Name/Title
Sabalauskas, Joseph (NA) "Open Road"Entry/Object ID
2025.900.FA18261Tags
Oil PaintingDescription
This painting uses a curious system of perspective. Objects in the distance—like mountains, birds, a tall tree, or the sky above—appear more figurative and natural than those nearby. Closer by, where we might expect to see detail, are abstract streaks and blotches of color. In the near foreground, a walking traveler and companion dog are rendered as semi-transparent in relation to their surroundings. They are walking toward the crest of a hill, perhaps toward the suggestion of a red roof but more accurately into a circular portal.Collection
Mt. Morris TB Hospital FAP CollectionDimensions
Height
29-1/2 inWidth
23-1/2 inCondition
Overall Condition
PoorDate Examined
Jul 31, 2025Notes
1+ cracks in tree and sky where road meets hill, 4+ chips upper right side, 2 scratches between trees above road/upper right side, 3 holes upper right corner/upper left in sky/lower left 6" up 6" over, fading around hiker and dogRecommendations
requires cleaning and repairs for cracks and holeProvenance
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.
