Moses, Grandma (1860-1961), was an American folk artist. She started painting when she was in her 70’s and remained active until near her death. She never had an art lesson. Grandma Moses painted simple but realistic scenes of rural life. These colorful and lively pictures were based on memories of her own youth in the late 1800’s. Critics have praised her work for its freshness, innocence, and humanity.
Grandma Moses was born Anna Mary Robertson on Sept. 7, 1860, in Washington County, New York. She was married to Thomas Salmon Moses in 1887. For many years, she embroidered pictures on canvas. She began to paint when arthritis made it difficult for her to hold embroidery needles. An art collector first discovered her paintings in the 1930’s. She was represented in a show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1939. Her first one-artist show was in 1940. Her autobiography, My Life’s History, was published in 1952. Grandma Moses died on Dec. 13, 1961.
