Thomas Hart Benton (American, 1889–1975)

LOT ID: 46774

Ten Pound Hammers, 1965

Tempera, on linen on board

14 х 10.5 in. cm.

Signed, and dated lower left. Signed, titled and annotated on the reverse.

Lot description

This work will be included in the forthcoming Thomas Hart Benton catalogue raisonné being prepared by the Thomas Hart Benton Catalogue Raisonné Foundation committee members Dr. Henry Adams, Jesse Benton, Anthony Benton Gude and Michael Owen.

The image of laboring, black workers toiling on the railroad lines evokes the power of simple men who could do mighty things. Benton chose to strengthen this with the title, referring to the folklore hero John Henry, who swore to beat a steam powered drill with his ten pound hammer.

This painting was later released by Benton as a signed lithograph in 1967.

Arguably the most influential and well known artist of the Regionalist movement, Thomas Hart Benton created naturalistic, undulating paintings that captured the mood of Depression-era America. Born in Neosho, Missouri in 1889, Benton was the great-nephew of the American senator after whom he was named. After spending a year at the Art Institute of Chicago, he moved to Paris to study at the Académie Julian where he worked closely with Stanton Macdonald-Wright, a founder of Sychromism. During WWI, Benton documented the daily happenings of the Naval shipyards of Norfolk, Virginia, an assignment that influenced the rest of his career. Upon returning to civilian life, he developed the naturalistic and representational approach that combined social realism of the hard-hit Midwest and the narratives of American folklore and bible stories that was later called Regionalism. He continued to make prints and painitngs in this style until his death in 1975.

Literature and Catalogue Raisoneé
Literature and Catalogue Raisoneé
Condition Report
Condition Report
Current lot doesn't have any damage.
History and Provenance
History and Provenance
Provenance:
The artist.
Lawrence Ashby, acquired from the artist.

Exhibition:
American Scene Paintings, February 4 - March 3, 1995, The Catherine H. Murphy Gallery, The College of Saint Catherine, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Georgia O'Keefe and other Modernists, October 29 - December 18, 2009, Gerald Peters Gallery, New York, NY.
Shipping Information
Shipping Information
Shipping Carrier:
FedEx

Shipping Weight: 8 lbs

Framing: Yes (0 x 0 inches)

Item Location: Minnesota, USA
Payment and Return Policies
Payment and Return Policies
Accepted:
Check

Sales Tax: Minnesota

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Contact the Specialist

Eric Winkler

Specialist, Modern & Impressionist

New York

(212) 497-9700 ext. 144 144

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Lot ID

46774

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Thomas Hart Benton

Title

Ten Pound Hammers

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Thomas Hart Benton (American, 1889–1975) LOT ID: 46774 Ten Pound Hammers, 1965

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Eric Winkler

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