“Shenandoah Valley (1861 News of the Battle)” is a landscape artwork created by Grandma Moses in 1938. Belonging to the Naïve Art (Primitivism) movement, the artwork exemplifies the artist’s characteristic style, focusing on simple, direct, and unassuming depictions of rural life.
The landscape presents a picturesque scene of the Shenandoah Valley, possibly during the Civil War, given the reference to the battle in the title. The foreground is rich with greenery, flowers, and a small stream meandering through the landscape. To the right, a modest house with a porch is depicted, surrounded by lush trees and bushes. Various figures are seen throughout the scene, engaging in daily activities, with a notable group in a horse-drawn cart making their way along a dirt path. The background showcases rolling hills and distant mountains, painted in subdued hues, enhancing the sense of depth and tranquility in the landscape. The overall composition reflects a serene yet vibrant portrayal of rural life, captured through Grandma Moses’s distinctively detailed and unpretentious style.
