Going West
Painting on fiberboard mounted on plywood • Jackson Pollock (American, 1912–1956)
Style & Movement
American Regionalism / Social Realism with stylistic influences from Thomas Hart Benton and Albert Pinkham Ryder.
Medium & Technique
Oil on fiberboard. The technique features expressive, swirling impasto brushstrokes, rhythmic compositions, and a dark, moody palette reminiscent of the American Regionalist style.
Creation Period
circa 1934-1935
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 15 1/8 x 20 7/8 inches (38.3 x 52.7 cm); landscape format.
Subject Description
The painting depicts a pioneer wagon train moving through a dark, dramatic landscape under a full moon. The composition is characterized by heaving, organic forms of hills and clouds that echo the rhythmic, undulating style of Pollock's mentor, Thomas Hart Benton. It depicts a narrative of westward expansion with a sense of cosmic or psychological turbulence.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent. As a museum-held work (Smithsonian American Art Museum), it is maintained in a climate-controlled environment and appears stable.
Estimated Market Value
$5,000,000 - $10,000,000. While Pollock's drip paintings reach much higher, his early figurative works are rare and historically significant.
Auction Estimate
$4,000,000 - $8,000,000
Provenance History
Gift of Thomas Hart Benton, 1973. It was formerly in the collection of Pollock's teacher at the Art Students League, Thomas Hart Benton.
Art Historical Significance
Crucial early work illustrating Pollock's transition from Regionalism to Abstract Expressionism. It shows the influence of Thomas Hart Benton and the dark, visionary landscapes of Albert Pinkham Ryder, providing a link between American tradition and Pollock's later radical abstraction.
Notable Features
Unique for its explicitly narrative subject matter which Pollock would eventually abandon; displays a dark, swirling sky that prefigures the energetic lines of his later 'action painting'.
Condition Issues
Minor age-related craquelure is typical for oil on fiberboard of this period; however, no significant losses or damages are visible in the current museum state.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain stable humidity and temperature; protect from direct UV light; utilize archival-quality wood framing as currently presented.