Abernathy, Inez (1873-1956) The Lake, Central Park

Art

-

The New Deal Museum

Name/Title

Abernathy, Inez (1873-1956) "The Lake, Central Park"

Entry/Object ID

2025.900.FA18093

Tags

Oil Painting, Landscape

Description

Against New York's skyline in the background, people relax in boats upon a body of water. The colors are cooler, with lots of dark and bright greens, and also lots of blues. The boaters are painted in warmer colors, along with red, to make them stand out more. Abernathy's brushstrokes are thick and heavy, giving this painting a rough texture. The lake in question is a 20-acre man-made lake Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux created for boating and ice skating. Ice skating was closed to the public in 1950. The painting features the Bow Bridge, one of seven cast iron bridges in Central Park. The ramble, a wild nature walk area, is featured on the right side of the painting.

Artwork Details

Medium

Oil

Subject Place

City

New York City

State/Province

New York

Country

United States of America

Continent

North America

Collection

Mt. Morris TB Hospital FAP Collection

Made/Created

Artist

Abernathy, Inez

Date made

1937

Dimensions

Height

20 in

Width

16 in

Condition

Overall Condition

Good

Date Examined

Jul 18, 2025

Notes

5+ chips lower half/middle right, 5+ scratches right side middle section, 17 holes all small corners edges, fading and wear all over

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.