Accession Number
2005/1.290

Title
Woman kneeling on picnic blanket

Artist(s)
Eddie Arning

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
circa 1969-1973

Medium & Support
oil pastel on paper

Dimensions
19 11/16 in x 25 9/16 in (50 cm x 65 cm);19 3/4 in x 25 5/8 in (50.17 cm x 65.09 cm);26 in x 32 in (66.04 cm x 81.28 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of the Cohen Family Fund

Subject matter
This work was likely created while Arning was staying in a nursing home after being hospitalized for mental health disorders. It was there that he was first encouraged to create art as a form of therapy after a caregiver brought him art supplies. A strong example of Arning's style, this work features bold colors and strong, angular lines. His depiction of the woman, labeled "Lorraine," is typical of Arning's figures, recongizable by the mostly frontal view of their bodies, with heads and limbs in profile. This particular scene likely reflects back on Arning's childhood on a farm in Germania Texas, the source of inspiration for many of his works.

Physical Description
This drawing shows a woman sitting on a white, red, and blue checked blanket on green grass. She wears a blue shirt and red pants. Next to her on the blanket sit a basket and other small rectangular forms. A brown and green bush is behind her in the upper right portion of the scene. The drawing includes a blue border, outlined by a red-orange border. The figured is labeled (l.c.) "Lorraine" in blue.

Primary Object Classification
Drawing

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
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Keywords
folk art (traditional art)
oil pastels
picnics
self-taught artists
visionaries
women (female humans)