Art & Statues
American Art Today: New York World's Fair Portfolio
American Art Today
This is a rare portfolio of art prints published by the National Art Society for the 1939 New York World's Fair, one of the defining cultural events of the Art Deco era. The cover carries the fair's signature imagery of the Trylon and Perisphere rendered in bold yellow against a deep blue ground, instantly recognizable as one of the most iconic graphic symbols of the period. Inside, the portfolio contains 14 full-color reproductions of paintings selected to represent the state of American art at the close of the 1930s, spanning scenes of rural labor, quiet domestic interiors, and portraiture rendered in the naturalistic style favored by many Depression era American painters. Among the works included are pastoral farm scenes with figures bent over furrowed fields beneath dramatic skies, and a striking portrait of a young woman in a red blouse and dark skirt, arms crossed, standing before a curtained doorway with a vase of flowers nearby.
The 1939 World's Fair took "The World of Tomorrow" as its theme, and the National Art Society's contribution looked instead to the present, gathering working American artists whose paintings captured everyday life rather than futuristic vision. Each print carries the artist's signature and date within the image, preserving the individual character of the original paintings even in reproduction. The portfolio format was common for fair-era publications, allowing prints to be removed and framed individually or kept together as a complete set documenting the exhibition.
The National Art Society organized this collection as part of a broader effort during the 1930s to bring American painting to a wider public, at a time when regionalist and social realist styles were gaining prominence alongside the more streamlined visual language of Art Deco design that dominated the fair's architecture and graphics. This contrast, modern geometric fairgrounds housing traditionally rendered paintings of American rural and domestic life, reflects the range of artistic currents active in the country during the years leading up to the Second World War.
This copy is in like new condition with vivid, unfaded color throughout and no signs of handling wear. It would appeal to collectors of World's Fair memorabilia as well as those building a collection of American art from the 1930s. The strong graphic cover also makes it a striking piece on its own, whether displayed closed or framed to show its Art Deco design.
