Southern Barbecue

Raymond Steth

ca. 1940 · Lithograph · Modern and Contemporary Art

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.

Artist

Raymond Steth

Date

ca. 1940

Medium

Lithograph

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

Gift of Reba and Dave Williams, 1999