Road in the Cuyamacas

Charles Reiffel, Road in the Cuyamacas, ca. 1933-1934, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor, 1964.1.176
Charles Reiffel, Road in the Cuyamacas, ca. 1933-1934, oil on canvas, 40 1850 38 in. (101.9128.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor, 1964.1.176
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Road in the Cuyamacas
Date
ca. 1933-1934
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
40 1850 38 in. (101.9128.0 cm)
Credit Line
Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — mountain — Cuyamaca Mountains
  • New Deal — Public Works of Art Project — California
  • Landscape — rocks
  • Landscape — California
Object Number
1964.1.176

Artwork Description

A narrow, winding path entices the viewer into this rocky wilderness in Southern California's Cuyamaca Mountains. Above the rugged peaks, clouds gather in formations that repeat those of the rocks below. Golden light streams down between the clouds, picking out a boulder here and a treetop there. Artist Charles Reiffel used bright dabs of red, orange, and blue paint to suggest sunlight sparkling on rain-wet stones and pine needles. It was this kind of spectacular scenery that had persuaded Reiffel to make an unplanned move from his home in Connecticut to San Diego in 1925. In this painting of the California countryside he loved, Reiffel spoke to viewers in distant Washington, D.C., praising the beauties of nature.

1934: A New Deal for Artists exhibition label

Works by this artist (4 items)

Paul Henry Ramirez, SPIN (pink), 2009, screenprint on linen canvas with rotating wall-mount armature, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2011.11.2A-B, © 2009, Paul Henry Ramirez
SPIN (pink)
Date2009
screenprint on linen canvas with rotating wall-mount armature
Not on view
Paul Henry Ramirez, SPIN (orange), 2009, screenprint on linen canvas with rotating wall-mount armature, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2011.11.3A-B, © 2009, Paul Henry Ramirez
SPIN (orange)
Date2009
screenprint on linen canvas with rotating wall-mount armature
Not on view
Paul Henry Ramirez, SPIN (red), 2009, screenprint on linen canvas with rotating wall-mount armature, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2011.11.1A-B, © 2009, Paul Henry Ramirez
SPIN (red)
Date2009
screenprint on linen canvas with rotating wall-mount armature
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

James F. Dicke II, Untitled #48, 2009, mixed media on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Marsha Ralls, 2010.19.1, © 2009, James F. Dicke II
Untitled #48
Date2009
mixed media on canvas
On view
Residual Series: Weak Heart, Strong Lungs
Date2018
ink, charcoal, acrylic, spray paint, enamel, oil, metal dust and pine needles on canvas
Not on view
Rae Ferren, The Lily Pool, 2004, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Bran Ferren, 2010.59, © 2004, Rae Ferren
The Lily Pool
Date2004
oil on canvas
On view
Alexis Rockman, Gymnorhamphichthys bogardusae, 2001, oil on wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William and Maria Spears, 2019.58
Gymnorhamphichthys bogardusae
Date2001
oil on wood
Not on view