Row of Elevators

Clyfford Still, Row of Elevators, ca. 1928-1929, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of International Business Machines Corporation, 1969.128
Copied Clyfford Still, Row of Elevators, ca. 1928-1929, oil on canvas, 34 1⁄4 x 44 1⁄2 in. (87.0 x 112.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of International Business Machines Corporation, 1969.128

Artwork Details

Title
Row of Elevators
Artist
Date
ca. 1928-1929
Location
Dimensions
34 1⁄4 x 44 1⁄2 in. (87.0 x 112.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of International Business Machines Corporation
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Architecture — vehicle — truck
  • Architecture — industry — grain elevator
  • Architecture — vehicle — train
  • Architecture — industry — factory
Object Number
1969.128
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1969.128

Artwork Description

Clyfford Still painted Row of Elevators early in his career, and the scene probably shows a view near his family's farm in Alberta, Canada. The image suggests optimism at first, because the towering grain elevators, steam train, and tractor emphasize man's ability to work the land. But the abandoned machinery, subdued colors, and bleak vegetation evoke the underlying hardships faced by many farmers in order to survive.