Name/Title
Cunning, John (1889-1953) "In The Early Spring"Entry/Object ID
2025.900.FA18140Tags
Oil PaintingDescription
This painting depicts a scene that combines natural elements with man-made features. The brick wall is clearly defined in the forefront of this painting, but our attention is directed to the waterfalls that flow behind it. The wall varies in height and seems to take on the shape of the waterfall behind it. Gaps and layers of the wall give the illusion that the waterfall is part of the man-made structures. The dreary background is abundant with parallel lines that make it appear as its own type of wall.Collection
Mt. Morris TB Hospital FAP CollectionCondition
Overall Condition
PoorDate Examined
Jul 21, 2025Notes
15+ throughout lower half/lower left middle/lower right middle, fading throughout entirelyRecommendations
paint missingProvenance
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.
