By John Chambless
Staff Writer

The Chadds Ford Gallery's “Brandywine Romantics” exhibit, which opened last weekend, is a typically rich selection of artists and styles that will draw you in with some lovely landscapes and a few surprises along the way.

Under the rather arbitrary heading of “Romantics,” you'll find standouts such as Robert Stack's “Looking Back,” a single, elegantly dressed woman in a Wyeth-like, bleak landscape. The silently compelling watercolor earns its status as the focal point of the gallery. But don't miss Stack's tiny tribute to Andrew Wyeth, “The Master's Eye,” a beautifully painted watercolor closeup of only the artist's blue eye.

Jacalyn Beam has a wonderful winter woodland oil, “January Thaw,” and her “Heading Home” is a view of sycamores and rutted road that's richly painted as well.

Timothy Wadsworth has a fine, sparing winter watercolor, “Meet Me at the Post,” and he captures a spectacular sycamore in “Grandmother Nature.”

There's a lush, rich texture to Linda Barr's “Sunset Ridge,” which has a dramatic sweep of winter sky. Barr's works have a soft texture and glowing light that immediately identifies her. Likewise, Nancy Cunningham's Longwood scenes, “Feathered Friends” and “Goddess Fountain,” have an every-petal-in-place precision that's almost photo-realistic.

There are about a dozen small works in the gallery hallway space at smaller prices. Among them, Timothy Wadsworth's “The Falls” is particularly striking. Hung over the fireplace in the front room, Helena van Emmerik-Finn's “Venetian Balconies” benefits from a perfectly selected frame that echoes the tone and texture of the wall depicted in the painting itself.

“Brandywine Romantics” continues through Feb. 21 at the Chadds Ford Gallery (1609 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford). Gallery hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Call 610-388-2412 or visit www.awyethgallery.com.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email [email protected].