Picnic
Artist
Thomas Hart Benton
(American, 1889-1975)
CultureAmerican
Date1944
MediumTempera on board
DimensionsOverall, Frame: 43 3/4 x 32 3/4 in. (111.1 x 83.2 cm)
Credit LinePromised gift of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Batten
Object numberL2010.1.9
Not on view
Label TextThomas Hart Benton
American, 1889–1975
Picnic, 1944
Tempera on board
Thomas Hart Benton excelled at storytelling in both public murals and private works like Picnic. Here, dark details disrupt a young couple’s leisurely outdoor lunch. Wild branches seem to reach out and block their path, while thorns snag the woman’s dress and hair. Benton’s stories of everyday life in the American heartland often contain anxiety, violence, and tragedy, perhaps echoes of weighty national concerns like World War II.
Promised gift of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Batten
Exhibition History"American Masterpieces from the Batten Collection," Gallery 220, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., January 26 - July 31, 2011..
"Our Community Collects: From Durer to Warhol and Beyond," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, September 21, 2011 - December 31, 2011.
