The Four Gables 1949

Thomas W. Nason made this wood engraving called 'The Four Gables' sometime in the middle of the twentieth century. It depicts an archetypal New England farm, complete with weathered barns and tall trees. Nason's image speaks to a nostalgic vision of rural America, one that was becoming increasingly threatened by industrialization and urbanization during his lifetime. The stark black and white medium adds to the sense of timelessness, harking back to earlier traditions of American printmaking. Consider that this piece was made during a period of significant social and economic change in the United States. The rise of consumer culture and the shift away from agrarian life prompted artists like Nason to look back to an idealized past. As historians, we can look at the art of this period to better understand the cultural anxieties and aspirations of the time. Consulting primary source materials, such as period magazines and exhibition catalogs, can shed further light on the meaning and reception of works like 'The Four Gables.'