Tractor Study for “America Today” Murals (Midwest panel)

ca. 1928

Not on view

This work is a preparatory sketch for America Today—a ten paneled mural often cited as Thomas Hart Benton’s most accomplished work and a well-regarded example of his engagement with Regionalism, Social Realism, and American Scene painting. Each of the panels that comprise the room-sized mural depicts a particular aspect of American life in the 1920s. This sketch is a small rendering of a tractor found in the mural panel devoted to the Midwest—a region of particular interest to Benton, who was born in Missouri and later studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Benton had an enduring dedication to representing the realities of life for people of varying social classes across the United States but was especially attentive to the working class in rural areas. Agricultural equipment and vehicles, like this tractor, are just some of the many mechanical tools depicted by the artist.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Title: Tractor Study for “America Today” Murals (Midwest panel)
Artist: Thomas Hart Benton (American, Neosho, Missouri 1889–1975 Kansas City, Missouri)
Date: ca. 1928
Medium: Graphite on paper
Dimensions: 10 3/8 × 14 9/16 in. (26.4 × 37 cm)
Classification: Works on Paper
Credit Line: Gift of Michael J. Ettner, 2025
Object Number: 2025.519
Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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From the same time and place

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Cotton Pickers, Georgia, Thomas Hart Benton American, Tempera and oil on canvas — Cotton Pickers, Georgia
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