Name/Title
Varian, Dorothy (1895-1985) "Deserted House"Entry/Object ID
2025.900.FA18282Tags
Oil PaintingDescription
An off-white house, set behind a tree with branches reaching over the roof, sits in an opulent environment of greens, browns, and yellows. Visible brush strokes in the siding of the house show shadows and rotting wood; in the tree, they texture the roundness of the trunk and the wispiness of the uppermost limbs, seeming to stretch as far as they can until they taper off. A thin, copper ladder rests against the porch, while further in the distance sits an indistinct red building.Collection
Mt. Morris TB Hospital FAP CollectionCondition
Overall Condition
FairDate Examined
Aug 2, 2025Notes
3+ cracks left side sky 6+ chips 2 trees on left/ 2 grass right center/2 main tree right branchRecommendations
requires cleaningProvenance
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.
