Name/Title
Muir, John (NA) "Still Life on a Table"Entry/Object ID
2025.900.FA18212Tags
Oil PaintingDescription
In stark contrast to Dutch pronk still-lifes, known for their ostentatious display of exotic objects, we see here a much humbler setting and collection. A rough wooden table (albeit polished enough to reflect fruit resting upon it) is nestled against dark brown walls. A colorful vase and striking succulent plant displace us from the struggles of life during the 1930s; a battered fedora hat at lower right returns us to them.Collection
Mt. Morris TB Hospital FAP CollectionCondition
Overall Condition
Very PoorDate Examined
Jul 27, 2025Notes
35+ cracks vase middle/lower left corner 2+ chips vase table/right middle, 2 holes right middle, stains upper right middleRecommendations
hole, missing paintProvenance
Provenance Detail
Created under the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project (1930s–1940s), this collection of easel paintings was originally installed at the Mount Morris Tuberculosis Sanitorium in Livingston County, New York. Following the sanitorium’s closure in 1970, the artworks were abandoned and remained in storage until their rediscovery decades later. Now preserved and exhibited by the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts (GVCA), the collection is housed at the New Deal Museum in Mount Morris. Current efforts include digitization, high-resolution photography, and the creation of an online archive to ensure long-term public access and research availability.General Notes
Note Type
Cataloging NoteNote
See the entry titled 'New Deal Collection' for supporting documents, and general historic and research information.
