Date(s) creation

1940 – 1945

Extent

18 paintings, egg tempera on masonite board

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Reproduction

Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from Storm King Art Center Archives and the copyright holder.

Scope and Content

Painted from 1940-1945 and arranged in order of accession, the works depict the rural life of Dorothy Dehner and David Smith on their farm in Bolton Landing, NY during the early 1940’s. Vividly drawn in a folk-art style, they record Dehner and Smith facing the daily challenges of farm life with a pioneering spirit, an appreciation for the natural world and its seasons, and a sense of being part of a larger social and artistic community. Rich in detail, the series includes landscapes, figurative scenes, and still lifes with elements of surrealism. They are accompanied by copies of Dehner’s notes.

Notes

Acquired from the artist, 1978-1985; Support provided by Margaret Hovenden Ogden, Dorothy and Paul Grotz, the Ralph E. Ogden Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. James Fitch, William Baker and Peter Giarrantano in memory of John Bateman.