 She was one of America's most
popular artists of the 20th century. What makes her story impressive
is that while most successful artists have had some kind of formal
training, Anna did it by teaching herself how to paint. The one-room
schoolhouse she attended as a child does not count as formal
training for her career as an artist.
No, what really makes her story impressive is the fact that she
began painting when she was 76 years old!
Born on a farm near the rural town of Greenwich in upstate New
York in 1860, she spent most of her life on farms. Most of her
paintings were scenes of rural life, and some of her paintings were
so popular that they were used on Hallmark's Christmas cards.
Anna Mary was one of 10 children born to Russell and Margaret
Robertson. She and husband Tom had 10 children of their own, but
five of them died in infancy. There were 11 grandchildren who called
Anna Mary "Grandma."
Part of the reason for her popularity was the optimistic,
feel-good approach of her paintings. She was so popular that
President Harry S. Truman invited her to the White House in 1949.
She didn't start out as a painter, though. She began creating
embroidered pictures in 1927 and turned to painting when she
encountered arthritis. She drew her paintings based on her memories
of the farms where she had lived.
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 In 1938 an art collector named Louis Caldor discovered her work
displayed at a drugstore in Hoosick Falls, N.Y. He bought every one
of her paintings, which were priced between $3 and $5 each, and
drove to her home to buy 10 more paintings. He then showed them to a
New York City art dealer. A year later, three of her paintings were
on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Anna Mary Robertson was a spry little woman who painted nearly
every day until her death at the age of 101. She created more than
1,000 paintings after she began at the age of 76, including 25
paintings that she created after she turned 100.
Have you figured out who Anna Mary Robertson was?
If her name doesn't sound familiar to you, it's probably because
Robertson was her maiden name. When she married Thomas Moses at age
27, she took his last name -- and went on to become known as
"Grandma Moses."
But you knew that all along, didn't you?
Grandma Moses lived through the Civil War and both world wars. To
celebrate her 100th birthday, Life magazine photographed her for its
cover and the governor of her home state of New York proclaimed her
birthday as "Grandma Moses Day."
[By
PAUL NIEMANN]
Paul Niemann's column has appeared in
more than 80 newspapers and counting. He is the author of the
"Invention Mysteries" series of books and can be reached at
niemann7@aol.com.
Copyright Paul Niemann 2009
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columns) |
