Name/Title
Cunning, John (1889-1953) "The Farm"Entry/Object ID
2025.900.FA18139Tags
WatercolorDescription
This watercolor painting is a landscape of the quintessential farm in rural America. The most striking objects are the bright colored buildings that contrast with lighter-colored foliage and land. The composition is quite empty, a majority of the space being filled with the land and sky. The buildings are composed of basic shapes with sharp angles but the rest of the painting uses large brush strokes to create a landscape that appears to flow across the canvas. The vehicle that hides in the corner represents the change from traditional farming methods that clashed with the new innovations of the 1930s.Collection
Mt. Morris TB Hospital FAP CollectionDimensions
Height
22 inWidth
28-1/2 inCondition
Overall Condition
FairDate Examined
Jul 21, 2025Notes
stain/pencil mark upper left corner/right sideRecommendations
new mat, secure paper/frame/glass/matProvenance
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 Documents' for supporting documents, and general historic and research information.
