Student Artwork Guide

Name Class Date

Charles Rettew Sheeler Junior, Midwest. Reproduced for reference; rights reserved by the rights holder. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist: Charles Rettew Sheeler Junior originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/charles-rettew-sheeler-junior/
Artist’s dates: 1883 – 1965
Movement: Precisionism American factories, bridges and grain silos painted with sharp edges and no people at all.

Copyright This work is still under copyright. Charles Rettew Sheeler Junior died in 1965; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it remains in force until 2035. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

Midwest — Charles Rettew Sheeler Junior

When might this have been painted?

first works

1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960

06
716
1726
2736
3746
4756
5766
6776
7782

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 82 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Charles Rettew Sheeler Junior (1883–1965) every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1934 Main working years: 1934–1955 Late works: from 1955

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Criss-Crossed Conveyors--Ford Plant, 1927 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/charles-rettew-sheeler-junior-criss-crossed-conveyors-ford-plant-D3XG8W-en/
Barn Decorations, 1959 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/charles-rettew-sheeler-junior-barn-decorations-D7393Z-en/
Wind, sea and sailing originaluniqueart.com/en/art/charles-rettew-sheeler-junior-wind-sea-and-sailing-8DP5J2-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/charles-rettew-sheeler-junior-midwest-8DP5H2-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Gray #76696f

Catalogued palette

#76696F
#9C9295
#CEC7C7
#373435

These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

Main colour name: Gray
Intensity: Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Bold How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Discordant Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Balanced How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Muted How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Where in the world is this painting looked at?

under 1%
1–3%
3–8%
8–20%
20% and over

This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Charles Rettew Sheeler Junior over the last twelve months — 2 countries in all. Where these figures come from

The ten leading countries

1 China 73.3%
2 United States of America 26.7%

Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

The 11 most looked-at works by Charles Rettew Sheeler Junior

1 Midwest this painting 26.7%
2 Still Life and Shadows 13.3%
3 Barn Decorations, 1959 6.7%
4 Sun, Rocks and Trees, 1959 6.7%
5 The Artist Looks at Nature 6.7%
6 Windows 6.7%
7 Conference -1 6.7%
8 Winter Window 6.7%
9 Vermont Landscape (Peacham, Vermont) 6.7%
10 Blue Ridge Mountains 6.7%
11 On the theme of farm buildings -2 6.7%

Together these works take 100.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 82 works by this artist, of which 11 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 1 of them, with 26.7% of that attention. The same counts, month by month

Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

Artist

Charles Rettew Sheeler Junior

Born in Philadelphia, United States of America

early life and education

charles rettew sheeler junior, an american painter and photographer, was born in philadelphia in 1883. he attended the pennsylvania museum school of industrial art from 1900 to 1903, followed by a traditional training in drawing and painting at the pennsylvania academy of fine arts (1903-6). this education laid the foundation for his future success as a pioneer of precisionism.

career and influences

sheeler's early work was influenced by his travels to europe, where he developed an interest in the italian painters of the late middle ages, particularly giotto, masaccio, and piero della francesca. in 1909, he visited the paris home of michael and sarah stein, early patrons of picasso and braque, which inspired him to work in a cubist style. this exposure to various artistic movements shaped his unique precisionist approach.

photography and precisionism

sheeler taught himself photography, initially documenting local buildings for architects. he later photographed the interior of his own house, shaping its rough-hewn spaces with light and shadow. his work in photography led to the development of precisionism, a style characterized by its focus on precision and accuracy.

notable works and legacy

some of sheeler's notable works include:

stairway at the farm, doylestown, showcasing his mastery of light and composition.

photographs of local vernacular architecture, highlighting the beauty in functional design.

works featured in various exhibitions, including those at the museum of modern art (moma) and the metropolitan museum of art.

sheeler's legacy extends beyond his own work, influencing generations of artists and photographers.

explore more on AllPaintingsStore.com

view sheeler's artworks: https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/charles-rettew-sheeler-junior

discover other precisionist artists: /en/art/show/art-93pvdx-en/

important dates:

july 16, 1883: born in philadelphia, pennsylvania

may 7, 1965: passed away in dobbs ferry, new york

references

the metropolitan museum of art: charles sheeler (1883–1965)

wikipedia: charles sheeler ### links from AllPaintingsStore.com: - /en/art/list/ - https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/charles-rettew-sheeler-junior

Where to read more

The artist Charles Rettew Sheeler Junior originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/charles-rettew-sheeler-junior/
Similar works More works to compare originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/charles-rettew-sheeler-junior-midwest-8DP5H2-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for Midwest

originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/charles-rettew-sheeler-junior-midwest-8DP5H2-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Junior, Charles Rettew Sheeler. Midwest. n.d., https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/charles-rettew-sheeler-junior-midwest-8DP5H2-en/
APA: Junior, Charles Rettew Sheeler (n.d.). Midwest [Painting]. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/charles-rettew-sheeler-junior-midwest-8DP5H2-en/
Chicago: Charles Rettew Sheeler Junior. Midwest. n.d. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/charles-rettew-sheeler-junior-midwest-8DP5H2-en/
Harvard: Junior, Charles Rettew Sheeler (n.d.) Midwest. Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/charles-rettew-sheeler-junior-midwest-8DP5H2-en/

Midwest — Charles Rettew Sheeler Junior

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
Our catalogue files this work under: landscape. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
Look back at Criss-Crossed Conveyors--Ford Plant (1927), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
Precisionism: American factories, bridges and grain silos painted with sharp edges and no people at all. Where can you see that in this work?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

Questions & Answers

What aliases or alternate names does Charles Rettew Sheeler Junior have?

Other names recorded for Charles Rettew Sheeler Junior, creator of "Midwest", include Charles Sheeler.

How strong are the colors of "Midwest"?

"Midwest" by Charles Rettew Sheeler Junior is recorded with a muted saturation and a monochromatic intensity.

How can I view "Midwest" by Charles Rettew Sheeler Junior as a slideshow?

The diaporama of "Midwest" can be watched on the artwork's Diaporama page.