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Anna Mary was the third child born into the Robertson family in 1860. There would eventually be ten children in the family. She was raised on a farm, attended school for a while, then when she was 12 years old she left home to become a hired hand at a near-by farm.
She worked hard all the time she was growing up, then when she was in her twenties she married a man named Thomas Salmon Moses who was also a hired worker. They rented different farms and were finally able to buy a farm of their own. They had ten children, but five of them died when they were babies. They were able to raise five of them.
At this time she was called Mother Moses. She could do many things and enjoyed doing needlework such as sewing and embroidering. With thread she would make pictures on the fabric, but she had arthritis and it hurt her hands to push the needle through the material. When she was in her late seventies she decided to take up painting which was easier on her hands than needlework. Her first painting was made using housepaint.
Grandma Moses
She is called a "primitive" artist because she painted simple pictures, and she taught herself how to paint. In 1938 she has some pictures displayed in a drugstore window when an art collector from New York happened to see them. The story is told that Anna Mary's daughter-in-law told the man that Grandma had ten paintings she might sell. When she and Anna Mary counted the paintings, there were only nine, so Grandma cut a large picture in half and reframed it into two pictures to make the ten paintings.
The man, Louis Caldor, asked someone to display some of her pictures in a collection called "Contemporary Unknown American Painters". Nothing happened as a result of that showing.
Then he introduced the owner of Galerie Saint Etienne to her works and Otto Kallir exhibited her paintings in his New York City art gallery. The exhibit was called "What a Farm Wife Painted". By the time she was 80 years old, many people had heard of "Grandma Moses" and had seen her paintings.
She appeared on the Edward R. Murrow television show and showed people how to paint a picture.
She painted many pictures during her lifetime. When she was 100 years old she painted illustrations for "Twas the Night Before Christmas". She died at age 101.
Her paintings continue to be enjoyed by people of all ages.
Biography of Grandma Moses
Paintings by Grandma Moses
Article about Grandma Moses
More photos
Through the Old Covered Bridge
at Galerie St. Etienne
Photograph of Grandma Moses
Beautiful World, 1948
Moses, Grandma
Buy this Art Print at AllPosters.com
Grandma Moses: Painter of Rural America
By Zibby O'Neal, Donna Ruff / Penguin Putnam Inc.
Grandma Moses, one of America's best-loved artists, lived to be 101, painting until the last year of her life. She was born before Lincoln was president and lived into the era of TV and jet planes. Outspoken and witty, Grandma won admirers for her down-home attitude as much as for her beautiful paintings-primitive landscapes that reflect an old country charm.
Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Grandma Moses
By Grolier Publishing Company
Page Comments
Most Recent Comments ( See more comments on this page ) 2009-10-21
I have an original Grandma Moses and need information as to where I can sell this painting. It is a winter scene. I would like to send you a picture.
Ronnie Akers (rakers_AT_tcn-bhs_DOT_org)2009-10-07
Thank you for fixing the Grandma Moses page.
2009-10-06
i just love her paintings they are so cool..... got to go love always Areli!
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