Mailman Has Gone, Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont

This is one of my favorite paintings by Anna Mary Robertson (American, 1860–1961), better known as “Grandma Moses.” I first saw it on exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago. According to information provided by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, she was a renowned American folk artist. Entirely self-taught, she began painting in earnest in her seventies (hence her nickname) and was given her first one-woman exhibition in 1940. Her picturesque, charming country scenes are detailed with an alert sense of the changing seasons and of rural life, and her influence may be seen in art and illustration to this day. This wintry holiday scene displays her inimitable artistry, taken from an original painting she created in 1949.

A holiday card featuring this painting is available for sale. Click here for more information.

Meanwhile, I offer my best wishes for a blessed and joyous holiday season to one and all.