Sir William Johnson Conferring with the Indians
ca. 1750s (artwork 1937)
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This painting depicting Native Americans and English soldiers meeting, smoking a pipe, and trading in the forest was commissioned by the visual arts program Federal Art Project (FAP), which was created under the Works Progress Administration as part of the New Deal. Artist Henry Schnackenberg painted it in the Amsterdam, New York, post office.
The Federal Art Project started on August 29, 1935, and closed on June 30, 1943. It was designed to employ struggling artists during the Great Depression, and to aesthetically improve local government buildings such as schools, hospitals, and libraries. This program transitioned into the Federal Works Agency in 1939. The Federal Works Agency provided patronage for this painting under the Public Buildings Administration’s "Paintings and Sculptures for Public Buildings" program.
The Federal Art Project started on August 29, 1935, and closed on June 30, 1943. It was designed to employ struggling artists during the Great Depression, and to aesthetically improve local government buildings such as schools, hospitals, and libraries. This program transitioned into the Federal Works Agency in 1939. The Federal Works Agency provided patronage for this painting under the Public Buildings Administration’s "Paintings and Sculptures for Public Buildings" program.
This primary source comes from the FDR-PHOCO: Franklin D. Roosevelt Library Public Domain Photographs.
National Archives Identifier: 195786
Full Citation: Photograph PHOCO-A-52114(2); Painting Depicting Indians and English Soldiers Meeting, Smoking Pipe, and Trading in Forest Scene; ca. 1750s (artwork 1937); Franklin D. Roosevelt Library Public Domain Photographs, 1882 - 1962; FDR-PHOCO: Franklin D. Roosevelt Library Public Domain Photographs; Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, NY. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/trading-forest-scene, April 25, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.