Study for Mural "Indian Arts" (Second study)
Artist
Thomas Hart Benton
(American, 1889 - 1975)
Date1932
MediumOil on board
Dimensions18 1/2 x 16 3/4 in. (47 x 42.5 cm)
ClassificationsOil Painting
Credit LineHarriet Russell Stanley Fund
Terms
Object number1953.45
DescriptionThese six preparatory oil sketches represent only a phase in Benton’s painstaking process. He sketched dozens of individuals during his travels and later chose the most expressive cast of characters to include in his murals. He modeled small-scale, sculptured figures and placed them within a shadow box arrangement to determine scale and placement. Finally, he produced a full-scale drawing and grid plan to follow when painting. The artist worked feverishly for six months, and when he finished the commission, he was exhausted. The opportunity to leave a visual record of “The Arts of Life in America” as he saw it in 1932 motivated him, as it was his desire to retain ownership of his Martha’s Vineyard house, then threatened with foreclosure. On View
Not on view
