Our Good Earth

A pioneer of the American Regionalist movement, John Steuart Curry sought to reveal the diligence and simple dignity of the people of the rural Midwest. In this lithograph produced during World War II, Curry presents the American farmer as a proud and heroic figure, standing among the fruits of his labor, with the next generation of farmers by his side. For Curry, the farmer—hard-working, self-reliant, and honest—embodied the American moral and ethical ideal. In this role, the farmer is also emblematic of freedom from hunger, a point of national pride during wartime.