Georgina Klitgaard facts for kids
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Georgina Klitgaard (born Berrian; 1889 or 1893 – 1977) was an American artist. She was famous for her large landscape paintings. These paintings often showed beautiful views of New York from a high, "bird's-eye" perspective. During the Great Depression, she painted three special murals for U.S. Post Office buildings.
Early Life and Education
Georgina Berrian was born in Spuyten Duyvil, New York. This area is now part of The Bronx. She was born in either 1889 or 1893. She went to Barnard College for her studies. She also learned art at the National Academy of Design.
In 1919, she married Kaj Klitgaard, a writer from Denmark. They had two sons, Peter and Wallace. The family lived in Bearsville, New York. This town was close to an artist community in Woodstock, New York. In 1933, Georgina Klitgaard received a special award called a Guggenheim Fellowship. This award helps artists and scholars with their work. She passed away in Ulster County, New York in 1977.
Painting for the Public: Murals and Art
Georgina Klitgaard was part of a special art program during the New Deal era. This program helped artists find work during the Great Depression. It also brought art to public buildings. In 1941, she painted a mural called Pelham Landscape. This artwork is in the U.S. Post Office in Pelham, Georgia.
Another famous mural she painted was The Running of the Hambletonian Stake. This mural is in the United States Post Office (Goshen, New York). It shows a type of horse racing called harness racing. Some people thought horse racing was not a good topic for public art. Usually, these murals showed local history or daily life. The government department in charge of the art, the Section of Painting and Sculpture, wanted her to paint a landscape instead.
However, the people in Goshen really wanted the horse track to be shown. They strongly supported her idea. Because of their support, she was allowed to paint the harness racing scene. This shows how art can sometimes spark interesting discussions in communities. In 1975, she became a member of the National Society of Literature and the Arts.
