Hauling The Family Coal
Object number2002.86.26
Artist
John Michael O'Cilka
Datec. 1965
MediumFiberboard; Canvas: Paint
Credit LineGift of John A. O'Cilka
DescriptionOil painting on canvas-wrapped masonite. Group of four children is pictured with a small-scale pull-wagon presumably filled with coal. The group has just descended from a long sloped curved dirt lane, complete with ruts; two older children pull the wagon along, while their mother and an infant ride on the wagon; the lane divides a lush green landscape, the sky is blue, and the tone of the picture seems cheerful.Dimensions20.25 x 20.25 in. (51.4 x 51.4 cm)SignedSigned at lower right: "OCILKA"
Historical NotesJohn M. O'Cilka, was a self-taught painter, who had himself worked in various coal-mine jobs from 1939-1961. Many of his paintings depicted either contemporary or old time coal-related themes. The figures in this painting wear contemporary dress, even though the activity seems to correspond more to a remembered past.
On View
Not on viewCollections
c. 1952
Westinghouse Learning Corporation
Nat Youngblood
