El Paso, Texas native Thomas Calloway Lea III was Sarah Dighton’s husband … and also a famous American muralist, illustrator, artist, war correspondent, novelist, and historian. This oil on canvas portrait depicts Sarah before the Second World War with the Franklin Mountains and Texas desert as a backdrop. Lea described their home as “Sarah and I live on the east side of our mountain. It is the sunrise side, not the sunset side. It is the side to see the day that is coming, not the side to see the day that is gone.” Sarah sits calm with her gaze directed at us. Her arms are slightly bent, holding a blue book in her lap. The colors are muted earth tones and blues, creating a sense of serenity and a quiet atmosphere. She has a simple turtleneck top in muted beige tones, including a matching darker skirt, and a black tie belt. Her light brown hair is short in a tight updo with a large wave curl on her forehead. Her pale skin, rosy cheekbones, thin eyebrows, narrow nose, and dark pink lips are all well lit to draw our attention. The light source is positioned to cast gentle shadows, creating depth and dimension in the portrait. The mountains are a muted, cool blue adding to an overall mood that is quiet and contemplative. Lea studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, then traveled to Paris where he fell in love with the work of the French Romantic painter Eugène Delacroix. During the Great Depression, he considered himself fortunate to paint murals for the federal Works Progress Administration that decorated government buildings. In 1941, Life magazine commissioned Lea to do a series of sketches depicting soldiers and sailors. Public response to these images was so positive that Life invited Lea to become a full-time artist/war correspondent. During 4 tours of duty, Lea traveled more than 100,000 miles, sending back poignant drawings and commentaries from such diverse locations as North Africa, Greenland, China, and the Pacific.
"Sarah and the Mountain" aka “Sarah (Portrait of the Artist’s Wife)” by Tom Lea (American) - Oil on canvas / 1939 - El Paso Museum of Art (Texas) #WomenInArt #ArtText #PortraitofaWoman #TomLea #womensart #AmericanArtist #ElPasoMuseumofArt #art #artwork #OilPainting #AmericanArt #portrait #bskyart
