Description:

John McCrady (American/Louisiana, 1911-1968), "Pipe Fitters" watercolor on illustration board, signed lower right, "Downtown Gallery, Julia St., NO" label with artist and title, and typewritten artist's label with title en verso, 16 in. x 22 in., framed. Note: In 1909, Standard Oil, the John D. Rockefeller owned company founded in 1870, opened a refinery in Baton Rouge, creating thousands of jobs and stimulating growth throughout the region. Still in existence today as the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Refinery, it is the fourth-largest refinery in the United States. In 1947, the company commissioned local well-known artist John McCrady to create a series of watercolors and lithographs of the Baton Rouge plant. The current lot portrays pipefitters replacing a spool piece in a water line with gate valves, which would have been a common scene at a refinery where frequent replacements could be needed to prevent corrosion. McCrady’s Regionalist style focuses on the hard working men with a complex composition and vibrant colors, typical of his oeuvre. Having studied with Thomas Hart Benton, who was at the forefront of that movement, McCrady was responsible for bringing Regionalism to the South. His depictions of rural life in the South, elevating common scenes of everyday people to artistic subject matter, have become iconic examples of American Scene Painting. Ref.: Marshall, Keith. John McCrady, 1911-1968. New Orleans: New Orleans Museum of Art, 1975.

  • Condition: All lots are sold “As is” and “Where is”. Neal Auction provides condition reports on items with a low estimate over $500 as a courtesy to aid in your bidding decision. No statement regarding age, condition, kind, value, or quality of a lot, whether made orally at the auction or at any other time, or in writing in this catalogue or elsewhere, shall be construed to be an express or implied warranty, representation, or assumption of liability. Completed condition reports are posted as an additional image with the lot. Neal Auction does not give refunds.

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September 9, 2017 10:00 AM CDT
New Orleans, LA, US

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$100 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $9,999 $250
$10,000 $49,999 $500
$50,000 $999,999 $5,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $10,000
$2,000,000 $2,999,999 $15,000
$3,000,000 + $20,000