Artwork Page for The Devil and Tom Walker

Details / Information for The Devil and Tom Walker

The Devil and Tom Walker

1856
(American, 1801–1881)
Culture
America
Measurements
Framed: 84 x 104 x 8.5 cm (33 1/16 x 40 15/16 x 3 3/8 in.); Unframed: 68.8 x 86.6 cm (27 1/16 x 34 1/8 in.)
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view

Description

An eccentric and cantankerous man, John Quidor achieved fame in his lifetime for paintings of banners and fire engines, none of which survive. Today he is remembered for a series of fantastic, grotesque paintings based on the stories of Washington Irving (1783-1859)-a series whose exuberant style differs from the general run of American genre paintings, which tend to be more understated in mood and realistic in style. The Devil and Tom Walker belongs to this curious group of works. It portrays a scene from Irving's Tales of a Traveler (1824), in which Tom Walker, who was "not a man to be troubled with any fears," encounters the Devil while on an evening outing.
A horizontally oriented oil painting in thick, layered brushstrokes depicts a shadowy forest. In the foreground, Tom Walker, with light skin in a tan coat and striped trousers, leans right to prod human skulls with a staff. In the background, the Devil, with medium-dark skin wearing red, sits among gnarled trees. Heavy shadows and earthy brown tones dominate the composition, creating a dark, eerie atmosphere.

The Devil and Tom Walker

1856

John Quidor

(American, 1801–1881)
America

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