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Southern Barbecue

Raymond Steth American
ca. 1940
Not on view
Like many Black printmakers of the WPA-era, Steth was inspired by his vivid memories of the rural South. Born in Virginia, he spent his earliest childhood years on a farm in North Carolina, before moving north to Philadelphia at age eight. In this reverent nocturnal scene, a small group has gathered around a glowing pit, anxiously watching the progression of their hog roast. An array of cooking, chopping, and digging utensils in the foreground suggests that the barbecue has just begun. Smoldered slowly overnight on hot coals, the pig will be turned on a spit for much of the next day, before being eaten. Although only in his early 20s when this print was made at the WPA's Fine Print Workshop of Philadelphia, Steth's skill and promise as a master printmaker is already evident.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Southern Barbecue
  • Artist: Raymond Steth (American, Norfolk, Virginia 1917–1997 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
  • Date: ca. 1940
  • Medium: Lithograph
  • Dimensions: 8 15/16 × 11 5/16 in. (22.7 × 28.7 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Gift of Reba and Dave Williams, 1999
  • Object Number: 1999.529.159
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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