Plowing

Leo Breslau, Plowing, 1934, oil on wood: plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor, 1964.1.2
Leo Breslau, Plowing, 1934, oil on wood: plywood, 29 7835 78 in. (75.891.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor, 1964.1.2

Artwork Details

Title
Plowing
Artist
Date
1934
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
29 7835 78 in. (75.891.2 cm.)
Credit Line
Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor
Mediums Description
oil on wood: plywood
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — farm
  • Landscape — mountain
  • Animal — horse
  • Figure male — full length
  • Occupation — farm — sowing
  • New Deal — Public Works of Art Project — New York City
Object Number
1964.1.2

Artwork Description

A farmer walks behind an old-fashioned horse-drawn plow, cultivating the soil as Americans have for generations. Warmed by exertion, the plowman has removed his jacket and hung it on his horse's collar. Steeply rolling hills make plowing this soil heavy work. No doubt the farmer's work will bring a plentiful harvest; the surrounding vegetation is a deep green, promising that this is fertile land.

Leo Breslau created a classic depiction of farm life in response to the Public Works of Art Project's suggestion that artists depict "the American Scene." Yet it seems unlikely that the artist left his native Brooklyn to find this scene demonstrating American ideals. The idyllic rural setting of this painting, like his previous paintings for the PWAP titled The American Home, is in the artist's imagination rather than any specific place. What could be farther from the despairing of breadlines in Depression-era New York City or the Dust Bowl than this green, rustic realm where honest work is richly rewarded? The farmer, raising a new crop, offers hope for the nation.

1934: A New Deal for Artists exhibition label

Works by this artist (162 items)

Mingering Mike, MERCY: "DIG IT" / WELL SHE LOVE'S ME, MINGERING MIKE & HIS FRACTURED SOUL BAND, ca. 1972 - 1975, ink and marker on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mike Wilkins and Sheila Duignan and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2013.8.85.2, © Mingering Mike
MERCY: DIG IT” / WELL SHE LOVE’S ME, MINGERING MIKE & HIS…
Dateca. 1972 - 1975
ink and marker on paper
Not on view
Mingering Mike, Gold Pot Records: MINGERING MIKE: SWEET WOMAN OF MINE, ca. 1972, ink, marker, crayon, and paint on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mike Wilkins and Sheila Duignan and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2013.8.110, © Mingering Mike
Gold Pot Records: MINGERING MIKE: SWEET WOMAN OF MINE
Dateca. 1972
ink, marker, crayon, and paint on paperboard
Not 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

Claire Falkenstein, City is Man, 1941-1952, linocut, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.14, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
City is Man
Date1941-1952
linocut
Not on view
Claire Falkenstein, Untitled, 1976, embossed paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.18, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Untitled
Date1976
embossed paper
Not on view
Claire Falkenstein, Mandala, 1977, lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.19, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Mandala
Date1977
lithograph
Not on view
Nathan Oliveira, Site with Blue and White, 1978, monotype, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Moses Lasky, 2004.32.14
Site with Blue and White
Date1978
monotype
Not on view