Andrew Wyeth, Christina's World, and the Olsen house

This book presents a group of extraordinary, rarely seen watercolors and drawings American painter Andrew Wyeth made of his friend Christina Olson, her brother Alvaro, and the weathered Maine farmstead where they lived. It features moving portraits and serene interior and exterior views of the house and the surrounding land, now memorialized in Wyeth's 1948 tempera painting Christina's World, one of the most famous paintings in the history of American art and now in the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Some forty-five works from the collection of the Marunuma Art Park in Asaka, Japan, which have rarely been shown before in the United States, are accompanied by works from the Farnsworth as well as by historic photographs of Wyeth with Christina and Alvaro Olsonand of the house. Included are numerous drawings and watercolors that are studies for the Christina's World finished painting. A captivating text by Michael Komanecky addresses the place of the Olson farm in Wyeth's career, the evolution of the works he created there over three decades, and how Christina's World and the Olson House have inspired pilgrimages for fans of Wyeth's work. Despite its isolated location and seasonal schedule, Olson House draws thousands of visitors each year from around the world, many of them repeat visitors. The Olson House, acquired by the Farnsworth Art Museum in 1991, has been recommended for National Landmark status. Michael Komanecky writes a captivating essay about Andrew Wyeth, the Olsons and three decades of his career. Otoyo Nakamura writes about the history of this private Japanese collection. The two essays are followed by color plates of the works, a bibliography, and a checklist of the exhibition. Olson House, which was first made accessible to the public briefly in 1969 and 1970 when owned by Hollywood movie producer and Wyeth collector, Joseph E. Levine, has become a virtual pilgrimage site for fans of Wyeth's work. Despite its relatively isolated location and seasonal schedule, it continues to draw thousands of visitors a year, from around the world, many of whom return year after year. Olson House was acquired by the Farnsworth Art Museum in 1991; in 2011, the Olson House is expected to be named a National Historic Landmark.