An Apple a Day


Johnny Appleseed, from the series American Folk Heroes Happy Birthday, John Chapman (1774–1845), a.k.a. Johnny Appleseed.

Chapman, a missionary nurseryman, traveled west from the Allegheny Mountains to Central Ohio and beyond, distributing thousands of apple tree seedlings to pioneers. His cheerful, generous nature, his love for the wilderness and animals, his knowledge of medicinal herbs, his harmony with the Indians, and his eccentric appearance were immortalized in fiction, song, and art.

Johnny Appleseed was ideal subject matter for William Gropper, a Social Realist artist who started his career as a cartoonist. With his flowing white beard and cocked hat, Gropper's folk hero is determined to achieve his dream, a land covered with apple trees.

Source: Encyclopædia Britannica Online at http://www.eb.com.

Pictured: William Gropper, 1897–1977, Johnny Appleseed, from the series American Folk Heroes, undated, lithograph, 17 1/2 x 22 1/2 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David Schiffer.