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Alma Thomas, Snoopy Sees Earth Wrapped in Sunset, 1970, acrylic on canvas, 47 7⁄8 x 47 7⁄8 in. (121.6 x 121.6 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1978.40.4
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Snoopy Sees Earth Wrapped in Sunset
- Artist
- Date
- 1970
- Location
- Dimensions
- 47 7⁄8 x 47 7⁄8 in. (121.6 x 121.6 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of the artist
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- acrylic on canvas
- Classifications
- Keywords
- Abstract
- Object Number
- 1978.40.4
Artwork Description
In Snoopy Sees Earth Wrapped in Sunset, Thomas’s reverence for the beauty of living things expands to a planetary scale. Captivated by astronauts’ accounts of seeing Earth from outer space, Thomas portrayed our planet enlivened by the reflected light of the sun.
“Snoopy” was the nickname for the Apollo 8 lunar module, a reference to the Peanuts comic strip character (who was also a NASA mascot) and the module’s job of flying around the moon to “snoop” for a promising landing site. Thomas would likely have seen the widely circulated photograph taken from “Snoopy” as it orbited the moon. Known as Earthrise, the image shows a partly illuminated, vibrant Earth as it rises above the surface of the moon.
Exhibitions
September 15, 2023–August 4, 2024
The exhibition Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas provides an intimate view of Alma Thomas’ evolving artistic practices during her most prolific period from 1959 to her death in 1978.