By Laura Hoptman

In 1947 Andrew Wyeth produced what would become one of the most iconic paintings in American art: a desolate Maine landscape depicting a single figure, which he called Christina’s World. This painting became one of the most simultaneously well-loved and scorned works of the century, igniting heated arguments about parochialism, sentimentality, kitsch, and art-world elitism that have continued to absorb the art world, even after the artist’s death in 2009. An essay by curator Laura Hoptman revisits the genesis of the painting, Wyeth’s curious focus, over the course of his career, on a very few subjects, and the mystery that continues to surround it. 48 pp.; 35 illus.

Each volume in the One on One series is a sustained meditation of a single work from the collection of The Museum of Modern Art. A richly illustrated and lively essay illuminates the subject in detail and situates that work within the artist’s life and career as well as within broader historical contexts. This series is an invaluable guide for exploring and interpreting some of the most beloved artworks in the Museum’s collection. View the entire series here.