Steel Farm III

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

Dateca. 1927–30

Place Made DisplayUnited States

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions21 1/2 x 25 1/2 inches (54.6 x 64.8 cm)

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LineGift of Richard Netter, Class of 1939, JD 1941, and Alice K. Netter in memory of William and Francis Netter

Terms

Paintings
Oil
Agricultural landscapes
Animals
Barns
Calves
Cattle
Farm buildings
Farms
Fences
Flags
Houses
Pastures
Canvas

Object number79.084

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.

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