Post Office Mural - Ogallala NE

City:: Ogallala, NE
Site Type:: Art Works, Murals
New Deal Agencies:: Arts Programs, Treasury Section of Fine Arts (TSFA)
Started:: 1938
Completed:: 1938
Artist:: Frank Mechau

Description

This oil-on-canvas mural entitled “Long Horns” was painted by Frank Mechau in 1938.

“Painted in muted green, gray, and brown tones, the mural depicts a cowboy driving a herd of longhorns. The cattle occupy almost the entire foreground of the mural with crowded shapes that suggest the enormity of the herd. The artist utilized elongated shapes for the horse and cattle, particularly in the animals’ heads which imparts a sense of motion. The cowboy is almost devoid of features which emphasizes the landscape and directs the viewer’s gaze into the scene. The broad sweep of the landscape reinforces the sense of the vast plains. The mural was cleaned and restored by an art conservator under contract with the U.S. Postal Service, and it is in excellent condition.”
(https://communitydisc.westside66.org)

Source notes

https://communitydisc.westside66.org/html/colette/muralsSIG/Ogallala.html https://www.wpamurals.org/nebraska.htm Originally posted in the New Deal Art Registry: https://www.newdealartregistry.org/