Spector, George (NA) Peonies

Name/Title

Spector, George (NA) "Peonies"

Entry/Object ID

2025.900.FA18271

Tags

Oil Painting

Description

The focus of the still life painting is a vase of multicolored peonies. Spector shows skillful creation of the 3D geometric forms of the flower petals and vase, with a light source coming from the bottom right. The background is unusual in its abstraction, it suggests the idea of a corner of a room. It uses the same color palette as the flowers, with thin paint and visible brush strokes.

Artwork Details

Medium

Oil

Collection

Mt. Morris TB Hospital FAP Collection

Made/Created

Artist

Spector, George

Date made

1937

Dimensions

Height

20 in

Width

16 in

Location

Location

* Untyped Location

Buffalo State

Date

August 1, 2025

Condition

Overall Condition

Poor

Date Examined

Aug 1, 2025

Notes

lots of chips, red flower on left background/right of vase/lower flowers on right, 1 scratch left side of vase, 4 holes next to vase end of scratches/handle of vase/lower paint of vase, white paint spatter

Recommendations

requires repairs for missing paint

Provenance

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 Note

Note

See the entry titled 'New Deal Collection Documents' for supporting documents, and general historic and research information.