Folk Art Painting of Laundry Day by Ruth Russell Williams

This is an original naive or folk art style painting, likely oil or acrylic on board or heavy paper, depicting a rural 'Laundry Day' scene. The artwork features two African American figures: a younger girl in a pink dress tending to a steaming wash-pot over an open fire, and an older woman in a blue dress with a white apron washing clothes in a tub atop a wooden stump. In the background, white linens hang on a clothesline between trees, and a basket of colorful laundry sits nearby. The style is characteristic of mid-to-late 20th-century Southern folk art, featuring flat perspectives, vibrant primary colors, and simplified forms. The piece is signed 'Ruth Russell Williams' in reddish-brown paint in the lower right corner, a recognized North Carolina folk artist (1932–2010) known for her nostalgic depictions of rural life. The painting is housed in a professional double-mat with a blue inner border and a cream outer border, protected by glass within a dark, tiered wooden frame. The visible condition appears excellent with no signs of fading, moisture damage, or paint lifting, though the frame shows minor shelf wear. The brushwork is deliberate and textural, creating a lush, leafy canopy in the background that contrasts with the domestic activity in the foreground clearing.