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Grandma Moses, actually Anna Mary Robertson Moses, is considered one of America’s most famous folk artists. She was born on September 7, 1860 in New York. Anna was the third of ten children born to Russell King Robertson, a farmer, and Margaret Shannahan. Grandma Moses did not finish school and at the age of twelve she left home to work on a farm. At twenty, Ella Moses married Thomas Salmon Moses. Together they had ten children, of whom only five were able to survive. After her husband’s death in 1907, Grandma Moses settled in New York.
Anna was labeled a “primitive artist” because of the simplicity of the pictures she painted and because she was a self-taught painter. From an early age, Grandma Moses had a knack for sewing and could draw pictures on fabric. However, she suffered from arthritis so she had to give up a career in embroidery. Later, the grandmother decided to devote herself to painting, since it was much easier for her hands.
Moses did his first house painting, “Fireboard,” at the age of 70. In his early days, he painted picture book scenes depicting primarily historical events, celebrities, and American lives. His art was recognized only when Louis Caldor discovered his work in 1938. In 1939, he exhibited his art at an exhibition organized by an art collector, Otto Kallir, in New York. By 1943, Moses’ popularity grew considerably and he traveled all over the world with exhibitions of him held in Japan, Europe, etc. Some of Moses’ most popular works include “The Old Oaken Bucket”, “Over the River to Grandma’s House”, “Sugaring Off”, “Fourth of July”, and “Catching the Turkey”.
Most of Moses’ paintings were made up of simple textures that had elaborate content and were usually done on 24″X30″ pieces of cardboard. Moses addressed themes directly from his life and portrayed home life on the farm and in the rural countryside for what it was. Anna painted idyllic scenes with luminous colors representing various seasons. In 1949, then-President of the United States Harry S. Truman presented her with a trophy from the Women’s National Press Club for her outstanding achievement in art. Moses also published her autobiography “Grandma Moses: My Life’s History” in 1952. When she was 100 years old, Anna Moses painted illustrations for “Twas the Night before Christmas” and appeared on a television show hosted by Edward R. Murrow. She passed away on December 13, 1961, at the age of 101, leaving behind her paintings to be appreciated by art lovers of all ages.