Benton painted Cotton Pickers, Georgia from studies that he made during a trip through Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia in the summer and fall of 1926. The artist returned to this same group of studies in conceiving and executing the America Today (MMA 2012.478a–j) mural panel Deep South. Activated by passages of frenetic brushwork and rich color, Cotton Pickers, Georgia retains much of the sketchy quality of Benton’s drawings, but it also exhibits the painter’s interest in rendering workers heroically. The artist recalled that his experience in the South "was the beginning of what came to be called my ‘Regionalism.’"
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Artwork Details
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Title:Cotton Pickers, Georgia
Artist:Thomas Hart Benton (American, Neosho, Missouri 1889–1975 Kansas City, Missouri)
Date:1928–29
Medium:Tempera and oil on canvas
Dimensions:30 × 35 7/8 in. (76.2 × 91.1 cm)
Classification:Paintings
Credit Line:George A. Hearn Fund, 1933
Accession Number:33.144.2
Inscription: Signed (lower right): Benton
the artist (until 1933; sold through Ferargil Galleries, New York to MMA)
New York. Delphic Studios. "Recent Paintings by Thomas H. Benton," March 3–25, 1930, no. 6.
Philadelphia. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. "One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Annual Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture," January 25–March 15, 1931.
Saint Louis. City Art Museum. "Twenty-sixth Annual Exhibition of Paintings by American Artists," September 19–November 1, 1931, no. 3 (as "Cotton Pickers") [possibly withdrawn early for Exh. Chicago 1931].
Art Institute of Chicago. "Forty-Fourth Annual Exhibition of American Paintings and Sculpture," October 29–December 13, 1931, no. 14 (as "Cotton Pickers").
Art Institute of Chicago. "A Century of Progress: Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture," May 23–October 31, 1933, no. 506 (as "Cotton Pickers," lent by the artist).
Paris. United States Pavilion. "Exposition internationale des arts et des techniques dans la vie moderne," May 25–November 25, 1937, unnumbered cat. (p. 672; as "Cotton-Pickers").
Baltimore Museum of Art. "Labor in Art," September 5–30, 1938, extended to October 2, 1938.
Grand Rapids, Mich. Grand Rapids Art Gallery. "Friends of American Art First National Exhibition," March 5–30, 1940.
WPA Art Center, Jacksonville, Fla. "Paintings from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," March 1–31, 1941, no catalogue.
New Brunswick, N.J. Rutgers University Library. "Picture of the Month," May 1941, no catalogue.
Omaha. Joslyn Memorial. "Contemporary American Paintings," June 23–September 1, 1941, no catalogue.
Montgomery, Ala. Montgomery Museum of Art. "Contemporary American Paintings from the Metropolitan Museum Collection," November 9–December 1, 1941, no catalogue.
Brooklyn. YMCA, Fort Hamilton. March 16–October 1, 1942, no catalogue.
New York. Columbia University. March 7–October 15, 1944.
Buena Vista, Va. Southern Seminary and Junior College. "American Paintings," November 13, 1944–June 15, 1945, no catalogue.
Brooklyn. Samuel J. Tilden High School. "Modern American Masters (New York School-Museum Program)," November 1945, no catalogue.
Brooklyn. Fort Hamilton High School. "Modern American Masters (New York School-Museum Program)," December 1945, no catalogue.
Bronx. William Howard Taft High School. "Modern American Masters (New York School-Museum Program)," January 1946, no catalogue.
New York. Benjamin Franklin High School. "Modern American Masters (New York School-Museum Program)," February 1946, no catalogue.
Bronx. DeWitt Clinton High School. "Modern American Masters (New York School-Museum Program)," March 1946, no catalogue.
Bronx. Walton High School. "Modern American Masters (New York School-Museum Program)," April 1946, no catalogue.
Queens. John Adams High School. "Modern American Masters (New York School-Museum Program)," May–June 1946, no catalogue.
New York. Straubenmuller Textile High School. "New York School-Museum Program," September 18–October 25, 1946, no catalogue.
Bronx. Theodore Roosevelt High School. "New York School-Museum Program," October 25–November 25, 1946, no catalogue.
Bronx. Evander Childs High School. "New York School-Museum Program," November 25, 1946–January 8, 1947, no catalogue.
Bronx. Christopher Columbus High School. "New York School-Museum Program," January 8–February 20, 1947, no catalogue.
New York. Julia Richman High School. "New York School-Museum Program," February 20–March 20, 1947, no catalogue.
Brooklyn. New Utrecht High School. "New York School-Museum Program," March 20–April 30, 1947, no catalogue.
