American Scene painting - A term used to describe scenes of typical American life painted c.1920-c.1942. Much of this work is also included within Regionalism and Social Realism, and played a big role in New Deal art. It was first applied to the paintings of Charles Burchfield (American, 1893-1967) in the mid-1920s. Born in the aftermath of World War I, American Scene painting developed partly as an outgrowth of the Ashcan school, and partly as a reaction to French modernism. This art movement came from interest in celebrating the democratic ideals of America by promoting subject-matter accessible to the masses. A related trend was the growth of interest in creating prints for mass distribution.

Examples:

Martin Lewis (American, 1881-1962), Boss of the Block, c. 1939, aquatint and etching, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Edward Hopper (American, 1882-1967), People in the Sun, 1960, oil on canvas, 40 3/8 x 40 5/8 inches (102.6 x 103.5 cm), National Museum of American Art, Washington, DC. See Ashcan school.

Thomas Hart Benton (American, 1889-1975)

Grant Wood (American, 1892-1942). See American Gothic.

Charles Burchfield (American, 1893-1967), Rainy Night, 1929-30, watercolor over pencil on paper, 30 x 42 inches (76.2 x 106.7 cm), San Diego Museum of Art, CA. The subject is a street scene in Buffalo, NY.

Reginald Marsh (American, 1898-1954), Negroes on Rockaway Beach, 1934, egg tempera on composition board, 30 x 40 inches, (76.2 x 101.6 cm), Whitney Museum of American Art, NY. See Fourteenth Street school and New Deal art.