Leda

Artist John Kane (American, born Scotland, 1860–1934)

MediumOil on canvas

DimensionsImage: 14 1/8 x 17 1/8 inches (35.9 x 43.5 cm)

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LineGift of Alice K. Netter in memory of William and Francis Netter

Terms

Paintings
Animals
Birds
Female nudes
Forests
Landscapes
Leda
Mythology
Rape
Swans
Trees
Zeus

Object number74.092

Label CopyWith little formal education, Kane worked as a laborer for most of his life and knew hard times. Earnest effort—whether paving a street or painting a landscape—mattered most to John Kane, who equated the value of such endeavors. He remarked in his autobiography: . . . a painting has a right to be as exact as a joist or a mold or any other part of building construction. I think the artist owes it to the people to make his painting as right and sound as he can make it. Kane’s breakthrough as an artist came in 1927, when a jury selected his work for the Carnegie Institute’s annual International Exhibition of Paintings. Prestigious showings in New York, London, and elsewhere soon followed. ("The Best Way to Prepare Bananas: Fruits of the Soul from the Permanent Collection," curated by Matt Conway and presented at the Johnson Museum June 24-August 13, 2017)

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