Brooklyn. Bay Ridge High School. "New York School-Museum Program," April 30–June 6, 1947, no catalogue [on view until May 19, 1947].
Salt Lake City. Centennial Art Gallery, Centennial Exposition, Utah State Fair Grounds. "One Hundred Years of American Painting from the Collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City," July 1–29, 1947, no. 55 (as "The Cotton Pickers, [Georgia]").
Nashville, Tenn. Watkins Institute. "20 Contemporary American Paintings from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," October 7–31, 1949, no catalogue.
Columbia. Maxcy College, University of South Carolina. "20 Contemporary American Paintings from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," November 9–December 3, 1949, no catalogue [additional venues through April 1950].
American Federation of Arts circulating exhibition. "American Paintings of the Twentieth Century," January 1951–November 1952 (lent to numerous U.S. venues, including those listed below), no catalogue (checklist no. 1).
Hagerstown, Md. Washington County Museum of Fine Arts. "American Paintings of the Twentieth Century," April 1951.
Nashville. Watkins Institute. "American Paintings of the Twentieth Century," November 5–25, 1951.
Montgomery, Ala. Montgomery Museum of Art. "American Paintings of the Twentieth Century," December 1951.
Abilene, Tex. Abilene Museum of Fine Arts. "American Paintings of the Twentieth Century," April 7–20, 1952.
Shreveport. Louisiana State Exhibit Museum. "American Paintings of the Twentieth Century," May 11–25, 1952.
South Hadley, Mass. Dwight Art Memorial, Mount Holyoke College. "American Paintings of the Twentieth Century," November 6–25, 1952.
Iowa City. State University of Iowa, School of Fine Arts. "Then and Now: American Painting in the 1930's and 1950's," June 13–July 31, 1954, no. 1 (as "Cotton Pickers").
Kent, Conn. Kent School. "American Painting, 1906–1956," September 12–November 29, 1955, no catalogue.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Three Centuries of American Painting," April 9–October 17, 1965, unnum. checklist (dated ca. 1932).
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "American Paintings, Drawings and Watercolors from the Museum's Collections," October 1–December 7, 1969, no catalogue.
New Brunswick, N.J. Rutgers University Art Gallery. "Thomas Hart Benton: A Retrospective of His Early Years, 1907–1929," November 19–December 30, 1972, no. 66.
Syracuse, N.Y. Everson Museum of Art. May 1–22, 1974.
Berlin. Akademie der Künste. "Amerika: Traum und Depression 1920/40," November 9–December 28, 1980, no. 15.
Kunstverein Hamburg. "Amerika: Traum und Depression 1920/40," January 11–February 15, 1981, no. 15.
Galerie des Beaux-Arts, Bordeaux. "Profil du Metropolitan Museum of Art de New York: de Ramsès à Picasso," May 15–September 1, 1981, no. 217.
Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. Edith C. Blum Art Institute. Milton and Sally Avery Arts Center. Bard College Center. "Thomas Hart Benton: Chronicler of America's Folk Heritage," November 3–December 19, 1984.
Lewisburg, Penn. Bucknell University. "Thomas Hart Benton: Chronicler of America's Folk Heritage," January 5–February 25, 1985.
Flushing, N.Y. Queens Museum of Art. "Thomas Hart Benton: Chronicler of America's Folk Heritage," March 3–May 5, 1985.
Yonkers, N.Y. Hudson River Museum. "Thomas Hart Benton: Chronicler of America's Folk Heritage," May 2–July 6, 1985.
Kansas City, Mo. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. "Thomas Hart Benton: An American Original," April 16–June 18, 1989, unnumbered cat. (p. 135; as "Cotton Pickers [Georgia]")).
Detroit Institute of Arts. "Thomas Hart Benton: An American Original," August 4–October 15, 1989, unnumbered cat.
New York. Whitney Museum of American Art. "Thomas Hart Benton: An American Original," November 17, 1989–February 11, 1990, unnumbered cat.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art. "Thomas Hart Benton: An American Original," April 29–July 22, 1990, unnumbered cat.
Tulsa, Okla. Philbrook Museum of Art. "The Landscape in Twentieth-Century American Art: Selections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," April 14–June 9, 1991, no. 20.
Miami. Center for the Fine Arts. "The Landscape in Twentieth-Century American Art: Selections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," June 29–August 24, 1991, no. 20.
Omaha. Joslyn Art Museum. "The Landscape in Twentieth-Century American Art: Selections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," September 14–November 10, 1991, no. 20.
Tampa Museum of Art. "The Landscape in Twentieth-Century American Art: Selections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," December 14, 1991–February 8, 1992, no. 20.
