POST OFFICE BAS RELIEFS

During the Great Depression of the 1930’s the “New Deal” offered support for artists of many types to provide employment, to advance America’s cultural heritage, and to generate positive images in dark times.  Richard Davis sculpted bas reliefs for the post office in Springfield, KY through one of these programs.

The Treasury Section of Painting and Sculpture was a “New Deal” art project established in 1934 under the Procurement Division of the United States Department of the Treasury.  It was renamed the Section of Fine Arts (TSFA) in 1939 and continued into the War years in 1943.  Its purpose was “to secure for the Government the best art which this country is capable of producing, with merit as the only test.”

The Section contracted to place works of art in public buildings throughout the country, primarily murals and bas relief sculptures.  Their ambition was to “democratize” art by showcasing it in federal buildings, giving greater access to the public, and making fine art part of daily life.  Instead of artists applying for relief as under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the TSFA awarded commissions to artists through an anonymous, competitive application process. Thus, the Section could employ both highly reputable artists and relatively unknown talents, based solely on the merits of their work.  Their guidance stated that the subject of the artwork should reflect the place and community where it would be displayed and in a way that everyday people could understand.  The stylistic interpretation of the subject was left entirely up to the artist. 

Richard Davis was commissioned in 1941 to create 3 limestone bas relief sculptures for the post office in Springfield, KY.  Springfield is a town of about 3,000 people in the center of Kentucky, touted as “where the Lincoln legacy began”.  The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park commemorates 2 homes near Springfield where Abraham Lincoln was born and raised.  His parents Thomas Lincoln and Mary Hanks were married in Springfield.  This theme was chosen as the subject for Davis’s sculptures.