Christina's World
Painting on gessoed panel • Andrew Wyeth (American, 1917–2009)
Style & Movement
American Realism / Regionalism
Medium & Technique
Egg tempera on panel, utilizing fine dry-brush strokes and meticulous layering of pigment to achieve high detail.
Creation Period
1948
Dimensions & Format
32 1/4 x 47 3/4 inches (81.9 x 121.3 cm); Landscape format
Subject Description
A woman, Anna Christina Olson, crawls across a treeless field toward a weathered gray farmhouse and barn in Cushing, Maine. The composition uses a low, immersive horizon line to convey a sense of struggle and isolation, symbolizing the subject's degenerative muscular condition.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent/Very Good; well-preserved within a museum environment with stable paint layers.
Estimated Market Value
$50,000,000 - $80,000,000 (Estimated if ever sold, based on its status as a cultural icon)
Auction Estimate
$40,000,000 - $60,000,000
Provenance History
Purchased by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) from the artist through Macbeth Gallery for $1,800 in 1948.
Art Historical Significance
One of the most famous American paintings of the 20th century. It bridges the gap between traditional realism and psychological modernism, capturing the existential isolation of the post-war era.
Notable Features
Individual blades of grass are painted with obsessive detail; the house is the Olson House, now a National Historic Landmark. Signed by the artist in the lower right corner.
Condition Issues
Minor surface craquelure consistent with the age of egg tempera; minor frame rubbing at the edges.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain strict climate control (50% RH) and UV-filtered lighting. Periodic surface cleaning by a specialist in tempera mediums is recommended.