Greenville, S. C. Greenville County Museum of Art. "The Landscape in Twentieth-Century American Art: Selections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," March 17–May 10, 1992, no. 20.
Madison, Wisc. Madison Art Center. "The Landscape in Twentieth-Century American Art: Selections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," June 6–August 2, 1992, no. 20.
Grand Rapids, Mich. Grand Rapids Art Museum. "The Landscape in Twentieth-Century American Art: Selections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," September 11–November 8, 1992, no. 20.
Mobile, Ala. Fine Arts Museum of the South. "Modernism and American Painting of the 1930s," February 12–March 28, 1993, unnumbered cat. (p. 8).
Roslyn Harbor, N. Y. Nassau County Museum of Art. "American Realism Between the Wars, 1919 to 1941," April 10–June 5, 1994, unnumbered cat. (fig. 13).
Albany. New York State Museum. "Twentieth-Century American Landscapes from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," May 29–November 4, 2001, no catalogue.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Thomas Hart Benton’s 'America Today' Mural Rediscovered," September 30, 2014–April 19, 2015, no catalogue (see MMA Bulletin 72, Winter 2015).
Milwaukee Art Museum. "American Epics: Thomas Hart Benton and Hollywood," June 9–September 5, 2016 (p. 195).
"Exhibitions in the New York Galleries: Thomas H. Benton, Violet Mege, Delphic Galleries." Art News 28 (March 15, 1930), p. 17.
"New York Season." Art Digest 4 (Mid-March 1930), p. 16.
Arthur Stanley Riggs. "The Pennsylvania Academy's 126th Annual." Art and Archaeology 31 (March 1931), ill. p. 164.
Elisabeth Luther Cary. "Easy for the Traveler." New York Times (February 8, 1931), p. 117, ill.
Mary Powell. "American Life Typified in American Paintings at St. Louis." American Magazine of Art 23, no. 5 (1931), p. 432.
"American Canvas Exhibit Here Has Modernistic Note." St. Louis Star (September 22, 1931), p. 5.
Edward Alden Jewell. "Art: Book Illustrations on View; Metropolitan Purchases." New York Times (November 28, 1933), p. 19, calls it "Cotton Pickers".
"Paintings Bought by Metropolitan." Art News 32 (December 9, 1933), p. 126, calls it "Cotton Pickers".
Edward Alden Jewell. "Art Works Shown by Thomas Benton." New York Times (April 12, 1934), p. 21.
Janet W. Congdon. "Some Important Museum Acquisitions." Parnassus 6 (February 1934), p. 18, calls it "Cotton Pickers'.
"On the Local Horizons." New York Times (June 21, 1936), p. X7, calls it "Cotton Pickers".
J[oseph]. D[owns]. in "Notes." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 32 (August 1937), p. 199.
"FSCW to Sponsor Exhibit of Art at Jacksonville." Tallahassee Democrat (February 27, 1941), p. 10.
"Thomas Hart Benton Painting to Be Displayed at Rutgers." Sunday Times (New Brunswick, N.J.) (May 11, 1941), p. 7.
Leonard Thiessen. "Art." Sunday World-Herald Omaha (July 20, 1941), p. 7-C.
"Seminary to Exhibit American Paintings." Richmond Times-Dispatch (December 3, 1944), p. 29.
Charles L. Fontenay. "Dr. Dutch's Talk, Preview Mark Exhibit Opening." Nashville Tennessean (October 8, 1949), p. 5.
"Watkins Opens Art Exhibit Program Oct. 7." Nashville Tennessean (October 2, 1949), p. 10D, ill., calls it "Cotton Pickers—Georgia".
"To Be Shown in Columbia." Times and Democrat (November 1, 1949), p. 6, ill., calls it "Georgia Cotton Pickers".
Edward McNall Burns. Western Civilizations: Their History and Their Culture. 3rd ed. (1st ed., 1941). New York, 1949, n.p., ill. between pp. 674 and 675 (detail), calls it "The Cotton Pickers".
D. R. K. "Metropolitan Exhibit at Museum." Montgomery Advertiser (December 9, 1951), p. 29.
"Paintings of Famed American Artists to Be Shown Monday." Abilene Reporter-News (April 6, 1952), p. 7-B, calls it "Cotton Picker".
"New Exhibit by American Artists Opens." Shreveport Times (May 11, 1952), p. B9, ill. (installation photo, Exh. Shreveport 1952).
"Widely-Known Painters' Exhibit at Mount Holyoke Opens Thursday." Transcript-Telegram (November 5, 1952), p. 3.
