Christina’s World
by Andrew Wyeth
Oil on canvas
The Museum of Modern Art,
New York City

Christina’s World is the most famous work by American painter Andrew Wyeth, and one of the best-known American paintings of the 20th century. Painted in 1948, this tempera work is displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It depicts Christina Olson, who had an undiagnosed muscular deterioration that paralyzed her lower body—likely Polio. She was a strong and independent woman who did not let anything stop her from getting what and where she wanted. She looks at her house, (implied line) dreading the crawl back but eager for the warmth it holds for her. She, her brother, and Wyeth’s neighbors are the subjects of a number of paintings of Wyeth. Surprisingly, although Christina is the artistic subject of Wyeth’s masterpiece, she was not the model – Wyeth’s wife Betsy instead posed for the painting.

The house in Cushing, Maine, where Wyeth had been staying when he saw the scene that inspired the painting, still stands. Wyeth took artistic license in its depiction, separating the barn from the house and changing the lay of the land. Known as the Olson house, it is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Close-up of Christina’s World

The information about this painting was obtained from the Museum of Modern Art web site.

deletereply starfishred wrote on Dec 27, ’08 I love him-had to do a paper on him for my art class once abnd he is so facinating thanks

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Dec 27, ’08 Thanks for visiting, Heidi. I saw this painting at the Modern Art Museum recently.

deletereply forgetmenot525 wrote on Dec 28, ’08 you can almost feel the crawl back to the house…………..like you have to do it with her, she must have been a remarkable woman to inspire such art.

deletereply nemo4sun wrote on Dec 28, ’08 such a beauty 🙂

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Dec 28, ’08 Loretta, I love your comment.