20: JOHN STEUART CURRY (1897-1946) OIL ON MASONITE

John Steuart Curry (1897-1946)
The Clown (1935)
The portrait of a Ringling Brothers clown is signed lower right and titled verso by a gallery label from Walker Galleries, New York.

As a painter of the American Scene in the 1930s, John Steuart Curry was to Kansas what Benton was to Missouri and Grant Wood to Iowa.

Seeking new inspiration, Curry embedded himself with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for approximately 10 weeks in early 1932 as it embarked on its spring tour through New England. On this tour, Curry immersed himself in circus life, creating a number of sketches and studies that would serve as the foundation for several significant paintings and lithographs,

In April of 1933, Curry held an exhibition of his circus paintings at Ferargil Galleries in New York, coinciding with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus opening its spring season at Madison Square Garden.
Board measures 16 x 12 with a framed size of 24.5 x 20.5 inches.
Very good original untouched condition. There are no issues of scratches, losses, repairs, in-painting or touch-up, as confirmed under UV light.
$10,000 - $15,000