Wycliffe Vwi- I klif\ / John (c. 1330-1384) British theologian, philoso¬ pher, and church reformer. He earned a doctor-of-divinity degree from Oxford in 1372. Named by Edward III to a deputation to discuss English differences with the papacy, he represented the government in its attempts to limit the church’s power in England. His preaching against church policies, in which he argued that the church itself was sinful and should relinquish its possessions and return to evangelical poverty, attracted wide attention, and in 1377 the pope called for his arrest. In 1379 he began systematically attacking the foundations of Roman Catholicism, notably by repudiating the doctrine of transubstantiation and by denying that the church hierarchy represented a line of authoritative succession from Jesus. In 1380 he became involved in a translation of the Bible into English, seeking to bypass the church in making the law of God accessible to all literate people. His followers were known as Lollards. He was blamed by his ecclesiastical superiors for inciting the Peasants' Revolt (1381); many of his works were subsequently banned. His writings later inspired the leaders of the Reformation, most notably Martin Luther.
Wye, River River, eastern Wales and western England. It flows from the moorlands of central Wales southeast across the English border and continues south into the estuary of the River Severn. It is about 130 mi (210 km) long. The ruins of Tintern Abbey (the inspiration for William Wordsworth’s poem) are on its banks. It has rich salmon fisheries.
Wyeth Vwl-3th\, Andrew (Newell) (b. July 12, 1917, Chadds Ford, Pa., U.S.) U.S. painter. He was trained by his father, N.C. Wyeth. His subject matter comes almost entirely from the area around Chadds Ford and around his summer home in Cushing, Maine. Though his technique is precise and detailed, he uses it to achieve an unreal, visionary quality. His palette is restricted largely to earth colours. His famous Christina’s World (1948), depicting a polio victim seemingly trying to climb a hill, exemplifies his mastery of unusual angles and his use of light to pinpoint time. Between 1971 and 1985 Wyeth secretly painted Helga Testorf, his neighbour in Chadds Ford, creating hundreds of images of her, including nudes. He was the first painter ever awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1963) and the first artist to receive the Congressional Gold Medal (1990). His son Jamie (b. 1946) has also had a successful painting career.
Christina's World, tempera on gesso panel by Andrew Wyeth, 1948; in the Museum of Modern Art, New York City.
COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, NEW YORK CITY
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
2084 I Wyeth ► Wythe
Wyeth, N(ewell) C(onvers) (b. Oct. 22, 1882, Needham, Mass., U.S.—d. Oct. 19, 1945, Chadds Ford, Pa.) U.S. illustrator and muralist. Raised on a farm, he learned drafting and illustration in Boston before studying with the master illustrator Howard Pyle (1853-1911). He first found success in depicting the American West. During his career he con¬ tributed his memorable illustrations to more than 100 books, including a famous series of children’s classics, including Treasure Island, Kid¬ napped, King Arthur, Robin Hood, and The Black Arrow, and he also pro¬ duced numerous murals in public buildings. He was the teacher of his son, the painter Andrew Wyeth.
Wyler, William (b. July 1, 1902, Mulhouse, France—d. July 27, 1981, Beverly Hills, Calif., U.S.) French-born U.S. film director. After studies in France and Switzerland, he immigrated to New York in 1920. Work¬ ing for Universal Pictures, he became a director of low-budget westerns, but he established a serious reputation with Counsellor-at-Law (1933) and went on to direct successes such as Dodsworth (1936), Wuthering Heights (1939), and The Little Foxes (1941). His films are noted for their clear narrative style and sensitive handling of human relationships. He won Academy Awards for Mrs. Miniver (1942) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and he later directed popular movies such as Roman Holiday (1953), Ben-Hur (1959, Academy Award), and Funny Girl (1968).
Wynelte \wl-'net\, Tammy orig. Virginia Wynette Pugh (b.
May 5, 1942, Itawamba county, Miss., U.S.—d. April 6, 1998, Nashville, Tenn.) U.S. country music singer. Her father, a musician, died when she was an infant, and her mother left her to be raised by grandparents. She worked as a beautician before appearing on Porter Wagoner’s country music television show. In 1967-68 she had hits with “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad,” “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” and her anthem, “Stand by Your Man.” She was married to George Jones (1969-75), with whom she recorded many duet hits; despite their divorce, they continued to collabo¬ rate on recordings, including her last album, One (1996). She recorded 20 number-one country hits and 50 albums.
Wyoming State (pop., 2000: 493,782), western U.S. It covers an area of 97,813 sq mi (253,334 sq km); its capital is Cheyenne. Wyoming is bor¬ dered on the north and northwest by Montana, on the east by South Dakota and Nebraska, on the south by Colorado, on the southwest by Utah, and on the west by Idaho. It contains part of the Great Plains and the Black Hills. Its ranges of the Rocky Mountains include the Bighorn, Tetons, and Wind River. Wyoming’s highest point is Gannett Peak, at 13,804 ft (4,207 m). The Continental Divide crosses the state northwest to southeast. About three-fourths of its rivers drain eastward into the Missouri-Mississippi system. Its largest lake is Yellowstone Lake. Wyoming was already inhab¬ ited by Plains Indians, including the Shoshone, when it was first visited by European explorers during the 18th century. The Oregon and Over¬ land trails crossed it. Most of the area was acquired by the U.S. from France in the Louisiana Purchase. The Lewis and Clark Expedition did not cross the area, but a member of the group, John Colter, strayed from the
expedition and spent time in Wyoming. It was included in several U.S. territories before the organization of the Wyoming Territory in 1868. It adopted woman suffrage in 1869 and in 1889 was the first state to include that right in its constitution. In the years preceding statehood, it devel¬ oped a thriving cattle industry. It was admitted to the Union in 1890 as the 44th state. In 1924 it elected the first U.S. woman governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross. Though livestock is still important to its modern economy, mining is increasingly influential and tourism is growing.
Wyoming Massacre (July 3, 1778) Killing of American settlers by the British in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania. In the American Revo¬ lution, British Col. John Butler led a force of 1,000 loyalists and Iroquois allies against 5,000 settlers in the valley, many of whom were gathered at Forty Fort. A band of men and boys left the fort to meet the attackers and was defeated; 360 settlers were killed, and others who escaped to the woods died of starvation. Butler’s forces continued their raids on frontier settlements in New York, which led to American action against the Iro¬ quois. See also Iroquois Confederacy.
Wyszynski Xvi-'shin-skeX, Stefan (b. Aug. 3, 1901, Zuzela, near Lomza, Pol., Russian Empire—d. May 28, 1981, Warsaw, Pol.) Polish cardinal and primate of Poland. Ordained in 1924, he was assigned to the basilica at Wloclawek. He founded and directed the Christian Workers University (1935-39), then joined the Polish resistance in World War II. He was appointed successively bishop of Lublin (1946), primate of Poland (1948), and cardinal (1952). For refusing to consent to communist demands, he was placed under house arrest (1953-56). After his release, he reached a compromise on church and state matters with WtADYStAW Gomulka that avoided a potential Soviet invasion of Poland, and he there¬ after maintained the unity of the church in an uneasy coexistence with the communist government. He later lent cautious support to such Polish movements as the Workers’ Defense Committee, Solidarity, and Rural Solidarity, which sought greater freedom from the late 1970s onward. A doctrinal conservative, his last major act was to negotiate with the Polish authorities over the visit of Pope John Paul II to Poland in 1979.