Art Goes To School
of Delaware Valley
Portfolio Print Summary
Print No:____________
Print Title: ____________
Worksheet Updated: ____________
Portfolio #:____________
Included in Portfolio #s: ____________
Artist (last name, first): Wyeth, Andrew
Birth/Death: 7/12/1917 to 1/16/2009
Date of Work: 1968
Size: 22 x 29 inches
Nationality: American
Period/Style: Contemporary Realism/
Regionalist
Medium: Watercolor
Location: Collection of William A. Farnsworth Library and Art Museum, Rockland, Maine
Biographical Highlights: Andrew Wyeth is best known as a realistic painter, and his favorite subjects were
the land and people around him. He did not paint his pictures from imagination,
but rather sketched from the place he was painting. His solitary walks were his
primary means of inspiration for his landscapes.
He was the youngest of five children born to the famous book illustrator
N.C.Wyeth (“Treasure Island”, “Robinson Crusoe”, and “The Last of the
Mohicans”) He grew up surrounded by people who enjoyed creating art, and his
father was very attentive, fostering his childrens’ talents and interests. He was a
sickly child and therefore was home-schooled by his father, and he became a
draftsman before he could read. In fact, his father was the only art “teacher” he
ever had, and helped inspire Andrew’s love of nature.
When Andrew was only 20 years old, he held his first show (at the Macbeth Art
Gallery) in New York City. It was a complete sell-out. His paintings have sold
well ever since. Andrew developed a considerable fortune over his lifetime.
Wyeth’s paintings depict life in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania (where he lived in the
winter) and Cushing, Maine (where he lived in the summer.) The house in Maine
that Wyeth has painted many times belongs to the Olsons—Alvaro and Christina
Olson. Christina, a friend of Andrew’s, was crippled by polio as a child, and her
younger brother was Alvaro. Wyeth painted many portraits of Christina in her
environment, making her the most famous model in American art. The Olson
house was once an inn used by the crews of clipper ships sailing down the Maine
coast.
The Chadds Ford, PA studio where Andrew painted many of his works between
1940 and 2008 is open for tours. Andrew is buried in the same cemetery as
Christina and Alvaro. He made it known that he wanted his final resting place to
be near the spot where he painted “Christina’s World.”
Other Works by Artist: “Winter” (1946)
Most famous is “Christina’s World” (1948)
“Master Bedroom” (1965)
“Braids” (1979) and many other paintings of Helga Testorf as part of the “Helga
Series” (1971-1985)
Interpretation: “Alvaro and Christine” is a realistic portrayal of everyday objects. Walking
through the empty house shortly after Christina was buried, Andrew could still
sense the lingering presence of his two old friends. Still remembering, he painted
the gray and blue doors of the shed in “Alvaro and Christine.” The title refers to
the two doors which were used by Alvaro and Christine Olson as they passed from
the shed to the kitchen. The left door was used mostly by Alvaro, and it was close
to the wood box. The story of Alvaro and Christine seems to linger in their
remaining possessions of mop, pail, and bushel basket. This somber, moody
watercolor has the feel of still life.
Additionally, the rectangular and triangular shapes contrast with the oval shapes,
giving it a modern and abstract composition.
Presentation Ideas: Some questions for discussion:
Why do you think the portrait is called Alvaro and Christine?
What objects to you see in this painting?
What else is there just outside the picture? (a window through which comes the
light to illuminate the interior of the shed.)
What kinds of colors do you see? Are there too many or too few?
Are the colors bright or dull?
What kinds of shapes can you find? (rectangular shapes of post and blue door;
triangular shapes; ovals)
How can you tell that the objects in the painting are old and weathered?
How does this painting make you feel – i.e. what kind of mood is being expressed?
Do you think the artist is giving us any kind of message about Alvaro and
Christine?