Thanks so much for giving us a better appreciation of Benton. We inherited a signed lithograph of "Shallow Creek", with a label from Associated American Artists on the back. I don't know if my parents bought this from AAA on 5th Ave. or whether it came from another family member (my father was a "lifer" at Macy's 34th St., my mother had been a secretary at Equitable Life.) I assume it is one of the series of 250 that AAA commisioned, that Benton produced in 1939 from his painting. I grew up with it on the wall of our house on Long Island since the 50's, and now lives with us in Colorado. Our granddaughter will be entering her senior year in Art History at the U. of Colorado in Boulder. I'll share the link to your presentation with her, and perhaps she should be next in line to be entrusted with Shallow Creek. Thanks again, and hope we can visit Spencer in Lawrence at some point! Bob & Joan Weiss, Grand Junction, CO
In retrospect, perhaps likely that my dad got this at Macy's - he worked there (in Men's hats, 1st floor from the early 30's until WW2), then in furniture (9th floor) from '45 until he retired in '71. Were these series reprinted by AAA for popular artists like Benton, or can we be confident it is one of 250 (there is no number on the print)?
Hi Bob and Joan! Thank you so much for tuning in yesterday and for sharing this wonderful story. Here's a response to your question from our curator Kate Meyer: What a wonderful inheritance! Your remembrance of having the print since the 1950s can give you greater confidence that you do not have some kind of later, photomechanical reproduction. You might still have a small information sheet the AAA included with their prints as well. According to the catalog of AAA prints compiled and published by our wonderful colleagues at the Beach Museum of Art (which you can access here: krex.k-state.edu/dspace/handle/2097/19686), AAA printed and published “Shallow Creek” to the full edition size of 250 impressions (very typical for Benton lithographs) but no subsequent editions or additional impressions were made. Another wonderful resource when libraries are available again would be Creekmore Fath’s “The Lithographs of Thomas Hart Benton,” as this book includes commentary from Benton himself about his prints. Enjoy your print and try to store it in acid-free materials, away from the light, in a non-humid environment!
I wish there were more talks by this curator.
I'm drunk on the education - high on the expertise - and blown away by the delivery. Five resounding stars!
Really engaging talk! Thanks so much
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great presentation- ordering a biography- book on Sir Benton!
Great lecture!
Thanks so much for giving us a better appreciation of Benton. We inherited a signed lithograph of "Shallow Creek", with a label from Associated American Artists on the back. I don't know if my parents bought this from AAA on 5th Ave. or whether it came from another family member (my father was a "lifer" at Macy's 34th St., my mother had been a secretary at Equitable Life.) I assume it is one of the series of 250 that AAA commisioned, that Benton produced in 1939 from his painting. I grew up with it on the wall of our house on Long Island since the 50's, and now lives with us in Colorado. Our granddaughter will be entering her senior year in Art History at the U. of Colorado in Boulder. I'll share the link to your presentation with her, and perhaps she should be next in line to be entrusted with Shallow Creek. Thanks again, and hope we can visit Spencer in Lawrence at some point! Bob & Joan Weiss, Grand Junction, CO
In retrospect, perhaps likely that my dad got this at Macy's - he worked there (in Men's hats, 1st floor from the early 30's until WW2), then in furniture (9th floor) from '45 until he retired in '71. Were these series reprinted by AAA for popular artists like Benton, or can we be confident it is one of 250 (there is no number on the print)?
Hi Bob and Joan! Thank you so much for tuning in yesterday and for sharing this wonderful story. Here's a response to your question from our curator Kate Meyer:
What a wonderful inheritance! Your remembrance of having the print since the 1950s can give you greater confidence that you do not have some kind of later, photomechanical reproduction. You might still have a small information sheet the AAA included with their prints as well. According to the catalog of AAA prints compiled and published by our wonderful colleagues at the Beach Museum of Art (which you can access here: krex.k-state.edu/dspace/handle/2097/19686), AAA printed and published “Shallow Creek” to the full edition size of 250 impressions (very typical for Benton lithographs) but no subsequent editions or additional impressions were made. Another wonderful resource when libraries are available again would be Creekmore Fath’s “The Lithographs of Thomas Hart Benton,” as this book includes commentary from Benton himself about his prints. Enjoy your print and try to store it in acid-free materials, away from the light, in a non-humid environment!
Great!
Thomas hart benton was part of my family
nice work👏