My Covid Classics – #13

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

This week’s blog post is celebrating the return of The Wandering Art Historian book club in 2021! 

January’s book club discussion centered around Christina Baker Kline’s novel A Piece of the World.  The protagonist of this book is Christina Olson, the real-life woman depicted in Andrew Wyeth’s 1948 masterpiece of American art, “Christina’s World.”

I’ve read this book three times now, but it definitely took on a whole new vibe rereading it during a global pandemic.  Christina Olson suffers from a degenerative disease, possibly polio, that eventually robs her of her mobility.  The idea of being trapped inside the immovable shell of a body combined with living in an old house that symbolized some serious family issues hits in a very personal way when you have to stay home to avoid a deadly virus. 

Here is my first #CovidClassic of 2021 to celebrate this wonderful book and painting.

Top: “Christina’s World,” Andrew Wyeth, 1948

Bottom: “Adrienne’s World,” Shawn Michael Lee, 2021

I might as well announce February’s book club pick while I’m here, so here it is!

The Art of Rivalry by Sebastian Smee

This nonfiction account of four pairs of artists attempts to distinguish the line between friend and foe and could possibly be the origin of the term “frenemy.”  Pulitzer-prize winning art critic, Sebastian Smee, probably never considered the term “frenemy” applicable to these Modern Art painters, but if the shoe fits!

  • We meet via Zoom on Friday, February 26th from 11:00am – 12:30pm.
  • Discussion is limited to 12 participants.
  • Once payment is confirmed, your virtual “seat” is secure.
  • Cost is $15 per person accepted through a variety of payment options.
  • If you are interested in participating, please contact me directly via email at WanderlustArts@outlook.

2 thoughts on “My Covid Classics – #13”

Leave a comment

The Wandering Art Historian's avatar
I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.