Bellevue Hospital: Furedi Mural – New York NY

Description

In the late 1930s Lily Furedi painted the mural entitled “Simple Way of Life” for the women’s large occupational therapy room in the Psychiatric Building of Bellevue Hospital, It was one of over a dozen murals painted by artists for the building with funds provided by the Federal Art Project arm of the Works Progress Administration.

According to Wikipedia, Lily Furedi began her work as a New Deal artists with the the Public Works of Art Project. When the program ended in 1934, Furedi joined the Federal Art Project under which completed the mural for Bellevue Hospital. The Federal Art Project Photographic Division lists Furedi as an employee of Federal Art Project from 1937 to 1939.

We know that one of the murals at Bellevue hospital entitled “Materials for Relaxation” by David Margolis has been restored. However, The Living New Deal needs further information to determine the current status of the other WPA murals painted for Bellevue Hospital.

As for Lily Furedi’s mural, the stylized, sympathetic, and harmonious of ordinary (American) life appears to be a characteristic of her work.

Lily Furedi was a Hungarian born artist that came from a family of musicians. She arrived in the U.S. in late 1920s at the age of 31. Her father was Samuel Furedi, a professional cellist. Despite her musical background, Furedi chose visual art as her profession. She is most well known for her WPA painting entitled “The Subway” which she completed in 1934 for the Public Works of Art Project. The painting is a sympathetic depiction of ordinary New York City subway life. It was one of 25 paintings that were chosen as gifts to the White House.