Essay by Michelle Richmond, Class of 1995

Widely known by others as one of the premiere "Regionalists" by portraying the true America of the Midwest, Thomas Hart Benton depicted a country that was at odds with the modern technologies of the early twentieth century. While the majority of the art world embraced abstract representations, Benton depicted representational art, based on what he knew best: scenes of rural America drawn mostly from his upbringing in Missouri and the surrounding area.

As an art student, he studied abstraction early in his career, but decided to make a conscientious effort against this movement as his art matured. Sunday Morning was originally sold either by mail order or through a department store. By distributing the lithographic print in this manner, Benton's art found a democratic means toward patronage in order to reach the masses for a relatively inexpensive price tag. Wedged between the Great Depression and World War II, Benton and other Regionalists reflected a tenacious inward turning Americanism in response to the profound uncertainties of the day. In this manner, they illustrated a traditional, realistic view, reminiscent of the Good Old Days, in sharp contrast to the edgy styles imported from Europe at the time. As Benton famously stated following his European study, "...a windmill, a junk heap and a Rotarian have more meaning for me than Notre Dame or the Parthenon" (Dizard 2).

Sunday Morning illustrates an Arkansas sharecropping community, and thus, Benton portrays a bygone era that was becoming less and less common in America. Although the church is prominent in Sunday Morning, its scale in relation to the figures is skewed, as the figures would not be able to fit comfortably inside the structure. The group of four about to enter the church appears to have a sense of duty, judging by their stance and posture. Under the large tree, a young couple appears oblivious to the social traditions and constraints found inside. Instead, their freedom, both figuratively and theoretically, mimics the contradiction between the world of modernism and the nostalgic world of the America of yesteryear.