Andrea L. Curtis guides a storytelling lesson inside the Wyeth Study Center with 7th grade Unit students.
Maidenhair Unit
This unit offers a unique look at Andrew Wyeth’s painting, Maidenhair (1974). Carefully notice the work of art to create a story based on the subject and setting and then “go behind the scenes” with an exclusive look at Wyeth’s studies, a 3-D tour of the location The Old German Meeting House in Waldoboro, ME, and learn more about the model in the painting.
School Visits: View the Arts-integration Units page to experience this unit at the Farnsworth!
Curricular Connections:
Storytelling: Plot / Setting / Subject
Descriptive Writing: Adjectives + Adverbs
Mood + Tone
Vocabulary:
Composition
Subject
Light
Vantage Point
Diagonal / Lines
Color
Mood / Tone
Study
Activity: Creative Writing
Notice the painting Maidenhair (1974) by artist Andrew Wyeth. Create your own short story to accompany this work of art. Consider the subject and setting as you develop your story. How does color affect the mood of the story? What is happening in this moment? What will happen next?
Share your short story with us below!
MAIDENHAIR, 1974 tempera on panel. The Andrew and Betsy Wyeth Collection © 2018 Andrew Wyeth / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Activity: Alternate story
MAIDENHAIR STUDY, 1974 pencil on paper. The Andrew and Betsy Wyeth Collection © 2019 Andrew Wyeth / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Andrew Wyeth created several studies for the painting, Maidenhair, 1974. Creating studies helps artists practice or explore their thoughts and ideas such as color, composition, and art-making techniques. Select a study below to notice. How does this study alter your story? How does it change your character(s) and plot? Write an alternative story using your new observations.
Activity: Expedition
Explore the Old German Meeting House, the setting that inspired Wyeth’s painting through this 3-D tour. Located in Waldoboro, ME, this historic property is periodically open to visitors. For more information contact the Waldoborough (Waldoboro) Historical Society.
3-D Tour
Click the button to visit the Old German Meeting House!
Photography and 3-D tour by Dave Clough Photography.
Activity: Art-making
As you explore the Old German Meeting House, consider your space. What is the vantage point in Andrew Wyeth’s painting? Where was his model sitting? Can you find it? What did the painting include? What was excluded or out of view? Change your vantage point and sketch a new scene. How does this new perspective alter your story?
Activity: Research
Learn more about the Old German Meeting House and the behind-the-scenes story of this work of art.
Interested in learning more about the portrait? This article reveals “behind-the-scenes” knowledge of the subject and place of Andrew Wyeth’s mesmerizing work of art.
Article:
Behind the Scenes: Maidenhair
By Andrea L. Curtis, Education Program Manager
Farnsworth Art Museum
Contributor: Jean Lawrence, President
Waldoborough Historical Society
Jean Lawrence and Andrea L. Curtis
Activity: Connect
Is there a historic location in your community that you may visit or research? Connect with local historians to learn more! Use this research to create historical fiction, write an autobiography of an interesting person, or document important facts to share with others.
Developed by:
Andrea L. Curtis, Education Program Manager
Farnsworth Art Museum
Jean Lawrence, President
Waldoborough Historical Society
Contributor(s):
Claire Horne, Arts in Education Project Assistant
Farnsworth Art Museum
Contributor not pictured: Amy Morey, Director, Wyeth Study Center
Developed by Andrea L. Curtis, Farnsworth Art Museum, Arts in Education Program, 2021