Olson House (Cushing, Maine)

The Olson House is a historic house in Cushing, Maine, made famous by its depiction in Andrew Wyeth's painting Christina's World (1948). The house, a simple Cape Cod style structure, belonged to siblings Christina and Alvaro Olson, who lived there for much of their lives.

Andrew Wyeth began visiting the Olson House in 1939 and continued to use it as a subject for his art for nearly 30 years. He depicted the house and its surrounding landscape in numerous paintings, drawings, and watercolors. Christina's World, perhaps his most iconic work, portrays Christina Olson crawling across a field towards the house. Christina suffered from a degenerative muscle condition, possibly polio, which limited her mobility.

The Olson House is now owned by the Farnsworth Art Museum and Wyeth Center in Rockland, Maine. It is open to the public for tours during the museum's operating season. The house offers visitors a glimpse into the world that inspired Wyeth and provides insight into the lives of the Olson siblings. The site is a National Historic Landmark, recognized for its significance in American art history. While Wyeth took artistic license in his depictions, the house and its surroundings remain remarkably similar to how they appeared in his paintings.