Regionalism (art)

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American Regionalism is an American realist modern art movement that included paintings, murals, lithographs, and illustrations depicting realistic scenes of rural and small town America primarily in the midwest and deep south. It arose in the 1930s as a response to the Great Depression, and ended in the 1940s due to the end of World War II and a lack of development within the movement. It reached its height of popularity from 1930 to 1935 because it was widely appreciated for its reassuring images of the American heartland during the Great Depression.[1] Despite major stylistic differences between specific Regionalist artists, Regionalist art in general was in a relatively conservative and traditionalist style that appealed popular American sensibilities, while strictly opposing the perceived domination of French art.[2]

The Rise of Regionalism[edit]

Before World War II, the concept of Modernism was not clearly defined in the context of American art. There was also a struggle to define a uniquely American type of art.[3] On the path to determining what American art would be, American artists rejected the modern trends emanating from the Armory Show and European influences particularly from the School of Paris. By rejecting European abstract styles, American artists chose to adopt academic realism, which depicted American urban and rural scenes. Partly due to the Great Depression, Regionalism became one of the dominant art movements in America in the 1930s the other being Social Realism. At the time, the United States was still a heavily agricultural nation with a much smaller portion of its population living in industrial cities such as New York City or Chicago.

American Scene Painting[edit]


Grant Wood, American Gothic, 1930, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL.

The Regionalist Triumvirate[edit]


American Regionalism is best known through its "Regionalist Triumvirate" consisting of the three most highly respected artists of America's Great Depression era, which included Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, and John Steuart Curry. All three had studied art in Paris, but devoted their lives to creating a truly American form of art. They believed that the solution to urban problems in American life and the Great Depression was for the United States to its rural agricultural roots.[4]

Grant Wood[edit]

American painter from Anamosa, Iowa that was best known for his painting American Gothic. He also wrote a notable pamphlet titled Revolt Against the City, published in Iowa City, 1935. In it he asserts that American artists and buyers of art were no longer looking to Parisian culture for subject matter and style. Wood wrote that Regional artists interpret physiography, industry, and psychology of their hometown, and that the competition of these preceding elements creates American culture. He wrote that the lure of the city was gone, and hopes that art of the widely diffused "whole people" would prevail. He cites Thomas Jefferson's characterization of cities as "ulcers on the body politic."[6]

Thomas Hart Benton[edit]

American painter, illustrator and lithographer from Neosho, Missouri that became widely known for his murals. His subject matter mostly focused on working class America, while incorporating social criticism. He heavily denounced European modern art despite the fact that he was regarded as a modernist and an abstractionist. When Regionalism lost its popularity in America, Benton got a job as a teacher at the Kansas City Art Institute, where he became a teacher and lifelong father figure for Jackson Pollock. Benton also wrote two autobiographies in his life, his first one titled, An Artist in America, which described his travels the United States, and his second, An American in Art, which described his technical development as an artist. Along with being an painter he was a talented folk musician, and released a record called, Saturday Night at Tom Benton’s.[7]

John Steuart Curry[edit]

John Steuart Curry, Baptism in Kansas, 1928, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City, NY.

American painter and illustrator from Dunavant, Kansas. Curry began as an illustrator of ‘Wild West’ stories, but after more training, he was hired to paint murals for the Department of Justice and the Department of Interior under the Federal Arts Patronage in the New Deal.[8] He had a histrionic, anecdotal style, and believed that art should come from everyday life and that an artist should paint what they love. In his case he painted his beloved home in the Midwest.[9] Wood wrote about Curry's style and subject matter of art, stating "It was action he loved most to interpret: the lunge through space, the split second before the kill, the suspended moment before the storm strikes."[10]

American Modernism[edit]

A debate over who and what would define American art as Modernism began with the 1913 Armory Show in New York between abstraction and realism. The debate then evolved in the 1930s into the three camps, Regionalism, Social Realism, and Abstract art. By the 1940s, Regionalism and Social Realism were placed on the same side of the debate as American Scene Painting, leaving only two camps, that were divided geographically and politically. American Scene Painting was promoted by conservative, anti-Modernist critics, such as Thomas Craven, who saw it as a way to defeat the influence of abstraction arriving from Europe. American Scene painters primarily lived in rural areas, and created works that were realistic and addressed social, economic and political issues. On the other side of the debate were the Abstract artists who primarily lived in New York City and were promoted by pro-Modernist critics, writers and artists such as Alfred Stieglitz.

