If someone asked me to name five great American paintings from the 20th Century, I would definitely include "Christina's World" by Andrew Wyeth.
I can't remember when or where I first saw that young woman, sprawled awkwardly upon a broad, golden field, but it definitely left an impression.
"Christina's World," by Andrew Wyeth
Later, as my knowledge of art expanded and I learned more about various painters, I wanted to know more about "Christina's World." I discovered that the subject of the painting was Christina Olson, a neighbor of Wyeth's who suffered from Polio.
I also learned that altough Olson was the subject of Wyeth's painting, she wasn't the model. The woman you see above was actually Wyeth's wife, Betsy. The background, which I assumed was Kansas , Nebraska or somewhere in the midwest, is actually Cushing , Maine . In fact, the farmhouse there still stands and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Helga Testorf, a neighbor and favorite model of Wyeth's
"Christina's World," in my opinion, is not the defining work of Wyeth, who passed away just a few years ago at age 91. As captivating as that painting is, the artist's secret portraits of Helga Testorf tell a much more fascinating story.
From 1971 to1985, Wyeth rendered nearly 250 images of his neighbor without the knowledge of either Wyeth's wife or Helga's husband. News of the Helga portraits, when they were revealed to the public, sent shockwaves through the art world.
I can't remember when or where I first saw that young woman, sprawled awkwardly upon a broad, golden field, but it definitely left an impression.
"Christina's World," by Andrew Wyeth
Later, as my knowledge of art expanded and I learned more about various painters, I wanted to know more about "Christina's World." I discovered that the subject of the painting was Christina Olson, a neighbor of Wyeth's who suffered from Polio.
I also learned that altough Olson was the subject of Wyeth's painting, she wasn't the model. The woman you see above was actually Wyeth's wife, Betsy. The background, which I assumed was Kansas , Nebraska or somewhere in the midwest, is actually Cushing , Maine . In fact, the farmhouse there still stands and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Helga Testorf, a neighbor and favorite model of Wyeth's
"Christina's World," in my opinion, is not the defining work of Wyeth, who passed away just a few years ago at age 91. As captivating as that painting is, the artist's secret portraits of Helga Testorf tell a much more fascinating story.
From 1971 to1985, Wyeth rendered nearly 250 images of his neighbor without the knowledge of either Wyeth's wife or Helga's husband. News of the Helga portraits, when they were revealed to the public, sent shockwaves through the art world.
Wyeth painted Helga during somewhat secretive sessions than neither Wyeth's Helga's spouse knew about. The paintings were stored at the home of Wyeth's student/neighbor. In 1986, Leonard E.B. Andrews purchased nearly the entire collection of Helga paintings, preserving the collection mostly intact. Only Helga herself held some of the remaining few works from that now famous series.
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