Cotton Picker
Title
Cotton Picker
Subject
Virginia
Art
Description
Born in Neosho, Missouri into a family of lawyers and politicians, Thomas Hart Benton became one of his state's most recognized painters. Finding the scenes of the common man most fascinating to paint, Benton was a pioneer of the regionalist art movement focusing on nostalgic settings of the Midwest. Benton painted Cotton Pickers based on notes from a visit to Georgia in which he conveyed the dignity of the pickers despite their harsh working conditions. Cotton cultivation was a particular subject of interest to Benton especially in light of rapid industrialization, which permanently changed the American landscape. He received several commissions for murals during his lifetime, including from the Whitney Museum in New York and the Missouri State Capitol.
Creator
Thomas Hart Benton (American, 1889-1975)
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
Format
image/jpeg
Type
Image
Identifier
TAU_ART_000118
2004.001
Date Created
1943
Is Part Of
Taubman Museum of Art
Medium
painting (visual works)
oil
Provenance
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. University Libraries
Taubman Museum of Art (Repository)
Acquired with fund provided by the Horace G. Fralin Charitable Trust
Files
Collection
Citation
Thomas Hart Benton (American, 1889-1975), “Cotton Picker,” Southwest Virginia Digital Archive, accessed April 16, 2024, https://di.lib.vt.edu/items/show/942.