Thomas Hart Benton, The Woodpile

Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975) was an American painter, muralist, and printmaker. He was a pioneer of the the Regionalist art movement that was known for depicting realistic scenes of rural and small-town America, primarily in the Midwest. Benton's fluid, swirling images of everyday people doing everyday things endeared him to working class folks, while often putting him at odds with people that held political influence and power.