Accession Number1940.298
TitleDeserted Tenement (or, A Hornet's Nest)
Artist(s)Warren LombardArtist NationalityAmerican (North American)Object Creation Date1935Medium & Supportgraphite on paperDimensions 8 7/8 in. x 12 in. ( 22.5 cm x 30.5 cm )
Credit LineGift of Prof. and Mrs. Alfred H. WhiteSubject matterLombard summered in Monhegan, Maine and developed much of his aesthetic and subject matter there. Monhegan was a well known artist colony that had existed since the mid-nineteenth century. This work is from the latter half of Lombard's career when he mainly created studies of botanical subjects on the island. This drawing's title suggests that Lombard is partaking in social commentary. In the early part of the 20th century, it was mainly immigrants who lived in tenement housing. Tenements were often overcrowded and in poor condition. The suggestion in this work may be that tenements are just as undesirable and unlivable as a hornet's nest is.
Eva Caston 2017
Physical DescriptionDrawing of a hornet's nest hanging from branch.
Eva Caston 2017
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Keywords
Insects
branches
modern and contemporary art
nests
nests (animal architecture)
wasps