Name/Title
Jones, Leon Foster (1871-1940) "Oyster House (The Dock)"Entry/Object ID
2025.900.FA18000Tags
EngravingDescription
We see a dock or port building with two ships moored. Jones uses ink sparingly, but cross-hatches aggressively to convey the dark paint of the dock and shadows on the water. For lighter objects, he implies more than illustrates shape through his clear mastery of weight and shadow—the water, the sky, and the grass are left as negative space—upon blank white paper, with only a few lines scattered to imply shape and texture. The mountains at the edge of the canvas, too, lose definition and shape, vanishing into loose lines towards the left, but remain stark as they fade out of view within frame. The dock building itself commands attention at the center of the canvas, it’s entrance face rounding out the right side of the composition, its dark shading balancing out the stark white of the smaller ship and the water. The contrast of the water, mountains, and dock is surprisingly uniform across the canvas, as Jones masterfully balances positive and negative space—he leaves enough blank to not let ink dominate the canvas. A note about the painting: for at least twenty-five years this etching has been listed as missing; it was re-located in April 2019. It probably depicts the Suwasset Oyster Company in Port Jefferson, NY, which was destroyed by winter storms in 1934.Collection
Mt. Morris TB Hospital FAP CollectionCondition
Overall Condition
FairDate Examined
Jul 26, 2025Notes
exposed backing on top edgeRecommendations
needs new frame and 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
In-House NoteNote
Has no official Federal number according to spreadsheetNote Type
Cataloging NoteNote
See the entry titled 'New Deal Collection Documents' for supporting documents, and general historic and research information.