The Decline of Regionalism[edit]

When World War II ended, Regionalism and Social Realism lost status in the art world. The end of World War II ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity and the Cold War brought a change in the political perception of Americans and allowed Modernist critics to gain power. Regionalism and Social Realism also lost popularity among American viewers due to a lack of development within the movement due to the tight constraints of the art to agrarian subject matter. Ultimately, this led to Abstract expressionism winning out the title of American Modernism, and becoming the new prominent and popular artistic movement.[11]

The Importance of Regionalism[edit]

Regionalism limited the spread of abstract art to the East Coast, which allowed American art to gain confidence in itself instead of relying on European styles.[12] With American art fully established, Regionalism then was able to bridge the gap between Abstract art and Academic realism similarly to how the Impressionists bridged a gap for the Post-Impressionists, like Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, and Paul Gauguin, in France a generation earlier. Despite the fact the Regionalism developed with the intent of replacing European abstraction with authentic American realism, it became the bridge for American Abstract Expressionism, led ironically by Benton's pupil Jackson Pollock.[12] Jackson Pollock's power as an artist was mostly due to the encouragement and influence of Thomas Hart Benton.[11]

The Influence of Regionalism[edit]

John Steuart Curry, Tragic Prelude, 1938-1940, Kansas State Capitol, Topeka, KS.



Notable Paintings[edit]

  • American Gothic painted by Grant Wood in 1930, and is now on display at the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. He found inspiration in a Carpenter Gothic style farm house in Eldon, Iowa and uses his dentist and sister as models for the people.[14] It is now commonly thought of as America's favorite painting, and is deeply rooted in American popular culture.
  • America Today, Thomas Hart Benton's most notable mural painted in 1930-1931 for New York's New School for Social Research. This ten panel mural celebrates rural and urban life of the 1920s, while alluding to race relations, social values, and the oncoming economic distress during the Great Depression. It is now on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, New York.[15]
  • The Social History of the State of Missouri, a thirteen panel mural painted by Thomas Hart Benton in 1936 depicting the history of Missouri and the activity and progress of Missouri's cities, while also addressing racial issues. It is now on display at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, Missouri.[16]
  • The Cultural & Industrial Progress of Indiana, a two series mural by Thomas Hart Benton painted in 1933 for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, and is now on display at the Indiana University Art Museum in Bloomington, Indiana.[17]
  • Hogs Killing a Rattlesnake painted by John Steuart Curry in 1930, and is now on display at the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.[10]
  • Tornado Over Kansas painted by John Steuart Curry in 1929, and is now on display at the Muskegon Museum of Art in Muskegon, Michigan.[18]
  • Tragic Prelude by John Steuart Curry, painted in 1938-1940, and is now on display at the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka, Kansas.[13][19]
  • Baptism in Kansas, painted in 1928 by John Steuart Curry, appealed to the urban East Coast viewers due to the fact that it captured early American life. It is now on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, New York.[8][9]

Notable Artists[edit]


  5. ^ Baigell, Matthew (1974). The American scene: American painting of the 1930s. New York: Praeger. ISBN 0-275-46620-5. 
  7. ^ "Benton, Thomas Hart.". Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Retrieved 2016-05-04. 
  8. ^ a b "Curry, John Steuart.". Oxford Art Online. Retrieved 2016-05-03. 