Deserted Landscape

Malcolm Roberts, Deserted Landscape, 1937, tempera on fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from General Services Administration, 1971.447.77
Copied Malcolm Roberts, Deserted Landscape, 1937, tempera on fiberboard, 24 x 30 in. (61.0 x 76.2 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from General Services Administration, 1971.447.77

Artwork Details

Title
Deserted Landscape
Artist
Date
1937
Location
Dimensions
24 x 30 in. (61.0 x 76.2 cm)
Credit Line
Transfer from General Services Administration
Mediums
Mediums Description
tempera on fiberboard
Classifications
Keywords
  • Landscape — plain
  • Modern art movement — other — surreal
  • New Deal — Works Progress Administration, Federal Art Project — Washington State
Object Number
1971.447.77
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1971.447.77

Artwork Description

Malcolm Roberts painted several landscapes inspired by discarded objects washed up on Seattle’s beaches. Here, a piece of driftwood shaped like a woman’s pelvis balances delicately on a pedestal like a valuable piece of sculpture. In the background, looming constructions rise up from the sand and a rocking chair sits in the dim moonlight, as if somebody has just left the scene. Roberts placed apparently random objects together against a dark sky to evoke the immediate aftermath of some unknown, sinister event.