Philip Evergood
American artist, 1901-1973
The Siding
1936
Oil on canvas
36 x 27 inches (91.44 x 68.58 centimeters)
Purchase: Gift of the Merle-Smith Family by exchange; Mr. and Mrs. Jack Gurdus by exchange; and the Gift of John and Fannie Saeger, 1994.
1994.003.000

Philip Evergood was born in New York and educated in England. In the 1930s he settled permanently in the United States. During the Depression he painted murals for the Public Works of Art Project and the Works Progress Administration/ Federal Arts Project, both New Deal programs put into place to hire unemployed artists. Evergood was also involved in political causes in support of workers and the poor, themes he often addressed in his art. The Siding is based on a scene he observed on Cape Cod. Though not overtly political, it reflects his sympathy for the working man.