Leo Martínez
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, more commonly known as Grandma Moses, was an American folk artist who began painting at the age of 77 or 78. She gained popularity in the 1940s and 1950s for her nostalgic depictions of rural America. Her paintings were reproduced on greeting cards, tiles, fabrics, and ceramics, and she became a cultural icon. So, which painting are we looking at today?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses) |
| Birth | 7 September 1860 |
| Death | 13 December 1961 |
| Age when started painting | Late 70s |
| Year started painting | 1938 or 1939 |
| Year gained national popularity | 1940 |
| Notable paintings | The Cambridge Valley, Bringing in the Maple Sugar, Sugaring Off |
| Painting style | Nostalgic, idyllic, rural, folk art, intuitive, abstract, simple, innocent, authentic, decorative, primitive |
| Painting subjects | American life, farm life, countryside, rolling hills, fields, barns, quilt-making, children, farmers, seasons |
| Painting medium | Oil on pressed wood |
| Painting commercialisation | Greeting cards, tiles, fabrics, tea towels, fridge magnets, dinner plates, curtain fabrics, fabric patterns, lipstick, coffee, cigarettes |
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What You'll Learn
Grandma Moses' artistic style
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses, was an American folk artist. She began painting at the age of 77 or 78, and her work quickly gained popularity. By the 1950s, her exhibitions were breaking attendance records worldwide, and her paintings were reproduced on greeting cards, tiles, fabrics, and ceramics.
The elevated bird's-eye view that she often employed allowed her paintings to be about the general rather than the particular. Houses and barns take on elemental cubic forms, and the rolling hills and fields of her native Washington County become a flattened patchwork quilt of colour and pattern.
Her style has been described as intuitive and guided by a highly skilled and practised sensibility. She had a pragmatic approach to her work and was practical in her use of materials, such as when she used house paint to decorate a fireboard in 1918. Her paintings have been interpreted as a magnifier of all that Americans wanted to remember about what was good in life and themselves, reflecting an optimistic and intrepid view of life that resonated with many people.
Overall, Grandma Moses' artistic style can be characterised as a naive or primitive form of folk art, with a focus on simple, rural American life and an emphasis on colour and pattern. Her work captures a sense of an idyllic bygone era and has continued to captivate audiences with its intuitive artistic strength and evocation of a timeless past.
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The artist's life story
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses, was an American folk artist renowned for her paintings depicting nostalgic scenes of rural American life. Born on September 7, 1860, in Greenwich, New York, she grew up on a farm and worked as a hired girl, helping with cleaning, cooking, and sewing. Her father, Russell King Robertson, was a farmer and amateur painter who encouraged her artistic interests, allowing her to draw on old newsprint and use berry and grape juices to enhance her creations.
At the age of 27, Anna Mary married Thomas Salmon Moses and moved to a farm in Virginia, where she raised five children. It was only after returning to New York and settling in Eagle Bridge that she began to explore embroidery and, later, painting. By the mid-1930s, arthritis made embroidery difficult, so she turned to painting, finding it a more accessible creative outlet. Her sister, Celestia, suggested painting as a way to ease the physical challenges of her condition.
Grandma Moses' paintings captured the essence of an idyllic bygone era in rural America. She painted by intuition, guided by a skilled sensibility and a sophisticated sense of colour and texture. Her works featured elevated bird's-eye views of rolling hills, farms, and fields, with human figures depicted in simplistic yet iconic ways. She often painted scenes from memory, years after experiencing them, infusing her artwork with a sense of nostalgia and authenticity.
In 1939, a New York art collector named Caldor discovered her paintings displayed in a local pharmacy in Hoosick Falls, New York. He purchased all her completed works and helped her find representation in New York. That same year, she participated in the "Contemporary Unknown American Painters" exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. In 1940, she had her first solo exhibition, "What a Farm Wife Painted," organised by Otto Kallir, which propelled her into the American art scene. The public quickly embraced her artwork, and she gained widespread popularity during the 1950s, featuring on the cover of Time Magazine in 1953.
Grandma Moses' success as an artist continued throughout her life, and she became a beloved figure in American culture. She published her autobiography, "My Life's History," in 1952 at 92 years old, sharing her life story and experiences. She passed away at the age of 101 on December 13, 1961, leaving behind a legacy of artwork that continues to captivate audiences with its intuitive artistic strength and timeless portrayal of rural America.
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Popularity of her paintings
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses, was an American folk artist who gained popularity for her paintings of rural life in America. She began painting at the age of 77 or 78, and her work quickly gained recognition across the country.
Grandma Moses's paintings depicted nostalgic scenes of farm life and the rural countryside. Her use of simple realism, luminous colour, and elevated bird's-eye views created a sense of an idyllic bygone era in American life. The themes she portrayed, such as maple sugaring, quilt making, and country weddings, spoke of the unchanging cycles of rural life. Her work was also noted for its abstract artistic values, with a sophisticated sense of colour and texture.
The popularity of Grandma Moses's paintings can be attributed to their ability to capture the imagination of viewers, evoking a timeless rural American past. Her work was accessible and relatable, as it portrayed simple, pleasant scenes and subjects. This led to her paintings becoming immensely popular, with a wide following across the United States and internationally.
The recognition of Grandma Moses's talent was also a factor in the popularity of her paintings. In 1940, art dealer Kallir organised Moses exhibitions that travelled across the nation and internationally. By the 1950s, Grandma Moses had become a household name, with her paintings reproduced on Hallmark greeting cards, tiles, fabrics, ceramics, and other merchandise. She was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1953 and interviewed on live television by Edward R. Murrow in 1955.
