the museum you are at to see if they were interested in it and they called it a lost treasure. So cool you are there. I love Andrew Wyeth’s Christina’s World. I learned of the Wyeths the summer I taught tennis on a small island off the coast of Maine.