Art of the Week

2014-Sept-28 Elephants by John Steuart Curry

2014-Sept-28 Elephants by John Steuart Curry

Artist: John Steuart Curry (American, 1897-1946)
Title: Elephants
Date: 1936
Accession #: 99.12.23
Medium: Lithograph
Dimensions: 17 1/4 x 21 1/4 in.
Acquired by: Marijane Wallis
About the Artist: Born on a Kansas farm in 1897, John Steuart Curry was one of the seminal figures of the Regionalist Movement along with the artists Grant Wood of Iowa and Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri. As a child, Curry studied and was fascinated by the energetic draftsmanship of Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens. Curry began his formal art education at the Kansas City Art Institute and later transferred to the Art Institute of Chicago. Continuing his studies in Paris, Curry realized that the bold canvases of contemporary European artists Picasso and Matisse, although intriguing, was not for him. He recalled the rich realism of the Ruben’s prints and actively began to work in that style.
As a Regionalist, Curry captured both the vitality and the quiet heroism of people going about their daily routines and rituals. In 1932, Curry traveled with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum Circus with the intention of creating drawings. Curry found the same strength in the circus performers that he had already documented in the farmers of Kansas.
What Grant Wood did for Iowa and Thomas Hart Benton did for Missouri; John Steuart Curry did for Kansas.

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