Cunning, John (1889-1953)

Like NDG artists Lucie Bayard and A.E. Cederquist, Cunning was a student of the famous artist-teacher Robert Henri at the New York School of Art. He remained close to this circle of artists via the Whitney Studio Club, and several of his works were featured in Whitney Bienniels or museum collections: “Old Dock” (1927); “Sunset—New York Bay” (1932); “Roadside Market” (1934). His 1934 painting “Manhattan Skyline,” created for the Public Works of Art Program, is at Smithsonian American Art Museum. 1 work at Whitney Museum of American Art. 2 works at the Brooklyn Museum. 1 more image at FAP.

 

Works in the New Deal Collection at GVCA by John Cunning:

Featured
In the Early Spring
In the Early Spring

This painting depicts a scene that combines natural elements with man-made features. The brick wall is clearly defined in the forefront of this painting, but our attention is directed to the waterfalls that flow behind it. The wall varies in height and seems to take on the shape of the waterfall behind it. Gaps and layers of the wall give the illusion that the waterfall is part of the man-made structures. The dreary background is abundant with parallel lines that make it appear as its own type of wall.

The Farm
The Farm

This watercolor painting is a landscape of the quintessential farm in rural America. The most striking objects are the bright colored buildings that contrast with lighter-colored foliage and land. The composition is quite empty, a majority of the space being filled with the land and sky. The buildings are composed of basic shapes with sharp angles but the rest of the painting uses large brush strokes to create a landscape that appears to flow across the canvas. The vehicle that hides in the corner represents the change from traditional farming methods that clashed with the new innovations of the 1930s.

cunningGVCA