Portrayals of Nature in Cristina’s World

The artist Andrew Wyeth created multiple drawings that depicture the lifestyle in a rural zone. His most famous painting was Christina's World, which shows a woman lying on an open field. While the clear signs of nature appear to be the grass and the women sitting on the grass, there is a deeper meaning to the image than it seems.

The artist often focused on creating a painting that was seen as realistic by the viewers. He did this by "painted in egg tempera, a medium that requires the artist to mix (and constantly monitor) his paints but allows for great control" (Isaak, Shelley 5). This technic provided great control of the image while providing a realistic texture that can be appreciated on the grass. There is a clear separation between the grass and the ground which appear on the image. This separation was posible because the mix made the grass appear to be made individually.

Although Wyeth made sure to create a realistic scenario, there was also a purpose to his choice of colors for the scene. As was mentioned in the article by Henry Adams, "his drawings, watercolors, and paintings seemed to capture the ramshackle character of New England with perfect accuracy. But they were also imbued with a powerful range of emotions: loneliness, the burdens of the past, the fragility of physical things, the struggle against a harsh climate and barren soil" (2). One can appreciate this from the warm colors that compose the grass to provide a feeling of welcomeness. However, the opaque color of the sky combines with the opaque colors of the girl’s dress and the lack of vibrant color on any other surface to assure did not allow for the colors to indicate that the scene to transmit positive feelings. Those feelings shared through the painting changed, and now it provokes emotions such as sadness and longing in the viewer.

Another reinterpretation of nature would be that of the message behind the painting of Christina’s World. Christina appears as seen because “The artist stated that he wanted to depict the mental and physical struggle of Christina and her illness” (Cheng Chan, Rachel Yu 4). He was able to do that through the scenario and the appearance of the girl. While the thinness of the woman is meant to represent her physical state, the nature around the girl reflects her mental state. One should be aware that often fields are intended to represent serenity, although the implementation of opaque colors is a form to indicate her emotions about her physical state.

Andrew Wyeth was able to transmit plenty through the nature that appears in the painting. From the moment of choosing materials to the scenario that one illustrated on the canvas holds importance in art. It also provided an idea of how life appeared in rural places back in the time.

Work Cite

Adams, Henry. “Andrew Wyeth and the Artist's Fragile Reputation.” The Conversation, 31 July 2020, https://theconversation.com/andrew-wyeth-and-the-artists-fragile-reputation-79804.

Cheng Chan, Hannah Yu. “Far from Home: Andrew Wyeth's Christina's World and the Tranquil Spirit of the Painting.” New Histories, New Histories, 15 Feb. 2022, https://newhistories.group.shef.ac.uk/far-from-home-andrew-wyeths-christinas-world-and-the tranquil-spirit-of-the-painting/.

Esaak, Shelley. "The Story Behind 'Christina’s World' by Andrew Wyeth." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, https://www.thoughtco.com/christinas-world-by-andrew-wyeth-183007

May, Stephen. “Review of 'Andrew Wyeth: A Secret Life'.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 July 1997, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/review-of-andrew-wyeth-a-secret-life 139985793/.