Flood

Benton, Thomas Hart

Flood, 1937

Lithograph

Published by Associated American Artists, New York. Edition of 196. Signed in pencil lower right. Fath 16. Framed 15 x 18.75 in. Condition: mat burn and pale toning; tape remains at upper corners; otherwise good. Lot 4009. Notes reference the Ohio-Mississippi floods of 1937 and related newspaper sketches.

Image size: 12.25" x 9.25"

Literature: Fath 16

Description: Thomas Hart Benton’s *Flood* (1937) is a lithograph of assured composure and regional gravitas. Executed in pencil-signed, limited edition format and published by Associated American Artists in New York, the print measures approximately 12¼ by 9¼ inches. It derives from Benton’s sketches of the catastrophic Ohio–Mississippi Valley floods of early 1937, commissioned for the *Kansas City Star* and *St. Louis Post‑Dispatch*—a poignant moment when rural communities were submerged under unprecedented waters ([thomashartbentonlithographs.com](https://thomashartbentonlithographs.com/flood/?utm_source=openai)). In this work, Benton distills the human and environmental drama of the era—his sinuous lines and sculptural figures evoke both the physical weight of the flood and the stoic resilience of those it affected. The lithograph stands as a quietly powerful testament to Regionalism’s capacity to render national crises with both empathy and formal clarity.

$ 3,000