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Sultry Night

A work made of lithograph in black on ivory wove paper.

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  • A work made of lithograph in black on ivory wove paper.

Date:

1939

Artist:

Grant Wood (American, 1892–1942)
published by Associated American Artists

About this artwork

Grant Wood studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago between 1913 and 1916. Between 1937 and 1941, he created 19 lithographs that were published by Associated American Artist (A.A.A.), a private gallery and publisher. A.A.A had a unique approach to marketing, offering printed images of American life in large editions (usually 250 prints) at reasonable prices via mail order and through regional stores such as Marshall Field’s in Chicago.
This lithograph gained notoriety for its full-frontal portrayal of a nude man; the U.S. Post Office banned A.A.A. from mailing the print because it was considered obscene. As a result, only 100 impressions were made.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Grant Wood

Title

Sultry Night

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1939

Medium

Lithograph in black on ivory wove paper

Inscriptions

Signed lower right, below image, in graphite: "Grant Wood"

Dimensions

Image: 22.8 × 29.6 cm (9 × 11 11/16 in.); Sheet, sight: 25 × 32 cm (9 7/8 × 12 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of David Q. and Mary H. Bell

Reference Number

2015.575

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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