Baseball at Night

Morris Kantor, Baseball at Night, 1934, oil on linen, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Morris Kantor, 1976.146.18
Morris Kantor, Baseball at Night, 1934, oil on linen, 3747 14 in. (94.0120.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Morris Kantor, 1976.146.18

Artwork Details

Title
Baseball at Night
Date
1934
Dimensions
3747 14 in. (94.0120.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Morris Kantor
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on linen
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure group
  • Landscape — time — night
  • Occupation — sport — referee
  • Occupation — sport — baseball
Object Number
1976.146.18

Artwork Description

Stadium lighting was still rare in 1934 when artist Morris Kantor saw this night baseball game in West Nyack, New York. The artist strove to convey in his painting "the panoramic spectacle of the field, the surrounding landscape, the people, the players, and the nocturnal atmosphere." Kantor showed the field proportionately smaller than it actually was to fit all this into his painting, along with a radio booth, flags waving against the night sky, and a runner taking his lead off first base. Major league baseball would not begin night games until 1935. However, in the early thirties Minor league, Negro League, and exhibition stadiums like this one used portable or permanent lighting for night games that would draw crowds of people who worked during the day.

The Sports Centre at the Clarkstown Country Club, in West Nyack was a versatile venue that hosted baseball games played by minor league teams, barnstorming professionals, local semipro groups of firemen and policemen, and Country Club members. Catering to the Depression-era thirst for varied, affordable entertainment, the Centre also staged boxing and wrestling matches. Eccentric proprietors Pierre A. Bernard and his wife, Blanche de Vries, even maintained a herd of performing elephants.

1934: A New Deal for Artists exhibition label

Works by this artist (136 items)

Jacob Kainen, Woman with Dark Hair, 1959, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Mary Jane Fisher, 1979.82
Woman with Dark Hair
Date1959
oil on canvas
On view
Jacob Kainen, Jacob and the Angel, 1977, oil and collage on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Ruth and Jacob Kainen, 1990.79.2
Jacob and the Angel
Date1977
oil and collage on paper
Not on view
Jacob Kainen, Color Guard, 1973, color lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1976.14.3
Color Guard
Date1973
color lithograph on paper
Not on view
Jacob Kainen, Casement, 1984, oilstick, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of an anonymous donor, 1995.97
Casement
Date1984
oilstick
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