The Boy
Artist
Thomas Hart Benton
(American, 1889 - 1975)
Date1948
MediumLithograph on paper
DimensionsOverall: 9 1/2 × 13 3/4 inches (24.13 × 34.93 cm)
Credit LineGift of Robert M. White II in honor of his father, L. Mitchell White
Object numberF97-2/6
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionIn the foreground at the left, a figure walking down the road, carrying a suitcase, turns back to wave at two figures in the distance. Next to them is a horse. Power lines and fence posts dot the landscape.Gallery Label"We Americans are restless. We cannot stay put." —Thomas Hart Benton
For an artist as nomadic as Benton, this scene of an Ozark boy casting a final glance back at his parents as he sets out from home must have carried special resonance. In fact, although the print was eventually circulated by the Associated American Artists, Benton noted that it was “done for myself.” Although his lithographs were often made after his paintings, Benton made this print prior to committing the touching farewell to canvas.
no known provenance
Copyright© Thomas Hart Benton and Rita P. Benton Testamentary Trusts / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
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