It was a backdrop to Andrew Wyeth's famous work. Now his painting of it is being auctioned

The paintings of Andrew Wyeth have a cherished place in the hearts of many Greenville art lovers.

After all, the Greenville County Museum of Art is home to the largest public collection of Wyeth watercolors in the world. And from 1978 to 1990, the museum hosted an even larger collection of Wyeth’s works, on loan from local arts patrons Arthur and Holly Magill.

This weekend, an auction house in Maine will auction several works by Andrew Wyeth, including a study of the Olson House, the backdrop for Wyeth’s iconic “Christina’s World” painting. The mixed media piece, painted in 1942, was gifted to Christina Olson after she posed for the painting.

It has a starting bid of $37,500, but is expected to fetch much more, said Kaja Veilleux, president and owner of Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, which is hosting the auction.

“The one piece is historically important because it was done before the big painting of ‘Christina’s World,’ and the fact that it was presented to Christina and (Christina’s brother) Alvaro from Andy directly, when he was working out of their home, was pretty significant,” Veilleux said. “The fact that it’s been exhibited in multiple museum shows, the fact that it belongs to one of the last living people from that era, is pretty significant. It’s estimated at $75,000 to $100,000, and it very well could exceed that.”

A few years ago, a Wyeth painting of a horse had an estimated price of $40,000 to $60,000, but ultimately fetched $185,000, he said.

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“This is a much more complex item, with an even better history than the last item we sold,” Veilleux said. “So I’m expecting to hit at least those estimates, if not more.”

The Thomaston auction also will feature “Spruce Timber,” a 1946 Andrew Wyeth watercolor; “Hay Ledge,” a fine art print; and a limited-edition Wyeth portfolio and signed photograph.

A painting by Andrew Wyeth’s son Jamie, “Fog,” also will be auctioned, with a starting bid of $100,000.

“We’ve had a lot of interest in all the Wyeth stuff,” Veilleux said.

The auction, which goes on Aug. 25-26, will feature much more than the Wyeth pieces, and will include antique jewelry, furniture, scrimshaw, antique firearms, Persian rugs and more.

“There’s about $4.2- to $5.5-million worth of rare items,” Veilleux said.  

The Wyeth pieces came to the auction from three separate families, Veilleux said.

“Nothing is ever planned; you never know what you’re going to find out of these private homes,” he said. “So they just all happened to come together at the same time.”