Name/Title
Preachen, William (1905-1958) "October Still Life"Entry/Object ID
2025.900.FA18245Tags
Oil PaintingDescription
A vividly colored grouping avoids any appearance of symmetry or regularity of shape—even a painted plate isn’t circular. Likewise, mottling seems part of Preachen’s design as if to demonstrate that beauty can be irregular. Reds and oranges dominate in the foreground, including what may be a castor oil plant, whereas a glass, its elevated pedestal, and the backdrop shift toward blues.Collection
Mt. Morris TB Hospital FAP CollectionCondition
Overall Condition
PoorDate Examined
Jul 31, 2025Notes
13+ chips bottom of vase/flowers/just above vase, 1 scratch bottom of vase/left, 3 holes bottom of vase left side/between top of vase and apple/bottom right by shadow, stains and spots throughout entiretyRecommendations
requires cleaning and repairs for holes and chipped paintProvenance
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.
