CORNING, NY.- The Rockwell Museum recently acquired an oil painting by female artist Elizabeth Remington entitled The Two Kings: Corn and Cotton. Painted just to our north, near Niagara Falls, this verdant agricultural still life was created for the 1876 World’s Fair in Philadelphia. The Centennial Celebration was the first International Exhibition to be hosted in the United States, and it served as the vehicle through which a relatively young America presented itself as an industrial world leader and a unified nation. This period of reconstruction following the Civil War was a crucial time for the United States to demonstrate that they were truly united; thereby promoting confidence in domestic manufacturing, foreign investment, international trade and diplomacy.

To a contemporaneous American viewer, the images of corn and cotton would have been recognized as agrarian symbols of the north and south. Cotton was king in the hotter, drier southern states while corn was the major feed crop in the cooler, wetter north. This romanticized painting alludes to the political and social reconstruction of the time by visually resolving these crops into an idealized composition. This painting came to The Rockwell in apropos time as the current temporary exhibition on view is American Civil War photography from the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY.

This acquisition also comes to The Rockwell during a critical moment in collection planning. In late 2013, The Rockwell’s board of trustees endorsed a guiding vision statement that will place The Rockwell’s core collections of American Western and Native American art into the larger context of American art. This acquisition, an American painting depicting an era of East Coast history, helps The Rockwell tell the story of the American experience through fine art.

The Rockwell Museum collection tells the story of the American experience through a display of stunning art about America. Founded in 1976, The Rockwell is an evolving community center which showcases the best of America through compelling exhibitions and imaginative programs. The diverse collection includes a mix of contemporary Native American art with traditional bronze sculptures, landscape paintings and other works that embody America. Housed in the beautifully restored 19th century Old City Hall building, The Rockwell is active in the local community and holds special events and educational programming with area public schools. The Rockwell provokes curiosity, engagement and reflection about art and the American experience.