Andrew Wyeth “Christina’s World,” 1948 Egg tempera on panel 32.25″x47.75″
Using color, line, and space, Andrew Wyeth paints a piece that captures the nostalgic dullness of rural life, yet imbues it with event and intrigue. The tension between the two themes adds narrative to what could have otherwise been a simple landscape.
Christina’s World states, instantly, that it is an image depicting rural life. Tawny grass, mostly uncut and growing tall, dominates the image. A single property, consisting only of gray, weather-beaten buildings, identifies itself with a pale mowed lawn. Combining the open and empty space with the dusty, muted colors communicates clearly that this is a landscape removed from the hustle and bustle of city life; it sits, waits, and ages like the yellowed edges of paper. Nostalgia seeps into the painting through its colors, the audience associating them with the simplicity of older times. The directional lines of the piece are largely flat. By splitting the sky and the land so drastically, the horizon dominates the painting. It is mimicked by the edge of the lawn. The verticals of the buildings are minimized and the diagonal tire tracks blend almost seamlessly with the grass. Because horizontals dominate the landscape, it becomes organized, placid, and serene. Uneventful, one might even say.
In contrast to this empty world, the woman—assumed to be Christina—is a force of energy. While she clearly belongs in this setting, wearing simple and a faintly colored dress, she consists of both the darkest and the lightest colors within the work. This draws the viewer’s eye to her, confirming that this scene revolves around her. Furthermore, she is the largest element. The space between her and the houses is vast, but she fills a good portion of it. To balance her weight in the bottom left of the piece, Wyeth places the buildings on the top right. This isn’t the only diagonal alignment of Christina’s World. Contrasting the horizontals and simple lines of the buildings, Christina also follows a diagonal line. Not only does she face diagonally, but her body twists; she is not flat, rather contorted. Her linear elements provide her with a sense of movement and tension. The reader must now ask why she is saturated with such importance and how that contributes to the vague aura of mystery.