Anna Christina Olson
Andrew Wyeth’s Christina’s World is one of the most iconic paintings in the history of American art. It was Christina’s World that turned Andrew Wyeth into a household name and claimed him one of the best American realist painters.
But who was Christina? And what kind of world did she live in?
Listen to ArtMuse’s episode on Anna Christina Olson. As a young child, Christina showed signs of an undiagnosed degenerative disease that slowly took away her mobility. While this presented unimaginable challenges, Christina never let her disability stop her from living a robust life nor compromise her unparalleled dignity and strength.
Christina’s story deserves to be honored in its entirety, beyond Wyeth and the painting that turned her into an icon. Christina was a remarkable woman in her own right, who showed extraordinary resilience in the face of continued challenges.
This episode is produced by Kula Production Company.
Listen to ArtMuse’s Episode on Anna Christina Olson
REFERENCES
Brooks, Jean Olson, and Deborah Dalfonso. Christina Olson: Her World beyond the Canvas. Down East Books, 1998.
Gilbert, Katharine Stoddert, and Andrew Wyeth. Two Worlds of Andrew Wyeth: Kuerners and Olsons. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1976.
Hoptman, Laura J., and Andrew Wyeth. Wyeth: Christina’s World. Museum of Modern Art, 2012.
Millington, Ruth. Muse: Uncovering the Hidden Figures behind Art History’s Masterpieces. Pegasus Books, 2022.
IMAGES
Andrew Wyeth, Christina’s World, 1948, Tempera on panel.
The Olson House in Cushing, Maine. Photo taken in 2018.
Christina and her mother Katie taken in 1918, shortly after her week at the Boston City Hospital.
Christina & Alvaro Olson with Andrew Wyeth at the Olson Farmhouse.
Andrew Wyeth, Oil Lamp, 1945, Tempera on panel.
Andrew Wyeth, Christina Olson, 1947, tempera on hardboard panel.
Andrew Wyeth, Miss Olson, 1952, tempera on panel.
Andrew Wyeth, Anna Christina, 1967, tempera on panel.
Andrew Wyeth, Woodstove, 1962, watercolor on paper.
This shows Christina’s kitchen with her woodstove and her flowers on the windowsill.
Christina with Wyeth in later age.
Christina and Wyeth in her kitchen together.
Christina looking through her kitchen window, with her plants and flowers pictured.
Wyeth and Alvaro in late age outside the farmhouse.
Christina in late age in her kitchen.
Andrew Wyeth, Alvaro and Christina, 1968, watercolor on paper.
Christina & Alvaro’s grave at the Olson farm.
Andrew Wyeth’s grave, buried near Christina.
