The Ballad of the Jealous Lover of Lone Green Valley, Thomas Hart Benton (1889–1975)

Thomas Hart Benton was a prominent American Regionalist during the Great Depression (1929–1939). He focused on subjects that reflected his homeland and traditions, evident in the Midwestern landscape and figures of this painting. Based on a traditional Ozark ballad, the scene depicts the fictional tale of a man in a jealous rage the moment before stabbing his fiancée, who he believes has been unfaithful. He discovers too late that he doubted her unjustly. In the foreground, a trio of musicians recount this tragedy through music to accompany and amplify the story. Artist Jackson Pollock served as Benton’s model for the harmonica player.