Lot 90A
Ruth Mae McCrane (American, 1929-2002). "Revival" acrylic on board. Signed and dated "1-31-90" under the bench behind the mother and children. A captivating and impressively large painting by outsider artist Ruth Mae McCrane. McCrane created a lively church scene inspired by childhood memories of Black Spiritualist churches in Houston during the Great Depression. As the daughter of a pastor, she visited many churches, and works like "Revival" stem from those experiences. McCrane is known for depicting expressive figures who make dramatic gestures with outstretched, almost elastic limbs as we see in this piece. Notice how the pastor dramatically raises his hands while the musicians play, the choir sings and dances, and the rest of the congregation is on their feet, taken by the spirit as they worship around the mother and children who stand before them. Size: 48" L x 48" W (121.9 cm x 121.9 cm) Size: 49.125" L x 49.125" W (124.8 cm x 124.8 cm)
Notice also how McCrane combined her folk art style with text throughout the image. Words and phrases provide further insight to the narrative of the scene. As A.P. Antippas has written, "The signs and notes tacked on the walls and doors, attached to windows, perched on tables, or on the spines of books, exert a good-humored, appollonian courntervailing pull against total absorption in dionysian dance and music - whether in church or a juke joint." In this painting, the signs on the banister read, "REVIVAL 'LAST AND EVIL DAYS' COMMUNION: MOTHER GASTON SIS. KAY, SEC'Y" and "REVIVAL EXTRA WISH BASKET 1. HEALTH 2. PEACE 3. LOVE 4. JOB 5. FOOD 6. CLOTHES 7. SHELTER 8. HEALING REV. MOTHER ERSON". The pianist's song list is clearly displayed on his music stand: "REVIVAL SONGS 1. SOME BRIGHT MORNING 2. YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM GOD 3. GOD'S TOMORROW 4. AMAZING GRACE 5. HOW YOU BEEN LIVING IN THE WORLD 6. GREAT GETTING UP MORNING - BRO CHARLES". Beyond this, many of the individuals are identified by name and many of the donators of various objects in the church are also identified.
Ruth Mae McCrane taught art, history, and language in the Houston public school system for 33 years while painting during her spare time. It was only after her retirement in 1985 that McCrane elected to pursue her art full time. With her artwork, McCrane visually narrated the ways of Depression era Louisiana and East Texas. As A.P. Antippas of New Orleans' Barrister's Gallery insightfully stated, "Perhaps because she was unburdened by all her academic responsibilities, or perhaps because she had begun to depict the richly textured humanity of her childhood instead of prophets and angels, a naive style emerged which has a fresh unpremeditated compositional quality combined with a rich clash and vibration of passionate, full strength blues, yellows, greens, and reds."
Ruth Mae McCrane's religious works like "Revival" were featured in her "Lost Books of the Bible and Other Religious Subjects" exhibition at the African American Museum in Dallas, Texas (September 22 - November 27, 2021). Visitors were taken by McCrane's paintings rooted in memories of childhood church visits, all delineated in her captivating folk art or as some have described it "naive" artistic style.
Provenance: ex-private Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired before 2010
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#173156
- Condition: Signed and dated "1-31-90" by the artist under the bench behind the mother and children. Also signed and titled on verso (visible beneath the gallery paper). Surface scuffs, a few abrasions, and stray marks/stains as shown. Otherwise imagery and coloration are vivid. Frame has been repaired in areas and has a few chips and abrasions as shown. Tears to gallery paper on verso that do not impact the painting. Fitted with suspension wire and ready to display.
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