Our Good Earth: The Tobacco Grader by John Steuart Curry

This artwork is a regionalist style painting attributed to John Steuart Curry, depicting an elderly man in a wide-brimmed felt hat, spectacles, and suspenders, seated while inspecting a large, golden tobacco leaf. The palette is dominated by earthy tones—ochres, browns, and muted grays—characteristic of American Regionalism. The composition captures a moment of solemn labor, with hay or tobacco piles flanking the central figure against a rustic wooden background. The brushwork appears textured and gestural, particularly in the rendering of the fabric and the highlights of the tobacco leaf. The piece is housed in a simple, dark wood frame. Notable condition issues are visible, including a prominent vertical crease or crack running down the left-center of the image, as well as multiple minor surface scratches and abrasions throughout the upper right quadrant. This degradation suggests the piece may be a print on board or a work on paper that has sustained significant structural wear. The style suggests a mid-20th-century origin, likely the late 1930s or early 1940s, consistent with Curry's prolific years documenting rural American life.