Grandma Moses

Full Name: Anna Mary Robertson Moses
Profession: Primitive Painter

Nationality:

Biography: Grandma Moses was an American folk artist renowned for her pastoral landscape paintings. She began painting in earnest in her late seventies, becoming one of the most famous folk artists of her time. Her work is known for its vibrant depiction of rural American life and its representation of late 19th and early 20th-century Americana.

Moses had little formal education and spent much of her life working on farms. She married Thomas Moses in 1887, and together they worked as farmers in Virginia and later in New York. Art was only a minor part of her life for many years, as she was busy raising her children and working on the farm.

Moses began painting in her late seventies as a hobby, initially as a way to pass the time following her husband's death. Her paintings, which she initially sold at local fairs and markets, depicted rural scenes often inspired by her life on the farm and childhood memories. She used bright and lively colors, and her style was simple yet effective, capturing the essence of the rural American experience.

Her work came to public attention in 1938 when an art collector saw her paintings in a drugstore window and purchased them. This chance discovery led to her first solo exhibition in New York City in 1940, which was a critical and commercial success. Following this, Grandma Moses gained national recognition, and her paintings began to be featured in exhibitions across the United States and internationally.

Her art was particularly popular in the post-World War II period in America, as her paintings evoked nostalgia for the simpler, bygone rural life. She painted over 1,500 canvases despite starting her art career late in life. Her work was not only admired for its charm and simplicity but also respected for its compositional and narrative qualities.

Grandma Moses received numerous honors and awards, including the Women's National Press Club trophy for outstanding accomplishment in art in 1951 and an honorary doctorate from Russell Sage College. She published her autobiography My Life's History in 1952. and, in 1960, LIFE magazine celebrated her 100th birthday by featuring her on its cover.

Born: September 7, 1860
Birthplace: Greenwich, New York, USA
Star Sign: Virgo

Died: December 13, 1961 (aged 101)
Cause of Death: Atherosclerosis