Although some critics deride his art as drab and kitschy, Andrew Wyeth’s melancholy paintings were praised by others as profound reflections of 20th century alienation and existentialism.

This image provided by Christie's shows N.C. Wyeth's 1938 "Norry Seavey Hauling Traps Off Blubber Island," an oil on Masonite that is estimated to fetch $300,000-500,000 when it will be sold at ...