Maine House In Andrew Wyeth Work Now US Landmark

CUSHING, Maine -- A weather-beaten farmhouse in Maine, featured in the backdrop of one of the most famous paintings from the 20th Century, is now a national landmark.

The Olson House in Cushing where Andrew Wyeth painted "Christina's World" was one of 14 landmarks to receive the designation from U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on Thursday.

"It's now affirmation that it's an American icon," said Christropher Brownawell, executive director of the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, which has owned the farmhouse for the past 20 years.

Wyeth, who lived in Pennsylvania, spent 30 summers in Maine and he used the farm as a backdrop for the 1948 painting of Christina Olson, who suffered from polio and was unable to walk, crawling through a field toward the farm.

The Olson House, which overlooks the St. George River and Muscongus Bay, is where Wyeth, who died in 2009 at age 91, developed a relationship with Christina and Alvaro Olson that spanned 30 years. Wyeth's gravestone is near the property.

The Farnsworth Art Museum is currently displaying a collection of 50 watercolors and drawings depicting the Olsons and the farmhouse. "Christina's World" is displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Comments

[kvolovesart]

05:53 AM on 07/04/2011

Christinas world is a beautiful piece...

[PortlandZoo]

01:40 PM on 07/03/2011

one of my favorite works is "the Chambered Nautilis" by Andrew Wyeth - his use of light and the breeze blowing the filmy curtains in the bedroom setting.... lovely and evocative. I wonder now if the house was the setting for that work. The windows look similar - I owned a big saltbox like the Olson House - I sold it and now I really miss the layout, big windows and square footage.

[Kimsue]

01:01 PM on 07/03/2011

The magnificent Christina's World hangs in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. When I visited, they had chosen to display it in what can only be described as a small hallway. The room was very narrow and, being a passageway, there was a constant stream of people traveling across in front of it. For me, the placement really took away from seeing this piece in person. My understanding is that the "art world" does not think highly of Andrew Wyeth's works, but why even have it if you don't want to display it properly?

[eyelashviper]

06:45 PM on 07/02/2011

This is a beautiful site, one of many on the rolling country roads that exist on the peninsulas of Mid Coast Maine, and has changed little, thankfully. The Farnsworth Museum in Rockland Maine is to be congratulated for their endeavors to purchase this iconic property, as there was a development frenzy along the coast of Maine, turning many lovely farms into condos and vacation bungalows.
Many artists roamed and painted in this region, and it is easy to understand why.

[Jilian]

04:43 PM on 07/02/2011

I've loved Andrew Wyeth's work for at least 40 years. I've been to the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford. It was in winter time and the sky was gray, trees were bare, and there was a smattering of snow on the ground. Standing at the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river, I was overwhelmed. I was looking at what could have been one of Wyeth's paintings, it was so perfect. It actually brought tears to my eyes.

[TechYes]

05:56 PM on 07/02/2011

You paint a wonderful word picture! The view from those windows in summer is equally delightful, with the sculpture garden below, and people floating by on the river in their inner tubes or paddling canoes. It's easy to see why generations of Wyeths took inspiration from such a landscape as that.

[Woods-shade]

12:18 PM on 07/05/2011

lovely experience; thank you for sharing. : ) I love those "heart-stopping-beauty in solitude" moments.

[TechYes]

03:00 PM on 07/02/2011

What a beautiful old house. So glad such an icon is going to be preserved for future generations. Anybody who's a fan of Andrew Wyeth should add the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, PA to their bucket list. It houses the largest collection of original works by all the Wyeths from N.C. to Andrew to Jamie, as well as works by lesser-known members of that remarkably talented family.

[middleoftheroad]

03:31 PM on 07/02/2011

thanks for that!!! will totally check that out!

[TechYes]

03:45 PM on 07/02/2011

You're welcome! If you're into history, can check out the nearby Brandywine Battlefield, site of a Revolutionary War battle ahead of the British capture of Philadelphia. If you go a little way in the opposite direction, you'll end up in Kennett Square, home to Longwood Gardens, a world-class public garden on an old DuPont estate. Lots to see and do in a beautiful and historic area. [Sorry, had to get in a little local pride!]

[milomilano]

03:35 PM on 07/02/2011

Been to the Brandywine often and I have been to the Cushing house. Both are wonderful sites!

[lioness39]

11:36 AM on 07/02/2011

I am a great admirer of Mr. Wyth's work. I am so glad that house still stands and will be preserved as a monument.

[gevan]

08:37 AM on 07/02/2011

Can we landmark the diner in Edward Hopper's Nighthawks too?

[JScott]

09:00 AM on 07/02/2011

Did it really exist somewhere?

[gevan]

12:55 PM on 07/02/2011

On further study, it seems that the inspiration for Hopper's work was a diner in Greenwich Village that was demolished many years back.