133: THOMAS HART BENTON (1889-1975) PENCIL SIGNED LITHOGRAPH

Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975)
Instruction (1940)
The lithograph from an edition of 250 prints published by Associated American Artists is signed by Benton in pencil below the image lower right, listed as Fath catalog number 41.


Benton's comments in Fath read: A painting of this was made in 1940 directly from life. On of my students at the K.C. Art Institute found the man selling snake medicine in the pool halls of 15th Street in downtown K.C. He caught rattle snakes and let them rot and ferment in gallon jars and sold the result as an aphrodisiac. He was also a preacher and conducted a Sunday school class. This picture shows him telling about the Bible. The painting is in the Louvre Collection, Great Neck N.Y.
Image size 10.5 x 12.5, sheet measures 12.75 x 17.25, the frame is 21 x 22.5 inches.
Good to very good condition, the full untrimmed sheet with four deckle edges, not laid down, no damage, punctures, tears or repair, the sheet is very, very subtly toned in the margins of the sheet surrounding the image. This is visible only when viewed outside the frame and mat as shown here.
Provenance: Private collection, Kansas City, Missouri.
$2,500 - $3,500