560: AFTER THOMAS HART BENTON (1889-1975) LITHOGRAPH

Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975)
Ben Ragan and Trouble (Swamp Water series) (1941)
The lithograph from an edition of 100 prints is signed in the plate, there is no verifiable pencil signature. The subject is the artist's illustration of Ben Ragan and his dog Trouble, characters from Vereen Bell's novel 'Swamp Water.' The story first appeared as a serial in the Saturday Evening Post and was made into a movie in 1941. Thomas Hart Benton was commissioned by Twentieth-Century Fox Film Corporation to do a series of lithographs portraying the main characters. This image and the rest of the commission is known as Benton's Swamp Water Series.
Image size 10.5 x 6.75, sheet measures 16.5 x 11.5 inches.
The full sheet, not laid down, stain as shown, 2-inch tear right side edge, minor edge chips and nicks, toning, stain and thinning.
$400 - $600