Apple Vendor

Barbara Stevenson, Apple Vendor, ca. 1933-1934, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor, 1964.1.97
Copied Barbara Stevenson, Apple Vendor, ca. 1933-1934, oil on canvas, 31 1⁄4 x 29 1⁄8 in. (79.3 x 74.1 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor, 1964.1.97

Artwork Details

Title
Apple Vendor
Artist
Date
ca. 1933-1934
Location
Dimensions
31 1⁄4 x 29 1⁄8 in. (79.3 x 74.1 cm.)
Credit Line
Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • New Deal — Public Works of Art Project — Missouri
  • Cityscape — street
  • Figure group — female and child
  • Recreation — leisure — smoking
  • Figure male — full length
  • Architecture — industry — factory
  • Occupation — vendor — fruit seller
Object Number
1964.1.97
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1964.1.97

Artwork Description

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.