The Farm

This watercolor painting is a landscape of the quintessential farm in rural America. The most striking objects are the bright colored buildings that contrast with lighter-colored foliage and land. The composition is quite empty, a majority of the space being filled with the land and sky. The buildings are composed of basic shapes with sharp angles but the rest of the painting uses large brush strokes to create a landscape that appears to flow across the canvas. The vehicle that hides in the corner represents the change from traditional farming methods that clashed with the new innovations of the 1930s.

About the Artist: Like NDG artists Lucie Bayard and A.E. Cederquist, Cunning was a student of the famous artist-teacher Robert Henri at the New York School of Art. He remained close to this circle of artists via the Whitney Studio Club, and several of his works were featured in Whitney Bienniels or museum collections: “Old Dock” (1927); “Sunset—New York Bay” (1932); “Roadside Market” (1934). His 1934 painting “Manhattan Skyline,” created for the Public Works of Art Program, is at Smithsonian American Art Museum. 1 work at Whitney Museum of American Art. 2 works at the Brooklyn Museum. 1 more image at FAP.

Cunning, John, 1889-1953

Watercolor

28.5 x 22 in.

Condition: paper yellowed