Near Sundown, Grant Wood

Artwork Overview

Grant Wood, Near Sundown
Grant Wood, Near Sundown
Grant Wood
Near Sundown
1933
Grant Wood, artist
1891–1942
Near Sundown, 1933
Where object was made: United States
Material/technique: hardboard; oil
Dimensions:
Canvas/Support (Height x Width x Depth): 38.1 x 67.3 cm
Canvas/Support (Height x Width x Depth): 15 x 26 1/2 in
Frame Dimensions (Height x Width x Depth): 21 3/4 x 33 1/4 x 2 1/2 in
Credit line: Gift of Mr. George Cukor
Accession number: 1959.0070
On display: Michaelis Gallery
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Images

Label texts

Exhibition Label:
"Echoes of Human Migration in the Collection of the Spencer Museum of Art," Mar-2010
The original owner of this painting was the actress Katharine Hepburn. Shortly after Grant Wood painted it in 1933, Hepburn purchased the work from the New York gallery of Maynard Walker, a Kansas City native known for his patronage of Midwestern artists. Hepburn later gave the painting to movie director George Cukor, who hung it in his dining room for many years. Hepburn even mentions the work in her autobiography, where she casts doubt over the gift of the painting to Cukor, declaring: “George loved it, so he took it.” Cukor loaned the work to the Spencer for its 1978 opening; the painting entered the permanent collection after his 1983 death. Near Sundown features the subtle, undulating hills of Grant Wood’s Iowa, but its circuitous journey to the Spencer provides an engaging tale behind the pigment.

Exhibitions

Art Into Art: Inspired Responses
2006–2007
The New Man: Portrait of the 1930s (The 1930s: The Making of 'The New Man')
2008
Echoes of Human Migration in the Collection of the Spencer Museum of Art
2010
Grant Wood (1891-1942): A Retrospective Exhibition
Edward A. Maser, curator
1959
20/21
Susan Earle, curator
2016–2021
20/21
Susan Earle, curator
2009–2015
20/21
Susan Earle, curator
2016–2021
Grant Wood
Barbara Haskell, curator
2018
Grant Wood: An American Master Revealed
1995–1996
Grant Wood: An American Master Revealed
1996
Grant Wood: An American Master Revealed
1996
Empowerment
Susan Earle, curator
Celka Straughn, curator
Kristina Walker, curator
Angela Watts, curator
2022–2027
Debut
Kris Ercums, curator
2021–2023
Debut
Kris Ercums, curator
2021–2022
Empowerment
Susan Earle, curator
Celka Straughn, curator
Kristina Walker, curator
Angela Watts, curator
2022–2027

Resources

Audio

Didactic – Art Minute
Didactic – Art Minute
Episode 270 (revised Episode 25). I’m David Cateforis with another art minute from the Spencer Museum of Art. A work of art often tells a story. A story less frequently told is the past ownership of a work, known as its “provenance.” In some cases, a work’s provenance can be as interesting as the work itself. For instance, the original owner of the Spencer’s Grant Wood painting, “Near Sundown”, was the actress Katherine Hepburn. Shortly after Wood painted it in 1933, Hepburn purchased the work from the New York gallery of Maynard Walker, a Kansas City native known for his patronage of Midwestern artists. Hepburn later gave the painting to movie director George Cukor, who hung it in his dining room for many years. Hepburn even mentions the work in her autobiography, where she casts doubt over the gift of the painting to Cukor, declaring: “George loved it, so he took it.” Cukor, who earned an Oscar for directing “My Fair Lady” in 1965, loaned the work to the Spencer for its 1978 opening. The painting entered the permanent collection after his 1983 death. “Near Sundown” features the subtle, undulating hills of Grant Wood’s Iowa, but its circuitous journey to the Spencer provides an engaging tale behind the pigment. With thanks to Kate Meyer for her text, from the Spencer Museum of Art, I’m David Cateforis.
Audio Tour – Ear for Art
Audio Tour – Ear for Art
Which famous actress once owned this painting? This painting, titled Near Sundown by Grant Wood, was once owned by the legendary Hollywood actress Katherine Hepburn.
Audio Tour – Bulldog Podcast
Audio Tour – Bulldog Podcast

Links

Compare the borders of trees in this work with the fences in another print by Grant Wood.