At Madrid Coal Mine, New Mexico

Carl Redin, At Madrid Coal Mine, New Mexico, 1934, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor, 1964.1.166
Carl Redin, At Madrid Coal Mine, New Mexico, 1934, oil on canvas, 3038 in. (76.296.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor, 1964.1.166
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
At Madrid Coal Mine, New Mexico
Artist
Date
1934
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
3038 in. (76.296.5 cm)
Credit Line
Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — New Mexico — Madrid
  • Landscape — mountain
  • Travel — land — train
  • Architecture — vehicle — train
  • New Deal — Public Works of Art Project — New Mexico
  • Architecture — industry — mine
Object Number
1964.1.166

Artwork Description

The men of Madrid, New Mexico, went to work every day in these hulking, rusty buildings that led to the coal mines of the Albuquerque and Cerrillos Coal Company. Artist Carl Redin specialized in painting picturesque New Mexico landscapes, but to find "the American Scene" requested by the PWAP, he turned to the mines of Madrid. It was a company town in which every citizen’s life was dominated by coal and the company that owned the mines, stores, and houses. The company provided distractions to keep the miners and their isolated families content—an amusement hall, Christmas and Easter celebrations, Fourth of July parades, a baseball team. The Christmas lights were so famous that they attracted tourists to town. But Redin centered his painting on the grim mines that produced the coal and the train that hauled it away. Sheds, smokestacks, machines, and slag heaps cover the New Mexico hills and smoke fouls the air. Not a human figure is to be seen. Except for the engineer of the train, all the men are underground.

1934: A New Deal for Artists exhibition label

Works by this artist (1036 items)

William H. Johnson, Young Pastry Cook, ca. 1928-1930, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.693
Young Pastry Cook
Dateca. 1928-1930
oil on canvas
On view
William H. Johnson, Portrait of a Man, ca. 1935-1938, oil on burlap, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.814
Portrait of a Man
Dateca. 1935-1938
oil on burlap
On view
William H. Johnson, Breakdown with Flat Tire, ca. 1940-1941, oil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.587
Breakdown with Flat Tire
Dateca. 1940-1941
oil on plywood
On view
William H. Johnson, For India and China, ca. 1944-1945, oil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.662
For India and China
Dateca. 1944-1945
oil on paperboard
On view

Related Books

1934_500.jpg
1934: A New Deal for Artists
During the Great Depression, president Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised a “new deal for the American people,” initiating government programs to foster economic recovery. Roosevelt’s pledge to help “the forgotten man” also embraced America’s artists. The Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) enlisted artists to capture “the American Scene” in works of art that would embellish public buildings across the country. Although it lasted less than one year, from December 1933 to June 1934, the PWAP provided employment for thousands of artists, giving them an important role in the country’s recovery. Their legacy, captured in more than fifteen thousand artworks, helped “the American Scene” become America seen.

More Artworks from the Collection

Arnold Blanch, Harvest Scene (mural study, Fredonia, New York Post Office), ca. 1937, tempera on illustration board, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the Internal Revenue Service through the General Services Administration
, 1962.8.28
Harvest Scene (mural study, Fredonia, New York Post Office)
Dateca. 1937
tempera on illustration board
Not on view
William H. Johnson, Seated Woman in Orange Print Dress, ca. 1939-1940, tempera on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.281
Seated Woman in Orange Print Dress
Dateca. 1939-1940
tempera on paperboard
Not on view
William H. Johnson, Seated Female Nude with Gold Necklace and Auburn Hair, ca. 1939-1940, tempera on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.197
Seated Female Nude with Gold Necklace and Auburn Hair
Dateca. 1939-1940
tempera on paperboard
Not on view