Trysting at Evening

Josephine Joy, Trysting at Evening, ca. 1935-1939, oil on fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from General Services Administration, 1971.447.39
Copied Josephine Joy, Trysting at Evening, ca. 1935-1939, oil on fiberboard, 29 3⁄4 x 24 in. (75.7 x 61.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from General Services Administration, 1971.447.39
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Trysting at Evening
Artist
Date
ca. 1935-1939
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
29 3⁄4 x 24 in. (75.7 x 61.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Transfer from General Services Administration
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on fiberboard
Classifications
Keywords
  • Landscape — tree
  • Landscape — time — evening
  • Animal — bird — peacock
  • New Deal — Works Progress Administration, Federal Art Project — California
Object Number
1971.447.39
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1971.447.39

Artwork Description

This painting may have been inspired by a sketch Josephine Joy made on one of her trips to the San Diego Zoo. The bench and railing in the image imply that this scene is a part of some man-made environment. The two peacocks in the foreground spread their trains to the fullest, displaying the bright colors of their plumage, and lift their chins in an attempt to attract a mate. The three birds perched on the railing and in the tree, however, ignore this elaborate show. In nature, the male peacocks are more brightly colored than female peahens, but here the artist shows them all to be more similarly colored.