Six Works to Know by Grandma Moses

Considered one of Grandma Moses’s most iconic and American paintings, Introducing maple sugar Demonstrating a recurring theme in her work is “sugaring,” or the conversion of maple sap into sugar. Farm work was one of her favorite subjects, and here she presents a communal and multigenerational view of this seasonal activity, including neighbors delivering firewood and children waiting for their maple syrup (made by pouring hot syrup over the snow).

When Moses created this work, rituals of farm life such as these were fading away, and she was considered a commemorator whose paintings visually preserved the tradition. Maple sugar also has political implications. During the Revolution, it was the northern alternative to white sugar, which was taxed by the British government. Later, during the Civil War, this “freedom sugar” from the North became a substitute for the “slave sugar” harvested by slave labor in the South.

In the center of this cheerful farm scene at Moses Farm in Eagle Bridge, New York, we see a woman in a black dress—Moses herself, preparing for her first visit to New York in November 1940. “I was asked to go to the big city of New York and attend a Thanksgiving celebration at Kimbells Auditorium, where a picture of Grandma Moses hung,” she later recalled in her autobiography. “Grandma who has never traveled far before, with so many expectations, so many worries, so much restlessness, so much confusion, is finally on her way!”

Created several years after the event and a rare painting in which Moses refers to himself, the work captures the artist at the crossroads between his life as a peasant and his life as an artist in renown. In the center of the composition we see scenes from life at Eagle Bridge, such as children playing, sheep grazing and a man plowing a field. A dirt road cuts across the composition and rises into the unknown.

This white, gleaming scene demonstrates Moses’ panoramic style; it also represents her acquiescence in the suggestion to paint a Nativity scene. She disliked religious subjects and generally shunned interior decoration, but when her gallery owner reminded her that preparations for Christmas often began outdoors, Moses was inspired to create this painting depicting the popular American ritual. Other holidays she painted include Thanksgiving, Halloween and the Fourth of July.

When Hallmark added this image to a greeting card in 1951, it was an immediate success. At a time when the materialistic side of Christmas is beginning to overshadow the religious significance of the holiday, the painting serves as a reminder of the values ​​of family togetherness, gratitude for nature’s bounty, and the anticipation of long-standing traditions.

Moses considered the power of nature to be an integral part of its beauty and painted several scenes of approaching storms. Some of the works recall the natural disasters Moses experienced during his rural life in northeast New York, including thunderstorms, blizzards, forest fires, and tornadoes.

These storm paintings depict the tension of anticipation: dark skies, trees bending in the wind, people preparing, and restless horses rising to their feet (a keen touch that demonstrates Moses’ understanding of animals and their behavior). Other storm scenes show people continuing to work despite the weather, as if to say: “This too shall pass.” In thunderstorm We all saw it – some looked up nervously; Others are busy with their own business.

Early in her painting career, Moses established a visual vocabulary of favorite subjects, including her family’s long history in New York, particularly the lives of her two great-grandfathers, one of whom built the first carriage to run on the Cambridge Turnpike and the other who fought in the Revolutionary War. As part of this historical theme she painted many versions Checkered House— A landmark building built in 1765 and the site of a key victory during the American Revolution.

Its unique appearance has folkloric appeal, and its red pattern made it attractive for use in a 1946 advertisement for the “Original Red” shade of DuBarry lipstick. Moses’ works became popular so quickly in part because of their reproducibility, appearing on products such as Hallmark greeting cards, curtain fabrics, ceramics, plates, children’s tea sets, trivets and Spry shortening jars before this type of art marketing became popular. this Checkered House The lipstick ad was a turning point for Moses’ gallerist, Otto Carril, who realized he had to pay close attention to the use of her work and limit advertising licenses to products more in line with Moses and her lifestyle.

This was the last painting Moses completed after his 101st birthday. rainbow Reflecting the range of her favorite subjects: a working farm filled with adults, children and animals, all engaged in harvest activities and other natural rhythms of life. A prismatic but fading rainbow spans the painting almost like a spiritual force, while a tree of life is firmly rooted in the center of the composition.

Moses couldn’t paint after he finished rainbow. After several falls, she was transferred to a medical center in July 1961, where she was confined to a bed for safety until her death in December of the same year. After her death, the nation fell into mourning, with President John F. Kennedy declaring: “Her passing is mourned by all Americans.”