Shown in this piece is Christina Olson crawling through tawny grass. She was the neighbor of Wyeth, crippled by Polio. She "was limited physically, but by no means spiritually," Wyeth has explained. He was inspired to create the painting when, through a window from within the house, he saw her crawling across a field. Although Olson was the inspiration and subject of the painting, she was not the primary model — Wyeth's wife Betsy posed as the torso of the painting. There is great detail in this piece; each blade of grass, each strand of hair was painted with great intent. This style, known as Magic Realism, fills everyday scenes with poetic mystery.
