Alexander BrookAmerican, 1898–1980Twentieth Century Ruin
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Twentieth Century Ruin” now? Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Chicago, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
Alexander Brook spotted this shell of a house—its yard overgrown with weeds—near his home in rural Westchester County, New York. Pictured under stormy skies, and with his daughter Biddy sitting by herself on a low stone fence, the dilapidated scene projects an air of melancholy. Although Brook later referred to the canvas as a “portrait” of a house, the title, Twentieth Century Ruin, frames the work in a different light. Painted at the height of the Great Depression, the composition can be understood as representing the economic decline and social decay wrought by this traumatic moment in United States history.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 1938.16
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — © the artist or rights holder