Albert Ten Eyck Gardner. A Concise Catalogue of the American Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, 1957, p. 3.
Henry Geldzahler. American Painting in the Twentieth Century. New York, 1965, p 94 , ill. p. 92.
Thomas Hart Benton. An American in Art: A Professional and Technical Autobiography. Lawrence, Kan., 1969, ill. p. 95.
Lillian Freedgood. An Enduring Image: American Painting from 1665. New York, 1970, ill. p. 316.
"2 Exhibitions: Benton and Rockwell." New York Times (November 12, 1972), p. 128.
Phillip Dennis Cate. Thomas Hart Benton: A Retrospective of His Early Years, 1907–1929. Exh. cat., Rutgers University Art Gallery. New Brunswick, N.J., 1972, unpaginated, no. 66, pl. 14.
Matthew Baigell. Thomas Hart Benton. New York, [1974], colorpl. 60, calls it "Cotton Pickers (Georgia)".
Alden Whitman. "Thomas Hart Benton, Whose Paintings Reflected His Hardy Americanism, Is Dead." New York Times (January 21, 1975), p. 23, calls it "Cotton Pickers".
"Thomas Hart Benton Dies; Painter of American Scene." New York Times (January 20, 1975), p. 30.
William S. Lieberman inProfil du Metropolitan Museum of Art de New York: de Ramsès à Picasso. Exh. cat., Galerie des Beaux-Arts, Bordeaux. Bordeaux, 1981, pp. 167–68, no. 217, ill.
Emily Braun in Emily Braun and Thomas Branchick. Thomas Hart Benton: The America Today Murals. Exh. cat., Williams College Museum of Art. Williamstown, Mass., 1985, p. 42.
John Daxland. "Benton Exhibit at Queens Museum." Daily News (April 28, 1985), p. W3.
Mary Schmidt Campbell inHarlem Renaissance: Art of Black America. Exh. cat., Studio Museum in Harlem. New York, 1987, p. 52, fig. 15.
Henry Adams. Thomas Hart Benton: An American Original. Exh. cat., Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Mo. New York, 1989, pp. 135, 353, ill.
John Loughery. "Early Moderns: Benton, Marin, Spencer." Hudson Review 43 (Autumn 1990), p. 462, calls it "Cotton Pickers (Georgia)" and dates it 1928.
Helen A. Cooper. "Thomas Hart Benton, 'Weighing Cotton'." Yale University Art Gallery Bulletin (1990), p. 86 n. 1.
Lisa M. Messinger inThe Landscape in Twentieth-Century American Art: Selections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Exh. cat., American Federation of Arts. New York, 1991, pp. 61, 72.
Lowery Stokes Sims inThe Landscape in Twentieth-Century American Art: Selections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Exh. cat., American Federation of Arts. New York, 1991, pp. 68, no. 20, ill. p. 69 (color).
Robert Rosenblum inThe Landscape in Twentieth-Century American Art: Selections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Exh. cat., American Federation of Arts. New York, 1991, p. 11.
John Brandenburg. "Art Review: Philbrook Show Features 60 Landscape Paintings." Daily Oklahoman (May 29, 1991), p. 13.
Eliot Nusbaum. "Joslyn Hosts a Vivid Landscape Show." Des Moines Sunday Register (September 22, 1991), p. 7F.
Mary Ann Marger. "An Artistic Tribute to America." Tampa Bay Times (January 17, 1992), p. 32.
Karin Lipson. "Realism Revisited." Newsday (April 29, 1994), p. B21.
Paul Grootkerk. "Earth and Soil: Southern Art and the Cultivation of the Land." Southeastern College Art Conference Review 12, no. 5 (1995), p. 361, fig. 10, calls it "Cotton Pickers (Georgia)".
Farisa Khalid. "To the Editor." New York Times (July 22, 2012), p. B6.
Randall R. Griffey and Elizabeth Mankin Kornhauser in "Thomas Hart Benton's 'America Today'." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 72 (Winter 2015), p. 9, fig. 6 (color).
Stephanie L. Herdrich in "Thomas Hart Benton's 'America Today'." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 72 (Winter 2015), p. 26.
Sarah N. Chasse inAmerican Epics: Thomas Hart Benton and Hollywood. Ed. Austen Barron Bailly. Exh. cat., Peabody Essex Museum. Salem, 2015, p. 195.
Erica Moiah James. "Charles White's 'J'Accuse' and the Limits of Universal Blackness." Archives of American Art Journal 55 (September 2016), p. 9, fig. 3 (color).
Thomas Hart Benton (American, Neosho, Missouri 1889–1975 Kansas City, Missouri)
1937
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