{"product_id":"first-wagon-on-cambridge-pike-by-grandma-moses","title":"First Wagon on Cambridge Pike by Grandma Moses","description":"Grandma Moses\u003cbr\u003e 1860–1961 | American \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eFirst Wagon on Cambridge Pike\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Signed \"Moses\" (lower center)\u003cbr\u003e Tempera and gouache on cardboard \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e One of the most important and beloved American folk artists of the 20th century, Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses transformed memories of rural life into some of the most recognizable images in American art. Painted in 1944, \u003cem\u003eFirst Wagon on Cambridge Pike\u003c\/em\u003e draws on a story passed down through generations. Moses brings to life the pioneering spirit of early Cambridge Valley through this intimate portrait of country life. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The title refers to the historic Cambridge Pike in Washington County, New York, near the Vermont border. Moses’ paternal great-grandfather, Archibald Robertson, settled in the area in the 1770s and worked as a wagon maker. In her 1952 autobiography, Moses proudly recalled that he “built the first wagon that ever ran over the Cambridge pike.” Here, she brings that family story to life: oxen and draft horses gather beside stacks of timber, workers tend to wagons and livestock, and farmhouses spread across the rolling countryside. Her distinctive flattened perspective allows the eye to travel easily from one small episode to the next, turning the landscape into a lively panorama of work, family and community. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Moses’ own life was every bit as remarkable as the scenes she painted. Born in 1860, she spent much of her life working on farms, raising a family and creating embroidered pictures in her spare time. She did not begin painting seriously until her late seventies, when arthritis made needlework increasingly painful. Within only a few years, her paintings were being exhibited in New York, and the grandmother from rural upstate New York became an international sensation. She continued painting well into her nineties, ultimately creating more than 1,500 works inspired by the landscapes, traditions and stories she had known firsthand. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Today, Grandma Moses holds an enduring place in the history of American art. Her paintings are treasured as highly individual records of memory, labor and place. The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s major 2025–2026 exhibition \u003cem\u003eGrandma Moses: A Good Day’s Work\u003c\/em\u003e further affirmed the depth and originality of her achievement. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Painted 1944 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Paper: 19 3\/4\" high x 23 2\/4\" wide (50.04 x 60.33 cm)\u003cbr\u003e Frame: 26 1\/4\" high x 30 3\/8\" wide x 1 3\/4\" deep (66.75 x 77.22 x 4.32 cm) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Literature:\u003cbr\u003e Otto Kallir, \u003cem\u003eGrandma Moses\u003c\/em\u003e, New York, Abrams Books, 1973, p. 91, no. 79 (illustrated) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Exhibited:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eMoses Grandma\u003c\/em\u003e, Kunsthalle Bern, Bern, Switzerland, 7 November–1 October 1950, no. 88 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e Private collection, Switzerland\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45527959240839,"sku":"32-2985","price":168500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/32-2985_1.png?v=1786569675","url":"https:\/\/rauantiques.com\/products\/first-wagon-on-cambridge-pike-by-grandma-moses","provider":"M.S. Rau","version":"1.0","type":"link"}