Grandma Moses: A Good Day’s Work

Grandma Moses: A Good Day’s Work is the official catalog for the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s major retrospective on Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses (1860–1961), a self-taught American artist whose vivid depictions of rural life became iconic in the postwar cultural imagination.

Published in association with Princeton University Press, the book reexamines Moses’s legacy, tracing her artistic development from early experiments to her signature style. It highlights how her work fused direct observation, labor, and memory into compelling visual narratives. Though beloved by the public, Moses was often dismissed by the art world for her lack of formal training and nostalgic themes. This catalog positions her as a central figure in twentieth-century American art, whose life spanned the Civil War, two world wars, and the civil rights era.

The richly illustrated volume includes essays by leading curators and scholars of folk and self-taught art, a detailed chronology, and a previously unpublished interview. It captures the candor and emotional depth of Moses’s work, offering insight into her enduring influence and the homespun visual tradition she helped define.