GENERAL DESCRIPTION
George Grosz's Cattle was one of the four oil paintings he created for the Impressions of Dallas series commissioned by Leon Harris. One of the oil paintings depicted the Dallas skyline, but the other three oil paintings form a triptych of the sources of Dallas's wealth: cattle, cotton, and oil. Cattle ranching had been economically important to Dallas in the late 19th century, but by the time of Grosz's visit he had to go to Fort Worth's vast stockyards in order to see herds of Texas Longhorns. Letters from Grosz to Harris reveal that the patron was not completely satisfied with some of the paintings in the Impressions of Dallas series, particularly Cotton Pickers and Cattle. After the exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Cattle was sent back to Grosz for revisions. He moved the large cowboy on a horse to the background, and then filled the foreground with his signature painterly effects.
Adapted from
Heather MacDonald, Flower of the Prairie: George Grosz in Dallas (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art, 2012), 47, 51.
NOTES
Created c. 1952-1953 (started the work in 52 and finished in 53, so changed the date and dropped c.)
George Grosz's Cattle was one of the four oil paintings he created for his commissioned Impressions of Dallas series. One of the oil paintings depicted the Dallas skyline, but the other three oil paintings form a triptych of the sources of Dallas's wealth: cattle, cotton, and oil. Cattle ranching had been economically important to Dallas in the late nineteenth century, but by the time of Grosz's visit he had to go to Fort Worth's vast stockyards in order to see herds of Texas Longhorns. p 47
A different part of same book:
Letters from Grosz to Harris reveal that the patron was not completely satisfied with some of the paintings in the Impressions of Dallas series, particularly Cotton Pickers and Cattle. After the exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Cattle was sent back to Grosz for revisions. In a letter to his brother-in-law, he joked, "Thank God the cows aren't life-size, like those of dear old Rosa Bonheur." He moved the large cowboy on a horse to the background, and then filled the foreground with his signature painterly effects, what he called, "GG's thick wax painting. Not interesting," he confessed, "but tricky. In semi-commercial work, that's just the way."
Heather MacDonald, DMA label copy, 2012:
Cattle ranching had been economically important to Dallas in the late 19th century, but by the time of Grosz's visit he had to go to Fort Worth in order to see vast stockyards of Texas Longhorns.
Grosz's letters reveal that Leon Harris, Jr. was not completely satisfied with some of the paintings in the Impressions of Dallas series, particularly Cattle. After the exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, it was sent back to Grosz for revisions. He moved the cowboy and horse to the background and then filled the foreground with his signature painterly effects, what he called "GG's thick wax painting. Not interesting," he confessed, "but tricky. In semi-commercial work, that's just the way."
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Depicted location: Fort Worth (Texas/United States): TGN: 7013934
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
1952-1960: A. Harris and Company
From 1960: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, gift of A. Harris and Company in memory of Leon A. Harris, Sr. [1]
[1] The name of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1933, was changed to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1983.
AUDIO ASSETS
UMO: 13310072 The History and Culture of George Grosz's Dallas, Gallery talk by Carol Roark
UMO: 13310104 Reflections on George Grosz, Gallery talk with Marty Grosz, George Grosz's son
UMO: 13310145 Flower of the Prairie: George Grosz in Dallas, Gallery talk by Alan Govenar
UMO: 13316195 Frontier Fantasies Meet Frontier Realities: George Grosz in Dallas in 1952, Late Night Lecture by Barbara McCloskey
UMO: 13317549 Flower of the Prairie: George Grosz in Dallas, Gallery talk by Dr. Heather MacDonald
VIDEO ASSETS
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WEB RESOURCES
- Fort Worth Stockyards~Explore the Fort Worth Stockyards where George Grosz studied cattle for this painting.
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General Description
George Grosz's Cattle was one of the four oil paintings he created for the Impressions of Dallas series commissioned by Leon Harris. One of the oil paintings depicted the Dallas skyline, but the other three oil paintings form a triptych of the sources of Dallas's wealth: cattle, cotton, and oil. Cattle ranching had been economically important to Dallas in the late 19th century, but by the time of Grosz's visit he had to go to Fort Worth's vast stockyards in order to see herds of Texas Longhorns. Letters from Grosz to Harris reveal that the patron was not completely satisfied with some of the paintings in the Impressions of Dallas series, particularly Cotton Pickers and Cattle. After the exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Cattle was sent back to Grosz for revisions. He moved the large cowboy on a horse to the background, and then filled the foreground with his signature painterly effects.
Adapted from
Heather MacDonald, Flower of the Prairie: George Grosz in Dallas (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art, 2012), 47, 51.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
- Fort Worth Stockyards~Explore the Fort Worth Stockyards where George Grosz studied cattle for this painting.
Notes
Created c. 1952-1953 (started the work in 52 and finished in 53, so changed the date and dropped c.)
George Grosz's Cattle was one of the four oil paintings he created for his commissioned Impressions of Dallas series. One of the oil paintings depicted the Dallas skyline, but the other three oil paintings form a triptych of the sources of Dallas's wealth: cattle, cotton, and oil. Cattle ranching had been economically important to Dallas in the late nineteenth century, but by the time of Grosz's visit he had to go to Fort Worth's vast stockyards in order to see herds of Texas Longhorns. p 47
A different part of same book:
Letters from Grosz to Harris reveal that the patron was not completely satisfied with some of the paintings in the Impressions of Dallas series, particularly Cotton Pickers and Cattle. After the exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Cattle was sent back to Grosz for revisions. In a letter to his brother-in-law, he joked, "Thank God the cows aren't life-size, like those of dear old Rosa Bonheur." He moved the large cowboy on a horse to the background, and then filled the foreground with his signature painterly effects, what he called, "GG's thick wax painting. Not interesting," he confessed, "but tricky. In semi-commercial work, that's just the way."
Heather MacDonald, DMA label copy, 2012:
Cattle ranching had been economically important to Dallas in the late 19th century, but by the time of Grosz's visit he had to go to Fort Worth in order to see vast stockyards of Texas Longhorns.
Grosz's letters reveal that Leon Harris, Jr. was not completely satisfied with some of the paintings in the Impressions of Dallas series, particularly Cattle. After the exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, it was sent back to Grosz for revisions. He moved the cowboy and horse to the background and then filled the foreground with his signature painterly effects, what he called "GG's thick wax painting. Not interesting," he confessed, "but tricky. In semi-commercial work, that's just the way."
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Depicted location: Fort Worth (Texas/United States): TGN: 7013934
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
1952-1960: A. Harris and Company
From 1960: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, gift of A. Harris and Company in memory of Leon A. Harris, Sr. [1]
[1] The name of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1933, was changed to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1983.
AUDIO ASSETS
UMO: 13310072 The History and Culture of George Grosz's Dallas, Gallery talk by Carol Roark
UMO: 13310104 Reflections on George Grosz, Gallery talk with Marty Grosz, George Grosz's son
UMO: 13310145 Flower of the Prairie: George Grosz in Dallas, Gallery talk by Alan Govenar
UMO: 13316195 Frontier Fantasies Meet Frontier Realities: George Grosz in Dallas in 1952, Late Night Lecture by Barbara McCloskey
UMO: 13317549 Flower of the Prairie: George Grosz in Dallas, Gallery talk by Dr. Heather MacDonald
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