As part of the Art Institute’s Seeing Things season, curator Sarah Kelly traces the career of self-taught artist Horace Pippin. Pippin began painting as a means of rehabilitating his arm, which was injured during World War I. His technique of layering paint on canvas, developed over years of solitary work, evolved into a highly personal style. The “cabin in the cotton” theme in his work not only had special meaning for Pippin but also held great significance in American society during the 1930s. The painting “Cabin in the Cotton” became a nationally known icon when it was discovered in a shop window by illustrator N. C. Wyeth.