In addition to her commercial success, Grandma Moses was also recognised for her contributions to art. She was awarded two honorary doctoral degrees and was named "Woman of the Year" by the National Association of House Dress Manufacturers in 1951. Mademoiselle magazine named her a "Young Woman of the Year" when she was 88 years old. Her paintings continue to be exhibited and sold in museums and auctions, with her painting "Sugaring Off" selling for US$1.2-1.36 million in 2006.
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Exhibitions of her work
Grandma Moses, born Anna Mary Robertson Moses, began painting at an advanced age—some sources say at 77 or 78, while others say in her seventies—after her husband died. She gained popularity in the 1950s, with her paintings being exhibited throughout Europe and the United States over the next 20 years.
In 1939, three of Grandma Moses' paintings were included in a group exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The exhibition was titled "Contemporary Unknown American Painters". The following year, she had her first solo exhibition, "What a Farm Wife Painted", at Galerie St. Etienne in New York City. This was followed by a meet-and-greet with the artist and an exhibition of 50 paintings at Gimbel's Department Store. Her third solo show was held at the Whyte Gallery in Washington, D.C.
In 1944, Grandma Moses was represented by the American British Art Center and the Galerie St. Etienne, which increased her sales. Otto Kallir, an art dealer and specialist in modern Austrian masters who had fled the Nazi regime in his native Austria, organized Moses exhibitions that travelled across the nation and internationally. Within a few years, Grandma Moses was a household name, and her paintings were reproduced on holiday cards, dinner plates, and curtain fabrics.
During the 1950s, her exhibitions broke attendance records around the world. In 1953, she appeared on the cover of Time magazine, and in 1955, she was interviewed on live television by Edward R. Murrow. In 1960, Life magazine did a cover story to celebrate her 100th birthday.
After her death in 1961, her work was exhibited in several large travelling exhibitions in the United States and abroad. Grandma Moses: American Modern, a travelling exhibition co-organized by the Shelburne Museum and the Bennington Museum, explores the work of Grandma Moses within the context of mid-century American culture and modernist art.
Grandma Moses: A Good Day's Work, organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, sheds new light on the artist's work and examines her legacy in the context of America today. The exhibition introduces the artist to new generations and explores how she became a central figure in the history of twentieth-century American art.
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Commercialisation of her art
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses, was an American folk artist who began painting at the age of 77 or 78. Her paintings depicted idyllic scenes of American life, including farm activities and rural landscapes. Moses initially sold her paintings at country fairs alongside her homemade pickles. However, her big break came when an art collector named Louis J. Caldor discovered her work in a local pharmacy window and bought all of her paintings. Soon after, Hallmark purchased the rights to reproduce her paintings on greeting cards, and Grandma Moses became a household name.
The commercialisation of Grandma Moses's art played a significant role in her widespread popularity and recognition. Her paintings were reproduced on various merchandise, including greeting cards, tiles, fabrics, and ceramics. Companies also used her artwork to market products such as coffee, lipstick, cigarettes, and cameras. This commercialisation of her art turned Grandma Moses into a celebrity artist. She graced the cover of Time magazine in 1953 and was featured in numerous television programs, including an interview with Edward R. Murrow in 1955.
One of the key contributors to the commercialisation of Grandma Moses's art was her unique style and subject matter. Her paintings depicted nostalgic and idyllic scenes of rural America, capturing the simple beauty of farm life. This resonated with many people, especially during a time of rapid industrialisation. Her artwork provided a sense of comfort and a connection to a bygone era. The three-dimensional quality of her paintings, influenced by her embroidery background, also added to their appeal.
The accessibility of her artwork also played a role in its commercialisation. Grandma Moses's paintings were affordable, initially priced between $3 and $5, making them accessible to a wide range of people. As her fame grew, the value of her paintings increased significantly, with some selling for $8,000 to $10,000. In 2006, her painting "Sugaring Off" sold at Christie's New York for $1.36 million, setting an auction record for the artist.
The commercialisation of Grandma Moses's art extended beyond merchandise and marketing. Her artwork was also exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide, attracting record-breaking attendance numbers. She was the subject of a 1950 Oscar-nominated biographical documentary, and her autobiography, "My Life's History," was published in 1952. Grandma Moses received numerous honours, including two honorary doctoral degrees and being named "Woman of the Year" by the National Association of House Dress Manufacturers in 1951.
In conclusion, the commercialisation of Grandma Moses's art transformed her into a cultural icon. Her artwork's accessibility, unique style, and nostalgic subject matter resonated with people worldwide. The reproduction of her paintings on various merchandise and the extensive media coverage further solidified her place in the art world and popular culture. Grandma Moses's success as an artist at an advanced age continues to inspire and captivate audiences today.
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Frequently asked questions
The name of this Grandma Moses painting is "Sugaring Off".
"Sugaring Off" was painted in 1943.
"Sugaring Off" depicts several stages in the harvesting and processing of maple syrup. It is a bucolic landscape with sturdy farm buildings, rolling hills, and small, simply rendered figures.
"Sugaring Off" was sold at Christie's New York in 2006 for US$1.36 million, setting an auction record for the artist.
Some of Grandma Moses's other famous paintings include "Bringing in the Maple Sugar" (1939), "The Cambridge Valley" (before 1942), and "Calhoun" (1955).
