The Farmer Wanted a Boy

Robert Gwathmey · 1942

Robert Gwathmey: American, 1903 - 1988

UnclassifiedUnited States

Influenced by

Rufino Tamayoeditorial inference
Evidence
The biography lists Rufino Tamayo among Gwathmey's artistic influences. Explicit secondary-source assertion; independent historical verification remains pending.
- Wikipedia contributors — artist biographies (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Henri Matisseeditorial inference
Evidence
The biography lists Matisse among Gwathmey's artistic influences. Explicit secondary-source assertion; independent historical verification remains pending.
- Wikipedia contributors — artist biographies (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Pablo Picassoeditorial inference
Evidence
The biography lists Picasso among Gwathmey's artistic influences. Explicit secondary-source assertion; independent historical verification remains pending.
- Wikipedia contributors — artist biographies (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Jean-François Milleteditorial inference
Evidence
The biography lists Millet among Gwathmey's artistic influences. Explicit secondary-source assertion; independent historical verification remains pending.
- Wikipedia contributors — artist biographies (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Honoré Daumiereditorial inference
Evidence
The biography lists Daumier among Gwathmey's artistic influences. Explicit secondary-source assertion; independent historical verification remains pending.
- Wikipedia contributors — artist biographies (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Vincent van Gogheditorial inference
Evidence
The biography lists Van Gogh among Gwathmey's artistic influences. Explicit secondary-source assertion; independent historical verification remains pending.
- Wikipedia contributors — artist biographies (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Museums & collections

Documented holdings of works attributed to Robert Gwathmey. Check the museum’s record for current display information.

National Gallery of Art6 recorded works
Art Institute of Chicago4 recorded works
The Cleveland Museum of Art2 recorded works

Sources 3

The Farmer Wanted a Boy

1942

Dating: Exact year
Held at: Art Institute of Chicago
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 61.6 × 114.6 cm (25 1/4 × 45 1/8 in.)
Collection no.: 1981.261
Attribution: By the artist

Collection: Art Institute of Chicago

About this artwork

The Farmer Wanted a Boy — Robert Gwathmey. 1942.

Medium: Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 61.6 × 114.6 cm (25 1/4 × 45 1/8 in.).

Collection record: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

Known for depicting the plight of impoverished southern African Americans with dignity and sensitivity, Robert Gwathmey concentrated on destitute rural whites in The Farmer Wanted a Boy . World War II has taken the young men away, leaving the elderly, women, and children to fend for themselves. Yet the central focus on the infant and the title of the work suggests an optimistic meaning despite the grimness of the scene. The baby can be seen as a beacon of hope amidst the surrounding turmoil and depair; he is the only one in the composition not weighed down, literally and figuratively, by the overwhelming burden of poverty.

Description: © Art Institute of Chicago, original record, CC BY 4.0. HTML formatting removed; wording retained. Other artwork metadata: CC0.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.

Location checked Sep 10, 2026. This does not indicate whether the work is on display.

Artwork sources