Bowler, Harold T. (1903-1965) Lilies and Shell

Art

The New Deal Museum

Name/Title

Bowler, Harold T. (1903-1965) "Lilies and Shell"

Entry/Object ID

2025.900.FA18119

Description

It’s possible that the flowers depicted in this still life are wild mountain lilies (Lilium auratum), also called the golden-rayed lily of Japan. Whatever the case, flowers’ size and colorful radials draw our attention inward—which is similar in effect to a conch shell pictured on the same table. Warm peach colors are played against complementary greens and blues.

Artwork Details

Medium

Oil

Collection

Mt. Morris TB Hospital FAP Collection

Made/Created

Artist

Bowler, Harold T.

Date made

1935 - 1940

Condition

Overall Condition

Very Poor

Date Examined

Jul 20, 2025

Notes

4+ cracks, lower right corner/ upper left corner/ lower left corner/ small ones scattered, 5+ chips on lily petals, 5+ lower right corner lower and upper left corners, fading/peeling throughout and around chipped areas

Recommendations

requires repairs for significant tears, chipped paint

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.