People of Chilmark
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| People of Chilmark | |
|---|---|
| Figure Composition | |
_1920.jpg) | |
| Artist | Thomas Hart Benton |
| Year | 1920 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 166.5 cm × 197.3 cm (65.6 in × 77.7 in) |
| Location | Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D.C. |
People of Chilmark is a social realism 1920 painting by Thomas Hart Benton.[1] The painting is inspired by Renaissance and mannerist compositions and their chiaroscuro.[2][3]
Benton first spent the summer of 1920 in the village of Chilmark, Massachusetts in Martha's Vineyard, later serving as the basis of this work.[2][4] Benton was a regionalist painter who typically depicted everyday people in farm or rural settings.[5][6]
Benton originally titled the painting Figure Composition. The title People of Chilmark was given later due to its subject matter. Benton was reluctant to give his works titles that would point to a narrative subject matter, preferring generic names.[2]
Description
The painting shows a group of nine of Benton's contemporary Americans in swimwear at a beach. People depicted include his wife, his brother-in-law, his neighbor, and his close friend Thomas Craven, who is in the top left corner.[2][5]
.jpg)
In the top center, the painting depicts the first Black man to be in Benton's works. This may be another reference to Old Master paintings, where a singular Black figure appears in a pivotal role in the composition. His face is partially in shadow, as he holds a long pole that draws attention to him through the composition.[2]
