Apple Vendor

Object Details

Luce Center Label: Barbara Stevenson painted Apple Vendor for the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), a New Deal program created by the federal government to give financial and moral support to American artists during the Great Depression. Artists were encouraged to go out and paint "the American Scene," meaning they should record the look and feel of the country. This scene depicts an old man seated on a street corner, crate in front of him with piles of yellow and red apples for sale at "5 cents a piece." The man’s figure dominates the composition, creating a heroic and monumental presence. In the background the factory chimneys, a sign of industry and hope, strike a silhouette against the golden sky. Perhaps we can also sense optimism for the future in the inclusion of a mother and child in this scene, completing a generational timeline next to the apple vendor.

Credit Line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor

ca. 1933-1934

See more items in: Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department: Painting and Sculpture
On View: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 4th Floor, 36A; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 4th Floor

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Topic: Cityscape\street; Figure group\female and child; Recreation\leisure\smoking; Figure male\full length; Architecture\industry\factory; Occupation\vendor\fruit seller; New Deal\Public Works of Art Project\Missouri

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk70bc4faf4-4421-4d82-8779-796491cdf6dc