Grandma Moses: American Modern
Bring a profound celebration of mid-century American culture into your home with Grandma Moses: American Modern. This essential monograph offers a long-overdue reexamination of Anna Mary Robertson "Grandma" Moses (1860–1961), restoring her rightful place within the canon of mid-century American art. Long marginalized as merely a folk painter or a nostalgic media phenomenon, this volume looks closely at her compelling life and vibrant canvases to reassert her true role in the development of modernist art.
Her artistic journey is one of the most remarkable second acts in American history. Having spent most of her life working on farms and raising a family, Anna Mary Robertson Moses did not begin painting in earnest until her late 70s. When advancing arthritis made her long-held habit of detailed embroidery too painful, she traded her needle for a paintbrush. Creating over 1,500 works—often using house paint and whatever board was at hand—she captured the vibrant rhythms of rural life, proving that artistic genius has no age limit.
Through rich illustrations and fresh scholarly research, this hardcover contextualizes her painted world alongside contemporary masters like Horace Pippin and Elie Nadelman. It deconstructs the myth of the self-taught amateur while honoring her iconic place in American pop culture. Beautifully bound and filled with detailed reproductions, it makes an exquisite addition to any coffee table, art lover's library, or curated gallery display.
Bring a profound celebration of mid-century American culture into your home with Grandma Moses: American Modern. This essential monograph offers a long-overdue reexamination of Anna Mary Robertson "Grandma" Moses (1860–1961), restoring her rightful place within the canon of mid-century American art. Long marginalized as merely a folk painter or a nostalgic media phenomenon, this volume looks closely at her compelling life and vibrant canvases to reassert her true role in the development of modernist art.
Her artistic journey is one of the most remarkable second acts in American history. Having spent most of her life working on farms and raising a family, Anna Mary Robertson Moses did not begin painting in earnest until her late 70s. When advancing arthritis made her long-held habit of detailed embroidery too painful, she traded her needle for a paintbrush. Creating over 1,500 works—often using house paint and whatever board was at hand—she captured the vibrant rhythms of rural life, proving that artistic genius has no age limit.
Through rich illustrations and fresh scholarly research, this hardcover contextualizes her painted world alongside contemporary masters like Horace Pippin and Elie Nadelman. It deconstructs the myth of the self-taught amateur while honoring her iconic place in American pop culture. Beautifully bound and filled with detailed reproductions, it makes an exquisite addition to any coffee table, art lover's library, or curated gallery display.