Our Good Earth 1942

lithograph, print

pencil drawn

lithograph

print

pencil sketch

charcoal drawing

charcoal art

pencil drawing

united-states

animal drawing portrait

portrait drawing

tonal art

remaining negative space

watercolor

"Our Good Earth" (1942) is a lithograph by American artist John Steuart Curry (1897-1946). The print, held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, depicts a farmer holding a stalk of wheat, accompanied by his two children. The powerful image evokes the hardships of rural life and the importance of agriculture, particularly during World War II. Curry's signature Regionalist style, characterized by bold, graphic lines and simplified forms, contributes to the print's impactful representation of American rural life.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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A pioneer of the American Regionalist movement, John Steuart Curry sought to reveal the diligence and simple dignity of the people of the rural Midwest. In this lithograph produced during World War II, Curry presents the American farmer as a proud and heroic figure, standing among the fruits of his labor, with the next generation of farmers by his side. For Curry, the farmer—hard-working, self-reliant, and honest—embodied the American moral and ethical ideal. In this role, the farmer is also emblematic of freedom from hunger, a point of national pride during wartime.