Nagai, Tomiso (Thomas) (1886-1966) Still Life (Figured Cloth)

Name/Title

Nagai, Tomiso (Thomas) (1886-1966) "Still Life (Figured Cloth)"

Tags

Watercolor

Description

Precise outlines and imaginative color blending give this watercolor a distinctive appearance. It departs from most still lifes in giving a “ground-level” perspective of its subject matter—almost as a terrain. Fruit, flowers, and vegetables all make an appearance, along with a southwestern water vessel. Along the ground and as a sort of horizontal range are three, perhaps four patterned cloths against a gray-washed background. A note on the title: most New Deal Gallery records give the paintings title as “Still Life”; it’s not clear why the later title was added, and the frame doesn’t permit closer examination.

Artwork Details

Medium

Watercolor

Collection

Mt. Morris TB Hospital FAP Collection

Made/Created

Artist

Nagai, Tomizo

Date made

1935 - 1940

Dimensions

Height

13-1/2 in

Width

18-1/2 in

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

In-House Note

Note

No FA Number.

Note Type

Cataloging Note

Note

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