"Our Good Earth"

John Steuart Curry (1897-1946)
"Our Good Earth," 1942
Lithograph
Edition 250
Prints & Photographs Division (66.2)

John Steuart Curry, along with other American Regionalist artists, presented visions of America that found beauty and dignity in the lives of ordinary citizens. This concern was shared by Farm Security Administration photographers, who set out document the Depression, and in the process created indelible images which often blurred the lines between art, and information. Here, Curry's hero stands watch over playing children, and "amber" waves of grain suggesting plenty, hope, and patriotic identity.